Are you passionate about providing great customer service?

Whether your previous experience is in retail, hospitality or a call centre, your knowledge will give you the foundations to provide the vital support our users need. Don't know it all yet? Not a problem! This is a development role where you'll be given on the job training as well as access to a superb training budget to help you improve your skills.

Want to join a supportive team?

You'll join the Service Desk who provide a single point of contact for IT users within HMRC. Your customer service skills will ensure our users receive a first-class service every time. You'll monitor and record all support activity using service desk software and keep users up to date with progress. You'll do this amidst a team who seek to help each other and work together to resolve issues. We look to continuously improve the way we work for the benefit of the team and our users.

Do you have a keen interest in IT, investigating problems and want to develop your career?

The Service Desk provides a platform to launch your career from, providing technical support across a wide range of bespoke ICT systems and services. Whilst you are troubleshooting, recording, escalating and communicating issues, you will develop a wide variety of skills beneficial for developing further in IT. At times you will work alongside more senior colleagues to investigate issues, as well as having the opportunity to take on additional project work to develop your skills.

Person specification

This is an office-based role underpinning the activity of the wider CODE technology teams. The successful candidate will be part of a small highly specialised team who provide varied and challenging 1st and 2nd line IT support to a wide range of customers across the national FIS estate.

For this role you must be
• A UK national
• Hold Security Check (SC) clearance level or be willing to be SC cleared to take up duty and be prepared to attain DV clearance.

The role will include but not be limited to: -

• You will be the first point of contact for all enquiries relating to the CODE Technology team. You will use ITIL aligned processes to ensure enquiries are dealt with in the appropriate manner giving customers the best possible service.
• Making use of all available tools and resources to undertake level 1 & level 2 fault diagnostics and implement fault resolutions where appropriate within Service Level Agreements.
• Taking ownership of issues, you will gather essential information for the escalation of issues to other technical teams.
• Keeping an awareness of our services, you will maintain and enhance relationships with both customers and suppliers, to ensure the team delivers a respected professional service.
• Document knowledge from learning opportunities to share with the rest of the team and look for ways to improve processes.
• The Service Desk is open from 08:00 to 17:30 and as part of the team you will work between 08:00 and 15:30 or 10:00 and 17:30 on a rota basis.
• P erform general IT administration tasks such as password changes; server monitoring; planned moves and changes, reporting and setting up new user accounts.

Essential Criteria

• Ability to speak confidently to people over the phone and face to face, as well as strong written communication skills.
• Highly motivated pro-active team player.
• Willingness to learn and tackle challenging problems and situations.
• Proficient in using IT. Including but not limited to Microsoft Products, Outlook, Teams, Word & Excel.

All applicants must hold SC clearance to be able to start and be willing to obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security vetting clearance. Appointment will be conditional upon satisfactory conduct and discipline checks and security vetting.

Candidates must live within reasonable daily travel of Gillingham.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of working in a customer facing role.

Training Requirements

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to complete the following courses within the first 12 months and further technical ongoing development will be available:

• ITIL 4 Foundation - IT Service Management Certification.
• The Service Desk Institute - Service Desk Analyst Course .

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Question
• Exercise

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,475, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £8,538 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by as day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

How to Apply

To start the application process you will need to complete the Customer Service Skills Test, if this is passed you will then be able to complete the online application which includes:

We recommend candidates complete the online tests as early as possible to allow sufficient time to complete and submit their application form prior to the campaign closing at 23:55 on 24/01/2025

• A name-blind CV including your job history, qualifications and previous experiences for your last 3 roles. Your CV should set out your career history (max 750 words) and for each role include:
  - A brief description of your duties, Skills and experience, Key achievements.
  - Any words over the 750 word limit will not be considered.
  The CV is for information only and will not be scored
• A 500-word personal statement. Your personal statement should s how how your skills and experience meet the role requirements in the essential criteria and job description. Your evidence needs to show us you have the experience, approach, and skills we're looking for.
  Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.

Sift

At full sift your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

During the panel interview, you will be assessed on Experience, Strength based questions and Technical questions. Technical skills will be tested at interview by way of questions and scenarios based on the essential criteria detailed in the advert.

This is an example of a strengths-based question

"It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?"

There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well.

Interviews will take place face to face.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]'.

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application .

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and appointments will be made in strict merit order until the set demand is filled. If successful, you will be informed when we reach your position on the merit list.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact the UBS Recruitment team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the "Assistance required" section in the "Additional requirements" page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Additional Security Information

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations .

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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
Open to UK nationals only.

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).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Alan Ridd
• Email : alan.ridd@hmrc.gov.uk
• Telephone : 03000 535931

Recruitment team

• Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk

Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.
In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website.

Attachments
UPDATED - Combined TC and OGD Pay English - July 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 129kB)