The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) is a fast paced delivery and operational team that is responsible for holding departments and arms-length bodies to account for their handling of fraud in the public sector. The Authority will write the standards for counter fraud work across government and hold public bodies to account against these. Working in the PSFA offers access to a wide range of stakeholders across government and the opportunity to work with various sectors in a high-profile policy area with high media, parliamentary and ministerial interest.

The Team

As well as being part of the PSFA, a new authority established in 2022, you will also be part of the Government Counter Fraud Function (GCFF). The PSFA is at the centre of this function but a role in this team will make you part of a Counter Fraud Function that spans government and has members in all departments, at all levels, in all sectors. The PSFA is outcome and performance driven, offers a depth and breadth of expertise and works jointly with HMT to tackle fraud in the public sector. 

The PSFA, whilst sitting within the Cabinet Office, reports jointly to the Cabinet Office and Treasury Ministers. Maintaining close working relationships with HMT colleagues is key to ensure the PSFA can deliver its mandate effectively.  The PSFA is a team of c.140 staff members with locations across the country including Manchester, York, Glasgow and London. As a result, hybrid working is fully embraced and teams are encouraged to collaborate in the various Cabinet Office Hubs around the country. 

The Data Governance team is a newly implemented function within the PSFA that will design and deliver modernisation of data governance within the PSFA and provide a model and frameworks that progress its strategic agenda. In addition the team will ensure corporate readiness for disclosure to the C-19 Inquiry and deliver mechanisms that effectively identify and manage strategic and operational risk, taking into account evolving AI and Investigatory models being developed within PSFA.

This is a high responsibility role in terms of information management and associated risks including, legal, operational and data protection risks. The post holder will be responsible for leading a team that oversees the development of a data governance framework that monitors and manages compliance and assurance reporting. Oversight of functions relating to legal, regulatory, ethical and data protection risk will be central to this role. This will require the use of discretion, excellent communication and stakeholder management skills and sound knowledge across data and legislative application. 

This supports PSFAs strategic direction and mandate in alignment with the National Data strategy. The National Data Strategy (NDS) sets the mandatory overall data management requirements for HMG, setting the direction of travel as it seeks to improve data connectivity and create a more informed policy development and decision making process. 

This role is essential to ensuring that PSFA can provide a cohesive data strategy and framework in adherence with UK data protection regime and regulatory frameworks.  The post holder will need to exercise professional and confident judgement in interpreting regulatory requirements for the PSFAs operational environment.   

The post requires a developed capability to apply data rules that both comply with the legislative framework, and ensure delivery of defined PSFA services that are directly impacted by data governance issues, and also coordinate across the organisation to ensure compliance of both operational and policy teams.  

Counter fraud is one of the areas where the unlocking of data to realise its full potential and getting it to where it is needed has the potential to realise enormous benefits. As such this will be a cross-HMG role engaging with senior stakeholders across the counter-fraud function while ensuring full compliance with data governance requirements - a specialised role requiring a data SME.   

In addition this role will allow the PSFA to further expand and deepen its world-leading data service offerings, allowing us to fully understand the fraud  landscape and increase the value of preventative savings to HMG.  These have already increased from £28m to £653m over the last seven years with the potential to run to billions.

Responsibilities 

• Leading the Data governance team within PSFA with direct line management responsibilities of 2 x FTE and reporting to the Head of Data Governance.
• Overseeing the development of a data governance model that supports PSFAs strategic data agenda. 
• Oversight of c-19 Inquiry related activity that spans data discovery, sensitive material assessments and managing  xHMG and internal stakeholder relationships to complete statements, exhibiting and general disclosure of relevant material. Ensuring PSFA fulfils its corporate disclosure obligations within tight deadlines for modules that PSFA are responding to as a Cabinet Office Core Participant.
• Develop governance, recording and audit practices that support continuous improvement in risk management practices that support legal, regulatory and data protection compliance across PSFAs data services.
• Help build the right environment for the team to collaborate, motivate and focus on business priorities across innovative data service provision.
• Effectively communicating the benefits, challenges, and trade-offs of potential risks and  actions to senior colleagues​. 

• Working collaboratively across team boundaries and engaging with key functions, developing close links to manage risks and issues​. 

• Ensuring that guidance given to stakeholders is accurate, legally robust and reflective of the relevant legislation. 

Perform such other duties consistent with the post holders skills and experience as delegated by line manager or senior staff.

Person Specification

• Good working knowledge of the Information management, data protection regime, regulatory and legal frameworks that support data sharing and counter fraud measures;
• Ability to balance multiple priorities and deal with ambiguity, creating defined workstreams and task focused structure within a team;
• Confidently managing multi-disciplinary team and stakeholder relationships, working independently and with other teams;
• Effectively managing a diverse range of senior stakeholder expectations; 
• Utilising well developed people skills to coach, mentor and line manage individuals to help create a motivated and skilled team;
• Overseeing assurance reporting against compliance activity in relation to xHMG data public data delivery services by PSFA
• Produce high quality, timely reports and ensure KPI reporting is met  
• Making evidence-based recommendations: identifying & escalating key issues as well as assisting in the management of risk. 

Essential

• Strong leadership experience, demonstrating how you are building and maintaining collaborative, positive cultures across your team and stakeholders.
• Experience of leading an Information management function or capability within a counter fraud environment
• Experience of managing complex deliverables in line with a strategic counter fraud agenda.

• Experience of interpreting and applying regulatory frameworks and/or assurance reporting.  

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills that effectively communicate complex issues to non-expert audiences  

• Ability to build effective relationships and successfully influence challenging or senior stakeholders.  
• Ability to proactively prioritise, plan and schedule complex tasks, demonstrate problem solving skills, and deliver high quality outputs under time pressure. 
• Ability to monitor and report on progress, assessing and managing risks.  

Beneficial experience 

• a background in policy with experience of data delivery.
• Experience of, or exposure to a Public Inquiry

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Job contact :

• Name : Alex Reid
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]