Overview
Transformation Director – Belfast
About the job
Job summary
As the UK’s tax service, HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC) is one of the largest organisations in the country, employing more than 60,000 staff. Our work touches the lives of almost everyone in the country. The tax revenue we generate is spent by government on the schools, NHS, police and other essential services we all rely on. Our vision is to be a trusted, modern, tax and customs department – one that’s here to support customers and works to close the tax gap.
To achieve this, we are driving forward vital changes that will make us more efficient in serving our customers and managing their compliance. The Chancellor has committed a significant investment over five years to enable us to close the tax gap, delivering an additional £7.5bn in additional tax revenue by 2029/30.
Job description
HMRC is now seeking a Transformation Director within Customer Compliance Group (CCG). This is a pivotal role responsible for shaping and helping deliver transformation changes that will enable us to close the tax gap. CCG is the largest group within HMRC, with over 28,000 employees. Leading a team of around 200 people and managing a budget of c.£17m, the Transformation Director reports to the Director General, Customer Compliance Group. They work closely with the compliance senior leadership team and collaborate with partners across HMRC to ensure successful delivery of the new tools, technologies and processes, that will enable us to be more effective and more efficient, ensuring benefits are realised and we deliver a better experience for our customers and people. Key responsibilities include shaping and overseeing delivery of a set of ambitious plans to Close the Tax Gap set out in HMRC’s transformation roadmap which underpin delivery of an additional £7.5bn of tax revenue that would not otherwise be collected by 2029/30, and embedding sustainable change across the compliance organisation.
Person specification
The ideal candidate must have experience successfully designing and delivering complex portfolios of change to achieve a transformational shift in business delivery, with a proven ability to drive significant benefits in large, complex organisations. They should collaborate effectively with senior leadership teams, contributing strategically to business decisions and bringing an understanding of the business to inform change design and delivery. Essential skills include the ability to influence senior stakeholders, both internally and externally, and to build a capable, motivated team across multiple locations. The candidate must also exhibit personal resilience, able to handle ambiguity and high levels of responsibility while maintaining composure under pressure. Innovation and versatility are crucial, as the role requires turning our strategic vision into a portfolio of change and working with business leaders to deliver strategic transformation which realises significant benefits for the Exchequer. Commercial acumen, the ability to work well with suppliers, and a strong focus on enabling performance improvement are also crucial.
Diversity is vital to the success of this role, and to the Civil Service as a whole. We actively welcome applications from candidates from all backgrounds, with different experiences and perspectives – and we are committed to ensuring that we work in an inclusive way that means everyone in the Civil Service can perform at their best.
HMRC has retained Russell Reynolds Associates to advise on this appointment. For further information about the position and additional details on qualifications, requirements, terms and conditions of service and how to apply, please review the attached candidate pack.
The closing date for applications is 23:55 on Sunday, 16 November 2025.
Qualifications
MPLA graduate, APM chartered project manager or accredited government project professional (or a commitment to work towards one of these in the first 12 months in post)
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £100,000, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
For Benefits please see the Candidate Pack attached.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
For Selection Process details please see the Candidate Pack attached.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.
As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.
Security
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
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).
