Child Maintenance Service - Operations Team Leader in Plymouth

As the UK government’s largest public service provider, the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policies. The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) supports parents who are unable to reach a private financial agreement by ensuring—and when necessary, enforcing—their legal responsibility to contribute to their child’s living costs. Our mission is simple: to get money to children, because it makes a real difference in their lives. While we’ve made significant progress in transforming our service, we remain ambitious about what more we can achieve for the families who rely on us. CMS is a dynamic and rewarding place to work. We are proud to foster an inclusive and diverse workforce where everyone can thrive. If you’re looking to make a difference, this could be the career for you. This is a fantastic opportunity to start or grow a fulfilling career in the Civil Service. We offer a flexible work-life balance, along with opportunities for growth, challenge, and personal development.

The Child Maintenance Service (CMS) is offering exciting opportunities for motivated individuals to join us as Team Leaders. These are key leadership roles where you’ll have the chance to make a real difference in the lives of children and families across the UK. We’re looking for passionate leaders who are committed to delivering outstanding customer service. You’ll need to be adaptable and resilient, capable of making sound decisions, and confident in driving and implementing change in a high-profile, fast-paced environment.

As a Team Leader, you will lead a team of caseworkers (circa 12 - 14) and play a vital role in the success of CMS. Your leadership will be instrumental in achieving our core mission: ensuring that children receive the financial support they deserve.

What will I be doing?

• Leading, managing and developing a team in its contribution to the achievement of CMS objectives, coaching and providing clear direction and support in the development and delivery of outcomes, increasing capability and performance.
• Leading a team with accountability for managing workloads, effectively managing workforce resources, prioritising and addressing any risks to ensure performance targets and customer objectives are met.
• As a people manager you will support wellbeing across your team, manage attendance and conduct regular coaching reviews, confidently addressing risks to performance.
• You will be an excellent communicator with the ability to motivate and develop your team, providing a clear focus on priorities and empowering others to succeed.
• You will investigate and resolve escalated customer queries, dealing directly with customers both verbally over the telephone and in writing.
• You will build, manage and maintain key relationships to ensure operational effectiveness.
• Take responsibility for the continuous improvement of the provision of service, putting the client at the heart of everything you do.

Supporting Candidates Live Events: We’ll be hosting a webinar session led by current CMS colleagues, who will share insights into the Team Leader role, their personal experiences with training and support, and the benefits of working as a civil servant. While attendance is optional, these sessions are a great opportunity to learn more about the vacancy and what it’s like to work at CMS. The session will last approximately 60 minutes, take place via Microsoft Teams, and include a short Q&A segment. Follow the link to book your place: CMS Team Leader Webinar: Tuesday 27 January 2026 at 12 pm.