Operating Model Lead

Job summary

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As an Operating Model Lead, you will provide strategic leadership for the design, evolution and continuous improvement of HMRC's Chief Digital and Information Office (CDIO) operating model. You will act as the strategic owner of the CDIO operating model, setting its direction, overseeing its continuous evolution, and leading the portfolio of improvement activity and people required to ensure it remains effective, sustainable and aligned to organisational priorities.

You will lead a team of Operating Model Managers, acting as the senior internal consulting lead for operating model transformation across CDIO. You will shape the long-term direction of how CDIO delivers value through technology services, digital products and platforms, ensuring operating model decisions support organisational objectives, improve delivery performance and enable successful business outcomes.

CDIO is moving to a Products and Platform-based organisation, with value delivered through Value Streams and a standard process framework. In this role, you will lead the operating model agenda that makes this shift successful and sustainable. You will work with senior leaders to define the future operating model, align strategic priorities, shape organisational design and governance, and ensure operating model improvements are implemented consistently across CDIO.

This role suits someone who combines strategic thinking with strong delivery leadership. You will lead a team who use evidence, insight and organisational data to identify systemic barriers to effective delivery and organisational performance, setting priorities for improvement across governance, operating rhythms, organisational design, decision-making, ways of working, tooling, culture, people and supply chain.

You will also lead the measures, frameworks and governance required to assess operating model effectiveness and demonstrate improvements in organisational performance, value delivery and strategic outcomes.

Job description

At this level, you will lead the strategic direction and continuous evolution of the CDIO operating model. You will oversee a portfolio of operating model initiatives and provide leadership across operational and strategic priorities, ensuring CDIO has the structures, governance and capabilities required to deliver value effectively.

You will work closely with senior leaders across CDIO and HMRC to identify opportunities for organisational improvement, shape strategic decisions and ensure the operating model continues to evolve in response to business needs, technology change and organisational priorities.

You will provide leadership to Operating Model Managers, ensuring interventions are aligned to a coherent operating model strategy and deliver measurable outcomes.

Person specification

Your responsibilities will typically include:

• Define operating model strategy: Develop and maintain the strategic vision, principles and roadmap for the CDIO operating model, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives, product and platform transformation, and future business needs.
• Shape organisational effectiveness: Identify systemic opportunities and risks affecting organisational performance, developing operating model interventions that improve governance, accountability, decision-making, prioritisation and value delivery.
• Lead operating model transformation: Oversee a portfolio of operating model improvement initiatives, ensuring work is focused on the highest-value opportunities and delivers sustainable organisational change.
• Influence senior decision-making: Work with senior leaders to build consensus on complex and potentially contentious issues, providing evidence-based recommendations and securing commitment for change.
• Establish governance and performance frameworks: Define and continuously improve the governance, measures and operating rhythms required to assess organisational health, operating model maturity and value delivery performance.
• Build organisational capability: Develop operating model capability across CDIO through coaching, thought leadership, standards, frameworks, communities of practice and repeatable approaches to continuous improvement.
• Lead and develop people: Provide leadership, coaching and direction to Operating Model Managers, creating a high-performing team capable of delivering complex operating model interventions across CDIO.
• Evidence value and impact: Establish meaningful measures and reporting that demonstrate the effectiveness of operating model changes, including organisational performance, delivery flow, value realisation, decision quality and strategic outcomes.

• Significant experience owning and evolving an organisation-wide operating model, establishing strategic direction, prioritising and leading a portfolio of operating model improvements.
• Significant experience leading large-scale operating model transformation initiatives in complex organisations, with evidence of delivering sustainable organisational outcomes through direct leadership and leadership through others.
• Experience defining operating model strategy and translating organisational objectives into practical operating model improvements across governance, structures, processes, roles, ways of working and performance management.
• Experience working with senior executives to shape organisational direction, influence strategic decisions and build alignment across multiple stakeholder groups with competing priorities.
• Experience using evidence, organisational data and insight to identify systemic issues, inform strategic decisions and assess the effectiveness of operating model interventions.
• Strong leadership skills, with experience leading, developing and coaching multidisciplinary teams whilst creating a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Experience applying systems thinking and organisational design principles to understand complex challenges and design effective interventions that improve organisational performance.
• Experience operating successfully in large, complex organisations, navigating ambiguity, competing demands and significant organisational change.

• Experience leading operating model, organisational effectiveness or transformation functions within a technology, digital or product-led organisation.
• Experience working in a consultancy or internal consulting environment, providing strategic advice and delivery leadership across multiple concurrent engagements.
• Experience establishing organisational performance frameworks, maturity models or value measurement approaches to support executive decision-making.

Further Location Information

Please ensure that you only apply for a location that you are willing and able to work from, as we will only make one offer of employment. Any additional notes included in a ‘Further Location Preferences (optional)’ field within the application form, will not be considered. Please be aware that you cannot change your location preference after submitting your application.

Leeds Locations