Overview
Customer Strategy Lead – Belfast Regional Centre – Erskine House
About the job
Job summary
Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you’re seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC.
Visit our YouTube channel to watch the full series and come and discover your potential.
We are seeking a strategic and delivery-focused professional to join our Improving customer experience team in a role focused on developing and implementing our customer strategy and architecture and how it is delivered across HMRC.
This role will play a key part in shaping how we understand and serve our customers, ensuring our strategic ambitions translate into tangible improvements in customer experience.
Join HMRC as a Customer Strategy Lead and play a pivotal role in shaping how we serve millions of customers across the UK. In this dynamic position, you will drive strategic initiatives that enhance customer experience and ensure our services meet the diverse needs of individuals and businesses we support.
Job description
As a Customer Strategy Lead, you will develop innovative approaches to customer engagement, analyse customer insights, and collaborate with cross-functional teams to implement solutions that make a real difference to people’s lives. You will have the opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and contribute to digital programmes that are vast and exciting, whilst embracing new tech and future-focused initiatives.
Working cross-functionally with teams across digital, communications and operations, the successful candidate will lead on customer experience, strategic design, and the implementation of initiatives that embed customer-centricity across the organisation.
Person specification
We expect the post holder(s) to form part of a pool of resource that will undertake various customer experience related projects lasting 3-6 months. Your line manager will remain the same but it is likely that depending on priorities or workloads your work and objectives will vary.
Projects and types of responsibilities will include:
• Customer Strategy Development
o Lead the design and evolution of the organisation’s customer strategy in line with HMRCs objectives.
o Use customer insights, to identify opportunities to improve customer value propositions and experiences.
o Define strategic customer segments and identify the appropriate approaches to engage, serve, and grow each segment.
• Strategic Planning & Business Case Development
o Build compelling business cases for customer initiatives, underpinned by robust analysis, clear KPIs, and defined outcomes.
o Collaborate with Finance and Data teams.
• Programme & Initiative Delivery
o Work closely with delivery teams (e.g., product, operations, digital, service) to embed customer initiatives within existing transformation programmes.
• Customer Insights & Voice of the Customer
o Partner with the Insight/Research teams to continuously gather, analyse and act on customer feedback and behaviour.
o Champion a data-driven, customer-first mindset across the organisation.
• Stakeholder Engagement
o Influence and collaborate with senior leaders to align strategic priorities and secure buy-in for customer-focused change.
o Act as a trusted advisor on customer strategy for internal stakeholders.
• Performance Tracking & Optimisation
o Define and track KPIs related to customer engagement, satisfaction and Digital containment.
o Recommend and implement adjustments to strategy based on performance data, policy or strategy.
Key Deliverables (First 12 Months)
• Tracking delivery of key customer improvement initiatives / projects including customer journey improvements and digital delivery programmes.
• Regular reporting on customer strategy performance to leadership teams.
• Embedding of customer-centric metrics.
Essential Criteria
• Experience in strategic planning and implementation, relating to customer experience and/or channel shift / digital transformation.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving capabilities
• Excellent communication and stakeholder management skills
• Ability to work collaboratively in cross-functional teams
• Understanding of customer experience principles
• Knowledge of digital transformation initiatives
Transitional Sites Information
If your location preference is for one of the following sites, it’s important to note that these are not long-term sites for HMRC and we will require you to move to a new building in the future, subject to our location strategy and the applicable employee policies at that time.
For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations (opens in a new window)
These sites are:
- Benton Park View, Newcastle – moving to Pilgrims Quarter, Newcastle
- Centenary Court, Bradford – moving to 7 and 8 Wellington Place, Leeds
You will be given more information about what this means at the job offer stage.
Leeds Locations
Moves Adjustment Payment will be available for this role, provided the successful applicant is a current HMRC colleague and meets the eligibility requirements outlined in the HMRC’s Moves Adjustment Payment guidance.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,959 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
- Pension – We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
- Family friendly policies.
- Personal support.
- Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
How to Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:
- A name-blind CV including your job history and previous experiences. Your CV should cover up to your last 5 roles, detailing your responsibilities and key achievements (max 100 words per role).
- A 750-word Personal Statement. Your personal statement should clearly demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria.
- Separate 250-word statements addressing the specified behaviours.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our Candidate Guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Sift
In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on your personal statement.
At full sift your behaviour statement, your CV and your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, your behaviours and experience will be assessed, in order to determine your suitability for the role.
You will also be asked to give a 10-minute presentation. Further details on the topic of the presentation will be disclosed prior to interview.
Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.
Merit List
After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.
Criminal Record Check
Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.
Reasonable Adjustments
We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
Contact the UBS Recruitment team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers
This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need. Please consider the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you can travel to.
Terms and Conditions
Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.
HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.
Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.
Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.
Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.
Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.
If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants – GOV.UK.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
IMPORTANT: Before applying for this role, please make sure you have the right to work in the country where the role is based. Unless it clearly stipulates within in the job advert above that the hiring company is looking to or able to sponsor applicants it is deemed that the hiring employer will only consider applications from those able to comply with and work in the country where the role is based.
