Job Title & Grade: Benefits Lead, Grade 7
Contract Type: Detached Duty and Loan (24 months)
Salary range (depending on location):
National - £58,511 - £65,329
London - £63,343 - £70,725
Please note that unless you are currently employed by the Civil Service and are earning more than the minimum above, if successful you will be offered the minimum for the grade depending on your location.
Location: Any LAA Office
Please note that whilst this role is open to all Civil Servants, you can only apply for London, Cambridge and Brighton offices if you are a current LAA staff member based in those offices. This is due to and in line with the LAA's Location Strategy and the Cabinet Office's Places for Growth Strategy.
Minimum Working Pattern:
If you are applying for a part time role, please note that to meet business demands we need cover for a minimum of 30 hours and to cover 3 days of the week.
The Legal Aid Agency
We are an executive agency of the Ministry of Justice (MoJ). We are responsible for operationally administering the legal aid fund to provide criminal and civil legal aid advice to people in England and Wales.
Our people are at the heart of achieving excellence. Employing around 1,200 colleagues across England and Wales, we feel proud to have some of the best People Survey results in the Civil Service.
Transformation
Transformation are responsible for continuing to drive forward simplifying the delivery of legal aid. We want to improve the experience for the people who apply for legal aid, the providers who deliver the services and those of us in the LAA who administer the scheme, while ensuring the LAA remains a great place to work.
Transformation Team
This team is leading the transformation of our organisation through innovation, collaboration and inclusion. Originally established in May 2020, the Transformation Team has grown rapidly over the last five years. We are a hybrid team of business change and project delivery experts, and working in partnership with others is at the heart of what we do. We work together with teams across the agency, with the LAA Digital team, MoJ Project Delivery Function experts, MoJ Policy teams and wider stakeholders across the justice system and government.
The transformation portfolio spans multiple services, systems and functions, with significant impacts on:
- Front-line operational teams
- Policy design and implementation
- Digital systems and data
- External providers and partners
Job Summary
The role of the Benefits Manager is to proactively identify, quantify, and track the realisation of benefits used to justify investment in the project. The Benefits Manager ensures that a ‘fit for purpose’ approach to benefits measurement and realisation is used to provide assurance that the benefits identified can be achieved.
Key Responsibilities:
- Delivery and Leadership - Provides visible and effective leadership, leading benefits management and collaborating with the Project Manager to deliver the benefits and outcomes in the business case. Develops a clear vision and standards, and champions the use of best practice benefits management standards, tools, and processes. Builds strong networks both internally and externally.
- Business Case - Assists the Project Manager in preparing and updating the benefits section of the business case, working with specialists as needed.
- Benefits Management Strategy - Defines and shapes the benefits management strategy, considering the organisation's broader methodology.
- Benefits Realisation Plan - Oversees the project benefits realisation plan, including change control. Identifies risks to benefits realisation and develops proposed mitigations.
- Tracking and Reporting - Establishes a system for coordinated and consistent tracking and reporting of benefits throughout the project lifecycle and into realisation.
- Benefits Mapping - Coordinates workshops to map benefits and ensures alignment. Circulates the benefits map for agreement and approval. Works with various stakeholders to validate and test dependencies.
- Stakeholder Management - Collaborates with stakeholders and the broader benefits management community to ensure benefits are identified, understood, owned, and maximised. Briefs key stakeholders before benefits reviews and engages with the organisation's portfolio office to enhance and improve benefits management best practices.
- Digital and Data - Collects and shares data in line with data standards. Uses digital tools to track and report on benefits realisation. Analyses data to assess the impact of project outcomes and improve benefit delivery.
- Line Management – T will be line management of Project Delivery Professional(s) as part of this role, including the management of direct report’s HR and well-being, development with a focus on coaching and mentoring, ensuring quality and standards of PPM are upheld.
Essential Qualifications
A recognised project delivery, benefits management or change qualification (for example MSP, PRINCE2, Managing Benefits or similar), or equivalent practical experience.
Essential Knowledge, Experience and skills
- Experience of leading benefits management and benefits realisation in complex projects, programmes or portfolios.
- Experience of developing benefits strategies, benefits maps and benefits realisation plans.
- Experience of contributing to or advising on business cases, including defining measurable benefits and supporting assumptions.
- Ability to establish effective benefits tracking, reporting and assurance arrangements using data and insight.
- Strong stakeholder management and influencing skills, including working with senior leaders and multidisciplinary teams.
- Strong facilitation and communication skills, with experience of leading workshops and supporting shared understanding across diverse stakeholders.
- Demonstrable leadership capability, including promoting best practice and supporting delivery in a complex environment.
Desirable Knowledge, Experience and skills
- Experience of working in government, arm’s-length bodies or a regulated public sector environment
- Experience of working with portfolio offices, governance boards and assurance processes
- Experience of using digital tools/dashboard reporting to monitor benefit delivery
- Experience of coaching or developing others in benefits management practice
Assessment approach
Application Process
To apply please provide a statement of suitability showing how you meet the essential criteria and essential qualifications listed above in no more than 1000 words.
Your statement should demonstrate your ability to do all the essential criteria listed and detail your essential qualifications. Using examples can help strengthen your application.
Please note we do not require a CV.
Please note that we only require a Statement of Suitability for your application. The wording on this advert may suggest that an Experience question is also required, however this is not necessary.
Interview / assessment Process
If you are successful through the application stage, you will be invited to an interview / assessment centre in person or via Microsoft Teams w you will be assessed against the following:
Strengths relevant to the role and the following Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
Your Experience of implementing, promoting, or understanding diversity and inclusion policy - Diversity is the presence of difference, this can include one or more of the protected characteristics (Gender, Age, Race, Disability etc.) or it can be about working patterns, whether we like to jump into a task or reflect on it before acting. Inclusion is how we welcome, value, and celebrate diversity, giving everyone a voice, tapping into ideas, and enabling everyone to be themselves at work and achieve their potential.
Grade 7
For this grade/ role we would expect the candidate to demonstrate understanding of the terms Diversity and Inclusion and be able to explain why they are important in a work environment. We would also expect examples of action they have taken to embrace diversity (e.g., increasing understanding for self or others) or improve inclusion at a departmental level.
Please note, that if you progress to interview, you will be asked to provide evidence of the qualifications you’ve stated on your application.
Shortlisting is planned for week commencing 6th July.
Interviews are planned for week commencing 20th July.
If you would like more information on this opportunity, please contact Bruce Burns – [email protected]
Our LAA commitment to Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain, and invest in talent wver it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.
As a Disability Confident organisation, we will offer a guaranteed interview to candidates with a disability who meet the essential criteria for this role. Under the Equality Act 2010 a disability is defined as a physical or mental impairment which has a substantial and long-term adverse effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities which has lasted, or is expected to last, at least 12 months.
If you are responding to a role within the Legal Aid Agency and would like to be considered under the guaranteed interview, please indicate this in your application and let us know of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the sift or later selection processes.
The LAA’s goal is to build an organisation that is open and inclusive and truly values and celebrates the diversity of its workforce. One that reflects and understands the needs of the diverse society we serve. This is regardless of social background, gender, age, ethnicity, sexual orientation, beliefs, disabilities or long-term illness or caring responsibilities.
Reasonable Adjustments
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long-term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments to support you through the recruitment process, please let us know by adding the information to the applications system or emailing [email protected] after you have applied so that we can discuss options with you.
Complaints procedure
If you have any complaints about this recruitment activity, please share your concerns by emailing [email protected] initially. We aim to respond to any complaint within 10 working days.
