Building Digital UK (BDUK)

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

Belfast, Cardiff, Darlington, Edinburgh, London, Manchester

About the job

Job summary

The Shared Rural Network (SRN) is a world-leading £1 billion government deal with the UK’s four Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) EE, O2, Three and Vodafone that will see both public and private investment in a network of new and existing phone masts closing ‘not-spots’ and levelling up connectivity across every corner of the UK. It will ensure geographic coverage from at least one operator to 95% of the UK and improve mobile coverage for an extra 280,000 premises and 16,000km of roads – giving the UK the world-class digital infrastructure it deserves. 

The programme will lead to increases in coverage across all four nations, with the biggest coverage improvements in rural parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The Government is investing £500 million to build new masts in areas with no existing infrastructure. This includes £185m in Government funding (£130m in direct funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) to Home Office and £54m paid to Mobile Network Operators from the Grant funding) to upgrade Extended Area Service (EAS) masts being built as part of the Emergency Services Network (ESN) to make them usable by the four MNOs. This will help eliminate ‘total not-spots’ - the hard to reach areas where there is currently no coverage at all from any operator. These two elements combined will provide 2% coverage (1% EAS & 1% TNS). 

The role of the SRN Grant Manager primarily focuses upon the oversight of the SRN Grant administration process, including smooth management of grant claims from our delivery partners, oversight over the platform by which claims are made, responsibility for reporting to the Cabinet Office Grants Function, and providing the wider programme team with subject matter expertise with regards to the SRN Grant Agreement and linked licence obligations. They play a crucial role in ensuring compliance, optimising the grant administration process and identifying opportunities for efficiencies. 

Job description

• Day to day management of process for the payment of SRN grant funding according to the defined milestones, by working with specialists including technical, financial and commercial business partners to ensure that claims meet eligible expenditure guidelines, and that assurance and audit requirements are met
• Oversee the grant claim process across the SRN team, ensuring all parties are performing their actions to remain compliant with the 20 day payment target
• Manage grant funding and forecasting to ensure good management of public money and resourcing
• Ensure the SRN Funding Platform, by which grant claims are made and processed, remains fit for purpose and engage with the FP Product Manager and delivery partner for any necessary improvements
• Engage with finance colleagues to ensure effective management of the grant funding pot, and alignment of claims to cost forecasts
• Engage with counterparts In DMSL to ensure that the process is working effectively and efficiently for all parties
• Identify risks and opportunities in relation to the SRN grant agreement, grant administration process and funding platform
• Upskill members of the team in the grant administration process
• Operate as the subject matter expert for the SRN grant agreement and associated licence obligations
• Support SRN governance, including project checkpoints, programme board and support programme reporting, by providing management information in relation to utilisation of the grant fund, management of the platform, etc. 
• Continually review and improve the grant process to minimise the risk of error and fraud and ensure compliance with the grant process 

Person specification

Essential skills 

• Experience overseeing operational delivery processes, and the ability to refine and improve those processes 
• Ability to digest and analyse claims data in order to produce actionable management information and provide insight to strengthen the programme’s grant management 
• Strong organisational and administrative skills with the ability to prioritise activities to deliver greatest value 
• Ability to coordinate others in delivering to short timescales 
• Ability to communicate effectively, distilling information to convey key messages and facilitate effective decision making 
• Product management skills, to oversee development of the SRN Funding Platform

Desirable criteria 

• Good commercial acumen or financial analysis skills to be able to assess where further subject matter expertise might be required to assess if claims are in line with recognised benchmarks or value for money criteria 
• Knowledge of the key cost components that make up mobile communications infrastructure rollout projects 

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £52,320, Building Digital UK (BDUK) contributes £14,126 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : BDUK Recruitment
• Email : bdukrecruitment@bduk.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : bdukrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

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, you should contact (recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk) in the first instance.

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/civilservicerecruitmentcomplaints/