Overview
Portfolio Manager – Liverpool
About the job
Job summary
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The Chief Digital Information Office (CDIO) Portfolio team is integral to delivering HMRC’s vision to be a trusted, modern tax and customs department and to achieving its Tax Administration Strategy which sets out the government’s reform ambitions over the period from 2020 to 2030, and is aligned with XSTs priorities for:
1. Closing the tax gap
2. Improving day to day performance
3. Reform and Modernisation
This will be achieved by:
• Transforming our data, analytical and IT capabilities
• Raising significant additional revenues of c. £6bn
• Modernising how customers and their agents interact with the tax system
• Building trust and delivering consistently
The CDIO Portfolio Management Practice own an aggregate portfolio view of Supply and Demand across the HMRC IT estate, driving effective delivery standards, controls, and performance monitoring of the IT portfolio. The Portfolio consists of around 85 programmes and more than 700 projects, it is large, dynamic, highly geared, operates at or near capacity and is one of the most complex and inter-connected in government.
In addition to the change portfolio CDIO undertake essential activity on the HMRC IT infrastructure ensuring day to day performance is preserved.
A maturity roadmap for CDIO Portfolio Management has been defined as part of the CDIO Target Operating Model, making this an exciting time to join the team to help shape and support the transition to a Service Portfolio practice aligned to The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) framework.
Job description
There are two roles for the Portfolio Managers within the CDIO Portfolio team as follows:-
Portfolio Manager – Head of Portfolio Segment
Leading a team of Portfolio Analyst, this role will own the portfolio pipeline and provide delivery assurance for assigned portfolio segment(s) aligned to the organisation’s strategic objectives. You will have accountability for: –
- CDIO Front Door – Ensuring work entering CDIO is of sufficient quality, strategically aligned and the delivery method is defined.
- Prioritisation – Management of prioritisation and scheduling escalations and decisions leveraging the wider organisation where required.
- Impacting – Quality Checks and Process Compliance alignment with agreed scope and plans.
- CDIO Governance – Top Programme Status, Delivery Confidence, Ex-Com Brief (inputs into hub).
- Delivery Assurance – Cross Portfolio, planning, dependency, risk and issue management.
Portfolio Manager – Head of Portfolio Office
Leading a team of Portfolio Analysts, this role will own the portfolio service/processes to drive best practice for CDIO Portfolio frameworks and standards and continual improvements. You will have accountability for; –
- Governance Coordination – Managing portfolio related inputs, outputs, and actions for governance forums inc. CDIO SLT Hub, Portfolio Review Board.
- Supply v Demand Framework – Managing Supply v. Demand Framework, Standards, Engagement (via Working Group and Resource Management community), governing ‘get to green’ plan and representing CDIO in wider capacity conversations.
- Delivery Lifecyle – managing all standards for the CDIO delivery lifecycle including planning standards dependency management and impacting.
- Pipeline – managing all standards pre-demand approval (i.e. in idea stage) including CDIO Front door and alignment of CDIO to the EPWG.
Person specification
The environment is demanding, and the post holder will need to be able to demonstrate experience of managing a diverse change portfolio, that will coordinate the right capabilities, skills, and culture to support the transition to a service portfolio, as well as excellent Stakeholder management skills.
This is a Leadership role, and the post holder will be expected to have substantial proven experience within a leadership environment. You will lead a team of portfolio managers, analysts, and support other roles within the portfolio practice.
You will have proven experience in senior stakeholder and supplier engagement, with the ability to provide Senior Leaders with the cumulative picture of change across CDIO including the impacts. You will work across CDIO, suppliers and HMRC to assure successful delivery of change.
The post holder will be able to speak authoritatively about change impacts and how to support CDIO SLT in visualising changes to process, systems, tools and roles. They will also make strategic decisions to ensure alignment to the IT and Business roadmaps and will therefore need excellent communication and engagement skills.
The post holder will have an excellent understanding of portfolio management principles, methodologies, and best practices, as well as excellent communication skills to effectively articulate the purpose, benefits and impacts to senior stakeholders.
Essential Criteria
- Substantial proven experience in a leadership environment.
- Proven experience of leadership and management across a diverse portfolio.
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to build strong relationships.
- Proven experience balancing multiple priorities and dealing with ambiguity, with the ability to advise on continuously changing work streams, including influencing colleagues and senior stakeholders.
- Previous experience of leading and developing multi-disciplinary teams.
- Relevant Qualification in Portfolio Management, e.g. Management of Portfolios (MoP) or recent relevant experience in Portfolio Management.
Desirable Criteria
- Relevant qualification in IT Portfolio Management or awareness of industry standards (e.g. ITIL, SAFe practices).
- Relevant qualification in Waterfall/Agile/Scrum Methodologies.
- Experience in Service Portfolio Management aligned to ITIL Standards.
Desirable criteria is not essential for the role but may be considered by the vacancy-holder where candidates have the same scores at interview.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £68,966, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £19,979 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 a 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 Behaviours and Experience.
How to Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:
- A name-blind CV including your job history and previous experiences. Your CV will be scored.
- A 500-word Personal Statement. Your Personal Statement should be used to describe how your skills and experience would be suitable for the advertised role, making reference to the Essential Criteria and Person Specification outlined in the advert.
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
In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on your CV.
At full sift your CV and 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, your experience will be assessed and you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of.
You will be required to conduct a ten-minute presentation on ‘Where have you designed and implemented an aspect of a Portfolio Management practice, ideally referencing:
• People and Organisation
• Information and Technology
• Partners and Suppliers
• Value Streams and Processes’
Interviews will take place via video link. 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 – 386694 & vacancy closing date 06/02/2025′.
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.
Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
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.
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.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you can travel to.
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.
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).