Deputy Director, Public Sector Fraud Policy
This role is within the Public Sector Fraud Authority, based in the Cabinet Office and working between the Cabinet Office and HM Treasury.
The Public Sector Fraud Authority (PSFA) has approximately 150 staff. It works with officials and fraud experts across government and is the centre of the Counter Fraud Function. The Counter Fraud Function has 14,000 staff working in public bodies across government.It also works closely with policing and other sectors dealing with fraud. This role will directly impact on these staff, who work in a variety of departments, arms length bodies and local government.
The activities led from the Public Sector Fraud Authority includes developing policy, delivering operational units and programmes of work, setting standards to prevent, deter, disrupt and discover fraud. It covers all fraud - including all Government payments, services and income.
This role will be one of the six SCS1 leads of the PSFA and will focus on developing the policies at the centre of the Counter Fraud Function to improve the understanding of fraud against the public sector, and the public sector’s impact on it.This role will lead on both legislative policy but also wider policy development to drive forward the counter fraud agenda across government. This role will focus on the policy work directly to Ministers and senior HMT and CO officials, strategic work for the broader Counter Fraud Function of some 14,000 people, and work with local authorities and partners in the National Audit Office (NAO), National Crime Agency (NCA) and Serious Fraud Office (SFO) to develop cross sector policies.
The post holder will be responsible for leading on all Parliamentary work including Prime Minister Question’s, Freedom Of Information (FOI) requests and Select Committees.
A key part of this role will also involve engagement with functional leads across the government. This role will work with departmental counter fraud leads to provide leadership to the Counter Fraud Function as well as wider leadership to the Community of Practice for all those who work in the Government Counter Fraud Function.
We are looking for an ambitious and delivery focused person who is passionate about making a difference, fighting fraud, developing innovative policies and shaping how the public sector effectively finds and reduces fraud. They should excel in working in high paced environments with wide ranging and complex data, and good understanding of evidence and how to use it, a focus on delivery and an ability to adapt to changes in the context.This role will work with experts across sectors in the UK, and experts internationally, with a focus on advancing the way public sector fraud is managed and making a measurable difference.
This role will provide leadership across central government (and other sectors) in developing and implementing new cross government policy in the counter fraud area.
This could include legislative policy to expand and enhance the powers available to tackle fraud against the public sector and also policy proposals to go further with partners in local authorities and internationally. This role will also work to develop the strategy for the Function and the annual action plans that demonstrate progress against that strategy.
This role will lead on all parliamentary work including briefing senior officials and ministers for Select Committees, Oral and written parliamentary questions and FOIs. This role will be a member of the PSFA’s Executive Committee, accountable for the delivery and resourcing of their area, but also accountable for the wider effective working of the PSFA.
In addition, the role holder will lead elements of the day-to-day work of the Function’s Centre of Expertise, which includes:
- Building strong relationships across government, as a centre of expertise – including with HM Treasury.
- Building the PSFA and the UK's reputation as a world leader and innovator in fighting public sector fraud.
Main responsibilities will include:
- Delivering cross government work on policy interventions to improve fraud management, including the consideration and, if necessary, the delivery of legislative reform.
- Leading the development of annual Action Plans for the Counter Fraud Function to align with the 3 year Strategy.
- Ensuring the Community of Practice within the Function is a thriving hub of sharing practice.
- Developing and implementing policies for Ministers and Senior Officials to drive the counter fraud agenda across the public sector.
- Ensuring content for Ministers and Senior Officials on public sector fraud is accurate and clearly communicated.
- Advising Ministers and Senior Officials in Cabinet Office and HM Treasury on fraud issues and activity from across the public sector.
- Managing a budget and ensuring value for money.
- Ensuring effective people and performance management.
- Delivering the process and projects to land measurable and publishable outcomes from your and your teams work.
- Co-leadership alongside other SCS leads of c150FTE mixed grades and specialisms within the counter fraud area. There will be c10FTE in your dedicated Policy area, which may expand and contract depending on organisational and ministerial priorities.