Deputy Director, Internal Engagement and Readiness

Making Tax Digital (MTD) is a key part of HMRC's plans to make it easier for individuals and businesses to get their tax right and keep on top of their affairs efficiently and effectively. The programme fits into our vision of transforming HMRC into one of the most digitally advanced tax administrations in the world.

• It puts both internal and external customers at the heart of the design and delivery of it solutions.

• It brings together customer records to allow a more holistic Tax view for both HMRC and the customer.

• Customers will be required to keep digital records by choosing and using approved software which will also transfer information to HMRC in a process that will replace the current method of sending a tax return.

As customers join MTD, their records and accounting will incrementally move to the SAP – Tax and Revenue Management Platform (TRM), as part of HMRC's longer term vision to have a single internal view of each customer.

TRM is the SAP specialist module for public sector tax and revenue management processes. HMRC is one of the biggest global users of this module and often a reference customer for other global and regional public sector user groups.

Job description
The MTD programme is at the heart of HMRC's transformation agenda. MTD is changing how millions of businesses and landlords interact with the tax system, replacing the annual tax return with digital record keeping and quarterly updates. The Internal Engagement and Readiness SCS1 role is a critical part of the MTD Senior Leadership Team responsible for securing and sustaining the confidence of Customer Groups, up to Director General Level, at a challenging time for HMRC as it navigates resourcing to deliver Covid–19 schemes, and as MTD continues to build more sustainable ways of working with Customer Groups to facilitate effective roll out of new functionality for ITSA and VAT throughout this year.

Responsibilities
• Creating the optimal operating model for preparing internal readiness for the programme, leveraging experience and best practice from other programmes;

• Providing advice up to ExCom level on progress, risks and issues on internal readiness, and steps that are in place or need to be taken to mitigate risks;

• Working with internal stakeholders to understand their needs and ensure that they are ready as the MTD service expands.

• Assuring that we have a full end to end plan for business readiness, and developing appropriate contingencies with support from the programme and Customer Groups as required.

• Regularly briefing Customer Service Group and Customer Compliance Group DGs and Directors, and attending ExCom meetings with the Director as required;

• Owning the internal readiness plan and presenting progress against it at monthly meetings of the Programme Board and at Working Group/any other relevant governance group.

• Actively influencing IT delivery plans with programme delivery SCS1s and CDIO to mitigate the risks to business readiness, as well as risks to business acceptance of the programme decisions and choices on IT delivery.

• Chairing regular meetings with business readiness leads up to SCS1/G6 to review and discuss progress on business readiness risks and challenges for each area.

Person Specification

Applicants should be able to demonstrate their experience and capability in the following areas:

• Strong leadership skills, with experience of developing and leading diverse teams and an ability to motivate, inspire and guide others, including peers and more senior colleagues, to deliver in an uncertain and fast–paced environment.

• Excellent stakeholder management and communication skills, with an ability to influence constructively and command confidence at all levels across HMRC.

• Previous experience of senior stakeholder handling in a major transformation programme, with a focus on business change management.

• Ability to lead and facilitate complex negotiations while maintaining progress and accommodating divergent views and differing priorities.

• A knowledge of HMRC business areas and functions, and an experience of operating and linking across complex systems and regimes