Chief People Officer

The Chief People Officer is accountable for setting a clear strategic direction for how HMRC will achieve its goal of being a great workplace. The postholder will ensure that the group places the colleague experience and environment at the heart of all its work and is focused on ensuring HMRC has a productive and efficient workforce.

As CPO you will deliver an ambitious programme of workforce transformation which includes supporting the business to deliver operating model changes, delivering our new learning model and revising HR processes, tools and support. As a full part of HMRC's Executive Committee, you will work with members of the Board and Non-Exec Directors to champion and deliver excellent workplace and workforce services. As a senior member of the wider Civil Service HR community, the CPO will also work across government and wider networks to anticipate and address future workforce challenges.

The Chief People Officer's key responsibilities:

• setting HMRC's workforce and workplace strategies
• l eading implementation of these strategies
• delivering workforce and workplace services to the Department and our customers, including shared services to the Unity cluster (HMRC, Ministry Housing, Communities and Local Government and the Department for Transport)
• advising the Chief Executive and the HMRC Board on the recruitment, development and management of senior talent in HMRC
• making a full contribution to the leadership of HMRC as a member of the Department 's Executive Committee
• making a strategic contribution to wider Civil Service workforce and workplace policies, strategies and delivery, as one of the most senior HR professionals in the Civil Service
• leading the newly expanded HMRC Chief People Officer Group, which will grow to welcome colleagues working in Estates, Unity Business Services and our Unity Programme team.

Person specification

The ideal candidate will be a modern, progressive HR professional with a demonstrable track record working at both a strategic and delivery level.

They have delivered transformation through culture and systems and naturally, partner with business leaders. You will bring a keen understanding of the role the People agenda plays in improving workforce satisfaction, productivity and efficiency and delivering interventions that do so.

Essential Criteria:

• Extensive experience as a senior HR professional with a strong track record of successfully developing and aligning people strategies to the organisation's business goals. This includes leading a well-developed corporate services HR function within a large enterprise-level (60,000+ employees), complex organisation.
• Proven success through inspirational leadership with a clear track record of delivering outstanding performance as well as extensive experience of people management across large, complex teams - leading across geographically dispersed locations and driving engagement and inclusivity in culturally diverse teams.
• Proven track record of the development and successful implementation of workforce planning in a large and complex organisation.
• Experience of working collaboratively and successfully, engaging with a diverse range of stakeholders both internally and externally at the most senior levels to address future workforce challenges and opportunities.
• Effective and sophisticated influencing skills, with the gravitas and credibility to work in partnership with colleagues and stakeholders at the highest level (CEO, Board, Ministers or equivalent) to set strategic direction.
• Broad experience of high-level, Enterprise-wide transformation, with the ability of prioritising transformative work alongside functional delivery in a demanding, time critical, customer service environment. Whilst navigating and leading through complex and ambiguous environments and embedding innovation into an organisation.
• As a senior HR leader in the Civil Service, our expectation is for continued professional development once in post. We are looking for the successful candidate to be an existing Member of the Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) and actively working towards the FCIPD level.

This is a once-in-a-career opportunity to make a profound impact and drive transformative change for a better HMRC.

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work; a diverse, inclusive, and vibrant organisation, where everyone is supported and valued.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to all.

We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £170,000, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £45,900 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We take your career and development seriously and want to enable you to build a successful career with the department and wider Civil Service.

It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you'll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing.

As a Civil Service employee, you'll be entitled to a large range of benefits.

This includes:

• 25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years' service. This is in addition to your public holidays.
• This will be complemented by one further day paid privilege entitlement to mark the King's Birthday.
• Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle.
• Flexible working patterns and access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day provided you work your total hours.
• A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join and where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension.
• Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.
• Use of onsite facilities (where applicable).
• Occupational sick pay.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Green Park are managing this competition on behalf of HMRC. To apply for this post, please submit the following to https://micro.green-park.co.uk/hmrc/ no later than 23:55 on Monday, 2 September 2024 .

• A CV (around 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Statement of Suitability (around 2 pages) that provides evidence of how your skills and experience meet the criteria in the person specification.

A full CV and Statement of Suitability will allow us to assess your application against the person specification. Please ensure both documents contain your full name and contact details.

Shortlist

• An application pre-sift will be conducted by Green Park, followed by an in-depth review by the Selection Panel.
• The panel will assess all applicants against the criteria set out in the Person Specification and will shortlist those candidates who best meet the criteria for assessment and interview.
• Shortlisted candidates will also have the opportunity of an informal conversation with Jim Harra. This isn't a formal part of the process but an opportunity to gain greater insight into the role. This is optional, but highly recommended.
• Appointments are conditional upon candidates undertaking a Financial Probity check if shortlisted for final interview. Please refer to the FAQs in the candidate pack for further information.

Selection Panel

This is a Civil Service Commission led appointment and the review and shortlist will be chaired by Sarah Pittam, Commissioner.

Panel members will include:

• Jim Harra, HMRC Permanent Secretary & Vacancy Holder
• Pat Gallan, HMRC Non-Executive Director
• Fiona Ryland, Chief People Officer, Cabinet Office

Disability Confidence Scheme (DCS)

Candidates applying under the Disability Confidence Scheme are guaranteed an interview if they meet the minimum criteria outlined in the person specification.

This scheme works in conjunction with the Great Place to Work for Veterans, for former members of the armed services, and the Redeployment Interview Scheme for existing Civil Servants at risk of redundancy. Each scheme works in the same way.

Use of Data

As part of the recruitment process, your data and assessment results may be shared with HMRC's SCS Talent team.

This will provide insight into how to support your development and wider talent management, if you are successful in your application.

Assessments

If shortlisted for interview, you will be asked to take part in a Staff Engagement Exercise (SEE) and an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA).

Assessments don't result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, they are designed to support the panel's decision making and highlight areas for further exploration at interview.

Full details of the assessment process will be made available to candidates if shortlisted for interview.

We will send you a copy of any report for any assessment that you may have undergone as part of the recruitment process (where applicable).

Interview

You will be asked to attend an interview for a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence.

We will also ask you to prepare a 5-minute verbal presentation. Details will be issued in advance of your interview.

Interviews are expected to take place on Friday, 18 th October 202 4 and will be held in person at 100 Parliament Street, London (full instructions will be issued prior to interview).

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible once all interviews have concluded.

Indicative Timeline

• Closing date: 23:55 on Monday, 2 September 2024
• Longlist meeting: w/c 9 September 2024
• Shortlist meeting: w/c 23 September 2024
• Assessments and informal conversations: w/c 30 September & 7 October 2024
• Interviews: Friday, 18 October 2024

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).