Child Maintenance Service – Operations Team Leader(UK Visa Sponsorship)

Job Description

About the Department

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is the UK Government’s largest public service department, responsible for welfare, pensions, and child maintenance policy.

Within DWP, the Child Maintenance Service (CMS) helps parents who cannot reach a private financial arrangement by ensuring that children receive the financial support they are legally entitled to. Our purpose is clear and meaningful: getting money to children so they can thrive.

CMS is a fast-moving, people-focused service where colleagues work together to deliver fair outcomes for families across the UK.

The Opportunity

We are recruiting Team Leaders to support and develop frontline teams within the Child Maintenance Service. This is an excellent opportunity for individuals who enjoy leading people, improving services, and making confident decisions in a high-profile operational environment.

You will lead a team of approximately 12–14 caseworkers, supporting them to deliver a high-quality, customer-focused service while maintaining performance, wellbeing, and professional standards.

This role is well suited to those seeking a long-term Civil Service career, with flexibility, structured development, and opportunities to progress.

What You Will Be Doing

Leadership & People Management

• Lead, motivate, and develop a team to deliver CMS objectives
• Provide regular coaching, feedback, and performance reviews
• Support staff wellbeing, attendance, and engagement
• Build capability and confidence across the team

Operational Delivery

• Manage workloads and resources to meet service targets
• Identify and address risks to performance or customer outcomes
• Investigate and resolve complex or escalated customer cases
• Ensure decisions are accurate, fair, and compliant with policy

Communication & Stakeholder Engagement

• Communicate clearly with customers via telephone and written correspondence
• Build effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders
• Encourage collaboration and shared accountability across teams

Continuous Improvement

• Identify opportunities to improve service quality and efficiency
• Embed a customer-focused approach in everything the team delivers
• Support change initiatives and operational improvements

Who We’re Looking For

Essential Criteria

You must be able to demonstrate:

• Effective leadership skills and the ability to develop others
• Accountability for team performance and outcomes
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Confident decision-making in complex situations
• The ability to prioritise, organise, and deliver under pressure
• A flexible, proactive, and collaborative working style
• Behaviours Assessed

The selection process will assess the following Civil Service Behaviours:

• Leadership (Lead Behaviour)
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

Training & Development

• Structured 11-week full-time, office-based training programme
• Followed by a 3-month consolidation period
• Ongoing learning and development tailored to your role
• Potential requirement to complete a work-based qualification or apprenticeship

Working Arrangements
Hours

• Contracted hours: 37 hours per week (full-time)

Working window:

• Monday–Friday: 07:45–20:00
• Saturday: 08:45–17:00

Hybrid & Flexible Working

• Hybrid working may be available after training (minimum 60% office attendance)
• Flexible working options supported, including part-time and job share
• Adjustments considered for disability or caring responsibilities

Annual Leave & Benefits

• 23 days annual leave, rising to 30 days with service
• Public and bank holidays
• Civil Service Pension Scheme
• Flexible working hours (Flexi-time)
• Learning, wellbeing, and inclusion support
• Family-friendly and inclusive workplace policies

Eligibility & Security

• Right to work in the UK required
• Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks
• Criminal Record (DBS) check
• Internal Fraud Database (IFD) check

Application Process

• Submit a CV (for context only – not scored)
• Submit a Personal Statement (up to 1,000 words) addressing the essential criteria
• Applications are anonymised
• Interviews conducted via Microsoft Teams
• Indicative Timeline
• Sift: February 2026
• Interviews: Late February – Early March 2026
• Start Dates: April – May 2026

Inclusion & Accessibility

DWP is committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and operate:

• Disability Confident Scheme
• Reasonable adjustments throughout recruitment
• Support for neurodiversity, long-term health conditions, and carers