Standards Assurance Manager in Bedford

Join the Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) as a Standards Assurance Manager within our Customer Design, Improvement and Quality Directorate. This is an opportunity to play a key role in how MaPS assures Standards compliance of its Money and Pensions guidance services across a diverse range of customer journeys and delivery models.

We are looking for someone with a strong understanding of money and pensions guidance services and practical experience within standards assurance, quality assurance or regulatory compliance. You will act as a subject matter expert for Standards Assurance, combining operational understanding, analytical capability and strong stakeholder management skills to help ensure our services consistently deliver against the MaPS Standards and achieve positive outcomes for customers.

A particular focus of this role will be the assurance of customer-facing digital services and journeys, including websites, online tools and dashboards. You do not need to be a technical digital or software specialist, however, you will need to understand how customer journeys operate across digital channels and be able to develop, adapt and apply proportionate assurance approaches where traditional assessment methodologies may not be appropriate.

The role operates within second-line and third-line assurance and does not deliver first-line quality assurance.

Key Responsibilities

• Apply Standards Assurance Model methodologies within assigned areas
• Deliver risk-based sampling, testing and control assessment activity
• Ensure consistent application of MaPS Standards across services and delivery partners
• Provide informed challenge to service teams based on assurance findings and evidence
• Play a central role in performance management of service outcomes through analysis of standards assurance outputs, data and insight, driving accountability and improvement actions
• Conduct regular reviews of performance data, preparation for and participation in structured performance forums, and follow-up tracking of agreed actions
• Investigate compliance issues, performance concerns and process breakdowns, and support escalation and resolution in line with defined governance
• Lead the performance management of Standards compliance and work in partnership with Customer Experience teams to ensure VoC and insight informs assurance activity, without direct performance ownership
• Support performance discussions on service outcomes through assurance outputs and defined performance frameworks
• Develop and adapt assurance methodologies to reflect different delivery models, recognising that established approaches may need to operate differently across digital and other non-traditional customer journeys
• Support the transition of new or adapted assurance methodologies into sustainable business-as-usual activity, including appropriate monitoring, governance, evidence and reporting arrangements
• Maintain awareness of how customer journeys operate across channels including telephony, face-to-face, webchat and digital services, applying assurance approaches proportionately to the characteristics and risks of each

Insight, MI and Evidence

• Produce assurance outputs, MI and insight to support decision making
• Identify themes, risks and opportunities from assurance activity
• Support development of clear, evidence-based findings and recommendations
• Contribute to creation of defensible evidence for regulatory and audit purposes

Continuous Improvement

• Support and drive improvement activity based on assurance findings
• Track actions and support validation of outcomes
• Feed insight into wider standards assurance development and continuous improvement cycles

Design & Implementation Assurance

• Support embedding of standards into service design, procurement and mobilisation activity
• Assist in translating standards into controls, measures and evidence requirements
• Contribute to development and refinement of assurance methodologies, including supporting their effective application to drive performance improvement and control environment maturity
• Support the development, maintenance, and evolution of the MaPS Standards Toolkits and other engagement material for internal and external stakeholders to drive greater understanding of how to deliver services which comply with the Standards and relevant legislation
• Support methodology application oversight, including contributing to appeals resolution support and ensuring consistency of interpretation across assurance activities

Stakeholder & Supplier Working

• Work collaboratively with service teams, delivery partners and stakeholders
• Support performance discussions, challenge and improvement planning
• Support and actively participate in calibration activity with delivery partners and assurance providers to ensure consistent interpretation and application of MaPS Standards

Delivery & Work Management

• Manage own workload and competing priorities
• Contribute to delivery of assurance workstreams and priorities

Essential Skills and Experience

• Strong knowledge of money and pensions guidance services and their delivery models, including digital
• Experience working within standards assurance, quality assurance, regulatory compliance or a comparable assurance environment
• Experience applying, developing or adapting assurance approaches across customer-facing services, including digital
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to interpret assurance and performance information, identify themes and translate evidence into meaningful findings and recommendations
• Strong stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with the confidence to provide constructive challenge while building collaborative relationships

Desirable

• Experience or awareness of customer journeys delivered through multiple channels, particularly telephony, face-to-face, webchat, websites, dashboards or other digital journeys, would be highly valuable
• Experience of leading or supporting change projects of introducing new assurance approaches or transitioning activity into business-as-usual delivery would also be advantageous

The Money and Pensions Service (MaPS) is based in Bedford, in a recently renovated modern office. This is a wonderful opportunity for you to become an integral part of a dynamic organisation, working to help people across the UK.

At the heart of the Money and Pensions Service are our values – caring, connecting, and transforming, which are the foundation of our success. They permeate every area of our work and define all our business relationships and the way we work with each other. We’re not only looking for the best people to come and work for us, but we need people who align themselves with our values:

• Caring: We care about our colleagues and the people whose lives we are here to transform.
• Connecting: We will transform lives through our ability to make positive connections.
• Transforming: We are committed to transforming lives and making a positive societal impact.

Our Inclusive Working Environment

By fostering our values, we are immensely proud of the inclusive working environment that we have created. The diversity of our people is a strength that we embrace and wish to build upon, so we are committed to attracting people of all backgrounds. We work hard to ensure that we have a progressive approach to inclusion, equity, and belonging. We really do want our colleagues to "bring their whole selves to work". Our colleague and ally networks encompass LGBTQ+, neurodiversity, women’s health, men’s health, ethnicity, and diversity.

What We Offer

• Generous Annual Leave – 30 days plus Bank Holidays
• Pension scheme – contributions matched 2 to 1 (employer contribution up to 10% of your salary)
• Interest-free loan for season tickets for buses and trains
• Cycle to work Scheme
• Subsidised eye tests & flu jabs
• Life assurance scheme
• Give as you earn scheme
• Employee assistance programme (EAP)
• PAM Assist and PAM Life scheme (Wellbeing)
• Enhanced family and sick pay
• Paid volunteering (2 days a year)
• Recognition Scheme
• Discounts portal to numerous retailers

At MaPS, we take pride in our flexible approach to work. As standard, we work on a hybrid basis with a minimum of 2 days in the office per month. Hybrid working is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and our headquarters in Bedford will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business needs, but personal and other relevant circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

In MaPS, we take career development seriously. We actively encourage and support applications from our existing MaPS colleagues. However, we do follow the Civil Service Commissioner recruitment principles, which means that you will be required to participate in a full, open, and fair process.

If you are successful at interview, we operate a reserve list where your details will be held for up to 6 months. Should a vacancy come available in that time with the same essential criteria, reserve list candidates will be offered that position with no further assessment required.

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact the Money and Pensions Service via email: recruitment@maps.org.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.