At a Glance
- Tasks: Monitor and protect critical digital services for millions across the UK.
- Company: Join DWP, the UK's largest government department, making a real impact.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, generous pension contributions, and flexible working hours.
- Why this job: Be the first line of defence in IT operations and enhance user experience.
- Qualifications: Experience in IT operations and familiarity with monitoring tools required.
- Other info: Work in a dynamic environment with excellent career growth opportunities.
The predicted salary is between 38772 - 43300 £ per year.
Pay of £38,772, plus 28.97% employer pension contributions, hybrid working, flexible hours, and great work-life balance. Are you ready to be the first line of defence in protecting critical national digital services? As an Associate IT Operations Controller, you'll join a 24/7 operations team responsible for monitoring systems and tooling that keep DWP's digital services stable, secure and available for millions of people across the UK. You'll thrive in a fast-paced operational environment, working with vendor partners, internal teams and technical specialists to detect IT issues early, respond quickly, and help prevent service disruption.
This role is based from either Newcastle or Manchester; the locations of our physical command centre. Important: This is a 24/7 shift role with a 20% shift allowance. You'll be required to work 14 shifts every 28 days/nights on a 12-hour rota, rotating between days (07:00-19:00) and nights (19:00-07:00).
We are looking for an Associate IT Operations Controller to join our community of tech experts in DWP Digital. We're using fresh ideas and leading-edge tech to build and maintain digital solutions that will be used by nearly every person in the UK, every day and at key moments in their lives. DWP is the UK's largest government department. We help people into work and make payments worth over £195bn a year to support and empower millions of people. The scale of what we do is extraordinary, and our purpose is unique. We'd love you to join us.
What skills, knowledge and experience will you need?
- Experience working in a live IT operations environment, such as problem management, change management, incident management, monitoring, or event management.
- A background in first-line command centre, service monitoring, or incident resolution teams.
- Practical knowledge of monitoring tools such as BMC and Dynatrace (or similar enterprise monitoring tools).
- Understanding of IT infrastructure technologies, such as networks, servers (Wintel, Unix, Linux), storage platforms and databases.
You and your role
As our Associate IT Operations Controller you will act as the first line of defence in detecting IT service issues before they impact users. You'll support the protection of critical DWP services used by millions of people. You will help safeguard sensitive information and maintain system integrity across complex networks and digital platforms. As part of the User Experience Command Centre (UXCC) within IT Service Operations, you'll be responsible for monitoring infrastructure and applications across datacentre and cloud environments (AWS and Azure) using enterprise-grade tooling. You'll follow event management processes, triaging and categorising alerts, raising incidents, and providing initial diagnosis to minimise disruption. This role will also involve collaborating with internal teams, external suppliers and 2nd/3rd-line technical SMEs to drive timely resolution of issues.
Key responsibilities include:
- Supporting batch monitoring, vulnerability management and operational security activities as you help drive improvements in performance, processes and user experience.
- Analysing patterns and trends, identifying opportunities for simplification with the aim of increasing efficiency.
This is a role where your actions have real impact on service stability, customer experience and the resilience of DWP's key national systems.
Details
Location: You'll join us in one of our brilliant digital hubs in Newcastle or Manchester, whichever is most convenient for you.
Hybrid Working: We work a hybrid model - you'll spend some time working at home and some time collaborating face-to-face in a hub.
Pay: We offer pay of £38,772 per annum.
Pension: You'll get a brilliant civil service pension with employer contributions worth 28.97%, worth up to £11,241 per year.
Holidays: A generous leave package starting at 24 days and rising to 26 days after one year. You can also take up to 3 extra days off a month on flexi-time. You'll also get all the usual public holidays.
We have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
- Flexible working including flexible hours and flex-friendly policies.
- Time off volunteering and charitable giving.
- Bring your authentic self to work with 'I Can Be Me in DWP'.
- Discounts and savings on shopping, fun days out and more.
- Interest-free loans to buy a bike or a season ticket.
- Sports and social activities.
- Professional development, coaching, mentoring and career progression opportunities.
And we have an award-winning environment and culture:
- DWP recognised as 2024 Diversity Employer of the Year at the Computing Women in Tech Excellence Awards.
- Diverse and Inclusive Leadership winner at Digital Leaders Awards 2024.
- Commended as Best Place to Work in Digital at the Computing Digital Technology Leaders Awards 2025.
- Recognised as one of the Best Public Sector Employers at the 2025 Women in Tech Employer Awards.
Process: We know your time is valuable, so our application and selection process is just two stages:
- Apply: Complete your application on Civil Service Jobs. Full instructions will be available when you click through.
- Interview: A single-stage interview online. Click APPLY for more information and to start your application.
IT Operations Controller in Manchester employer: DWP Digital
Contact Detail:
DWP Digital Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land IT Operations Controller in Manchester
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to folks in the industry, attend meetups, or join online forums. The more connections you make, the better your chances of hearing about job openings before they even hit the market.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for those interviews! Research the company and its culture, and be ready to discuss how your skills fit into their operations. Practise common interview questions and think of examples that showcase your problem-solving abilities.
✨Tip Number 3
Show off your tech skills! If you’ve got experience with monitoring tools like BMC or Dynatrace, make sure to highlight that. Be ready to discuss how you've used these tools to prevent service disruptions in past roles.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets seen. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our team at DWP Digital.
We think you need these skills to ace IT Operations Controller in Manchester
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your Application: Make sure to customise your application to highlight your experience in IT operations. Use keywords from the job description, like 'incident management' and 'monitoring tools', to show we’re on the same page.
Showcase Problem-Solving Skills: Since this role is all about detecting and resolving IT issues, share specific examples of how you've tackled problems in past roles. We love seeing how you stay calm under pressure!
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon unless it’s relevant to the role. Make it easy for us to see why you’d be a great fit!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets to us directly. Plus, you’ll find all the details you need to get started.
How to prepare for a job interview at DWP Digital
✨Know Your Tech
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of monitoring tools like BMC and Dynatrace. Familiarise yourself with IT infrastructure technologies such as networks, servers, and databases. Being able to speak confidently about these will show that you're ready to tackle the technical challenges of the role.
✨Showcase Problem-Solving Skills
Prepare examples from your past experiences where you've successfully resolved IT issues under pressure. Highlight your ability to stay calm and think critically when things go wrong. This is crucial for a role that involves being the first line of defence in IT operations.
✨Understand the Role's Impact
Research how the Associate IT Operations Controller role contributes to the overall stability and security of DWP's digital services. Be ready to discuss how your actions can directly impact user experience and service reliability, which is key for this position.
✨Emphasise Team Collaboration
Since this role involves working closely with internal teams and external suppliers, be prepared to talk about your experience in collaborative environments. Share specific instances where teamwork led to successful outcomes, demonstrating that you can work well with others to drive timely resolutions.