Delivery Unit Senior

Delivery Unit Senior Advisers x 2 – Department for Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is recruiting Delivery Unit Senior Advisers x 2 to support the Secretary of State’s Delivery Unit.

Salary: £56,582 – £69,740
Location: Manchester or London
Job grade: Grade 7
Contract: Fixed-term, loan or secondment
Duration: 2 years
Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, job share and flexible working
Job type: Policy
Reference: 482759
Closing date: 11:55 pm, Tuesday 13 October 2026

About the role

The Secretary of State’s Delivery Unit sits at the heart of DCMS and plays a key role in driving delivery of the priorities that matter most to the Secretary of State.

The team provides ministers with an independent assessment of progress against key priorities and measurable outcomes. It also challenges delivery where necessary, helps identify solutions and assesses whether positive change is happening on the ground through fieldwork and analysis.

The successful candidates will work across DCMS and provide analysis, advice and challenge to help ensure the department’s highest priorities are delivered effectively.

Key responsibilities

The successful candidates are likely to:

• Assess progress against agreed outcomes and metrics for priority programmes.
• Provide ministers with regular, objective delivery confidence assessments.
• Work with delivery teams to identify and resolve challenges affecting delivery.
• Provide advice to ministers on potential solutions.
• Undertake analysis and fieldwork to assess whether delivery is happening as intended.
• Respond quickly to new and emerging priorities.
• Test options with the department and provide advice to ministers and senior officials.
• Build and maintain strong stakeholder networks across the department and government.

The exact portfolios will depend on current departmental priorities following recent Machinery of Government changes.

A willingness to adapt to changing priorities, pressures and emerging challenges will be important.

Essential requirements

Candidates should demonstrate:

Communicating and Influencing
Strong interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to influence senior stakeholders, challenge assumptions constructively and maintain delivery progress.

Delivering at Pace
The ability to work effectively in fast-paced environments, coordinate across senior teams and respond quickly to ambiguous or urgent priorities.

Making Effective Decisions
The ability to work independently and alongside analytical and policy specialists to assess evidence, address delivery challenges and identify practical, evidence-based solutions.

Seeing the Bigger Picture
An understanding of real-world developments and trends, with the ability to connect them to policy and operational delivery and wider organisational or public priorities.

Desirable experience

The following are desirable:

• Experience working directly with senior stakeholders.
• Experience in an analytical role.
• Experience in a policy-heavy or delivery-focused role.

Desirable criteria will only be used where candidates are otherwise tied.

Information session

An information session for prospective applicants was scheduled for 5 October at 11:00.

The session provides an opportunity to learn more about the role, team, directorate and department and to ask questions.

Applicants could register their interest through the registration form provided in the original advert. The session will not be recorded and will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process.

Selection process

The vacancy uses the Civil Service Success Profiles framework and will assess behaviours, strengths and experience.

Applicants are required to submit:

• A CV outlining career history, responsibilities and achievements. The CV must not exceed 2 A4 pages.
• A Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words, explaining how your skills, qualities and experience meet the essential requirements.

If there is a high volume of applications, an initial sift may be carried out using the Statement of Suitability.

Successful candidates will progress to an interview assessing behaviours and strengths.

The behaviours assessed are:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Bigger Picture

Candidates will also be required to give a presentation. The presentation topic and behaviour questions will be provided before the interview.

Interviews will take place remotely via Microsoft Teams.

Salary and benefits

The salary is £56,582 – £69,740, depending on location and pay scale:

• National: £56,582 – £63,384
• London: £61,234 – £69,740

DCMS also contributes 28.97% towards the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Other benefits include:

• Flexible and hybrid working.
• 26.5 days’ annual leave on entry, increasing to 31.5 days after 5 years’ service.
• Civil Service pension.
• Employee discounts through Edenred.
• 3 days of paid volunteering leave.
• Maternity, paternity and adoption leave provisions.
• Staff reward and recognition schemes.
• Occupational sick pay.
• Employee Assistance Programme.
• Staff networks.
• Learning and development opportunities.
• Season ticket loan and cycle-to-work scheme.

Security and eligibility

Successful candidates must meet the required security requirements and undergo a basic or equivalent criminal record check.

The role is broadly open to eligible UK nationals, Irish nationals, certain Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK, and other groups meeting the Civil Service nationality requirements.

Candidates should check the full eligibility and nationality requirements in the original vacancy before applying.

Visa sponsorship

The advert does not state that visa sponsorship is available.

Applicants who require Skilled Worker sponsorship should not assume that sponsorship will be provided and should confirm their eligibility with DCMS/recruitment before applying.

Application information

Closing date: 11:55 pm, Tuesday 13 October 2026

Reference: 482759

Applications should be submitted through the official Civil Service Jobs vacancy.

Source: Civil Service Jobs / Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS)