UCR Operational Team Leader – Department for Work and Pensions
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is recruiting 55 permanent UCR Operational Team Leaders to join its Universal Credit Case Review (UCR) operation.
This Higher Executive Officer (HEO) role involves leading and coaching a team responsible for reviewing Universal Credit claims, ensuring customers receive the correct entitlement and supporting DWP’s work to reduce fraud and error.
The vacancies are available across multiple locations in England, Scotland and Wales, with full-time, part-time, job-share and flexible working options available.
Job Details
- Job title: UCR Operational Team Leader
- Employer: Department for Work and Pensions (DWP)
- Business area: Universal Credit Case Review
- Job grade: Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
- Salary: £38,772 – £45,065
- National salary: £38,772 – £39,621
- Outer London salary: £42,509 – £45,065
- Contract: Permanent
- Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, job share and flexible working
- Number of vacancies: 55
- Reference: 480685
- Closing date: 7 October 2026 at 11:55pm
Locations
The role is available in:
- Bangor
- Basildon
- Birkenhead
- Burnley
- Canterbury
- Dudley
- Dundee
- Glasgow
- Grimsby
- Hastings
- Hull
- Kilmarnock
- Leeds
- Leicester
- Newcastle
- Pembroke Dock
- Plymouth
- Pontypridd (Ty Taf)
- Preston
- Sheffield
- Sunderland
- Swindon
- Wigan
- Wrexham
Some locations are due to move to new offices in the coming years. For example, Newcastle roles will move from Benton Park View to Pilgrim Place by the end of 2027, while Glasgow Northgate roles will move to Atlantic Quay by September 2027.
About the Role
As a UCR Operational Team Leader, you will lead and manage a team involved in reviewing Universal Credit claims and customers’ circumstances.
The work is designed to ensure claimants receive the correct level of benefit entitlement while supporting DWP’s wider efforts to reduce fraud and error within the social security system.
The role combines people leadership, coaching, performance management, quality assurance, decision-making and customer service.
You will work with colleagues and stakeholders to deliver UCR activity effectively and support a diverse claimant base.
Key Responsibilities
Your responsibilities will include:
- Leading, coaching and developing a team of UCR agents.
- Ensuring team members understand Universal Credit Review processes and objectives.
- Monitoring team performance and carrying out Tier 1 quality assurance.
- Managing workloads and prioritising work across the team.
- Dealing with escalations and complex queries.
- Coaching agents to analyse information and conduct effective claimant interviews.
- Ensuring agents accurately record outcomes on departmental systems.
- Supporting corrective actions where required.
- Building effective relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
- Contributing flexibly and proactively to the ongoing development of the role.
- Managing and coaching team members through face-to-face and virtual communication methods, including Microsoft Teams and telephone.
Requirements
DWP is looking for candidates who can demonstrate:
- Strong leadership and people engagement skills.
- The ability to inspire, encourage and influence others.
- Excellent communication skills.
- The ability to deal appropriately with challenging and vulnerable individuals.
- Strong collaborative working and relationship-building skills.
- The ability to understand and analyse performance information.
- Experience identifying risks and taking appropriate action.
- Confidence in making decisions and managing team performance.
- A fair and consistent approach to line management and policy compliance.
The lead criterion for the initial sift may be:
Strong leadership and excellent people engagement skills.
Behaviours Assessed
The selection process will assess candidates against the following Civil Service behaviours:
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Changing and Improving
- Managing a Quality Service
Hybrid Working
The role may be suitable for hybrid working, depending on business and individual circumstances.
Where hybrid working is agreed, employees must be able to work at their designated DWP office at least 60% of their contracted hours.
Hybrid working is voluntary and non-contractual, and the contractual place of work remains the relevant DWP office.
Salary and Benefits
The salary is £38,772 to £45,065, depending on location.
DWP also contributes towards membership of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme, with the advert stating an employer contribution of 28.97%.
Other benefits include:
- At least 23 days’ annual leave on entry, increasing to 30 days over time.
- 9 days of public and privilege leave.
- Flexible working arrangements.
- Job sharing, flexi-time and compressed hours.
- Interest-free season ticket loans.
- Cycle-to-work scheme.
- Employee discount scheme.
- Employee Assistance Programme.
- Health and wellbeing support.
- Family-friendly policies.
- Enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after one year of continuous service.
- Funded learning and development.
- Professional qualifications and accreditations.
- Coaching, mentoring and talent development opportunities.
Visa Sponsorship / Right to Work
Important for international applicants: This vacancy is not currently eligible for new Skilled Worker visa sponsorship for candidates who do not already have permission to be in the UK as a Skilled Worker under the specific circumstances stated in the advert.
The advert states that the role is not included on the published Immigration Salary List and is therefore not currently available for new Skilled Worker sponsorship applications, including where applicants may otherwise seek to rely on tradeable points.
Applicants should check their individual right-to-work and immigration position before applying and seek specialist immigration advice where necessary.
Application and Selection Process
The vacancy uses the Civil Service Success Profiles recruitment framework and will assess Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
Applicants must submit a Personal Statement of no more than 1,250 words explaining how their skills and experience meet the key criteria.
Candidates should use genuine examples from their own experience. The advert specifically warns that copied or plagiarised examples may result in an application being withdrawn.
If there is a high volume of applications, DWP may initially assess candidates against the lead criterion of strong leadership and excellent people engagement skills.
Interviews will combine strength-based and behaviour-based questions and are expected to last approximately 40–45 minutes via Microsoft Teams video.
Sift and interview dates are to be confirmed.
Development Opportunities
DWP may require successful candidates to undertake a work-based qualification, which could include an apprenticeship, to support professional development.
The qualification may be completed during working hours, and successful applicants agree to undertake the required programme where applicable.
Candidates who hold a Level 3 qualification, such as two A levels or equivalent, are advised to bring their certificates to interview if available.
Security and Eligibility
Successful candidates must undergo a basic or equivalent criminal record check and baseline personnel security standard checks.
Successful applicants will also be subject to the relevant pre-employment screening, including an Internal Fraud Database check.
The vacancy is broadly open to eligible UK nationals, Irish nationals, certain Commonwealth nationals with UK right to work, eligible EU/EEA/Swiss nationals with relevant status, and other categories listed under Civil Service nationality rules.
Closing Date
7 October 2026 at 11:55pm
Applicants should submit their application before the deadline.
How to Apply
Applications should be made through the official Civil Service Jobs vacancy.
Job reference: 480685
Source: Civil Service Jobs / Department for Work and Pensions