Root Cause Analysis - Team Leader


Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Salary:	£38,772 to £45,065 a year
Hours:	Full-time
Location:	Newcastle-upon-Tyne
Job type:	Permanent
Posting date:	23 Sept 2026
Closing date:	6 Oct 2026

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Summary

Background to the Role:

The Counter Fraud and Compliance Directorate (CFCD) is at the heart of DWP’s frontline operations, helping to change people’s lives. CFCD for the first time brings together our strategy, policy and analysis for fraud, error and debt, alongside operational teams tackling fraud and error and leading on National Insurance Number allocation.

The Directorate aligns our strategic and operational functions, supporting DWP to deliver its objectives in identifying and correcting error, driving down fraud and using advanced analytics and insight to prevent fraud and error entering the system.

The Integrated Risk and Intelligence Service (IRIS):

IRIS is the Department for Work and Pensions’ Centre of Excellence for fraud and error risks. IRIS, as a national organisation led from Counter Fraud, Compliance and Debt (CFCD), provides a core delivery service to the whole of the Department.

IRIS is a multidisciplinary team that provides the Department with a single view of fraud and error risks within the benefit system and contributes towards efficiencies, savings and tackling organised crime and modern slavery. It brings together a diverse range of expertise and technology including data science, digital specialists, cyber specialists, intelligence analysts and counter fraud experts. These combine into a powerful force using data and insight in innovative ways to identify and respond to fraud and error risks, supporting DWP to deliver our collective mission to pay the right person the right amount at the right time.

In recent years, IRIS has played a critical role in helping DWP achieve significant savings and exceed its fraud and error reduction commitments, delivering measurable value through its innovative approaches to data and analytics, risking techniques and service improvements.

The Fraud and Error Risk Insights and Assessment team provides the Department’s benefit fraud risk assessment capability, using risk insight and root-cause analysis to build a holistic view of fraud, error, official error, and unfulfilled eligibility risks.

It works with risk control owners and stakeholders to identify, develop, and implement more effective and efficient controls to mitigate these risks.  

The Root Cause Analysis Team (RCAT) uses a range of data, information, research and analysis to: 

Identify how fraud and error has occurred. 
Inform wider insight and assessment of risk, including the prioritisation and design of fraud and error solutions. 
Test and evaluate the performance of key fraud and error controls.

We look for emotionally aware leaders who enable teams to be innovative, adaptable and flexible.  We want you to be comfortable challenging the norm and enable colleagues to shine in whatever role they do.  

The roles will require someone who strives for continuous improvement, innovation, cooperation, and collaboration, taking responsibility for managing, improving, and delivering high quality responses to fraud and error across DWP.  

The successful candidate will be capable of combining technical understanding with an eye for detail, along with strong influencing and negotiation skills to successfully collaborate with stakeholders across the Department and wider DWP. 

Your role will be to:

Lead, motivate and inspire your team, colleagues and stakeholders to collaborate effectively to identify and capitalise upon opportunities to reduce fraud and error impacting DWP.

Role model exceptional leadership, build capability and undertake regular activity to build and sustain engagement with stakeholders.

Develop and maintain the capability of the team to provide the Department’s benefit fraud and error risk assessment capability aligned to government functional standards and best practice.

Lead a range of initiatives across multiple programmes of work to ensure fraud and error solutions are appropriately prioritised, effectively designed and delivered to requirements.

Bring together a range of skills to identify problems and find solutions through a multi-disciplinary team approach.

Collaborate and coordinate with key stakeholders, taking a cross-Department approach to mitigate and address key fraud risks.

Represent IRIS at various internal and external forums, influencing strategic direction and decision-making.

Provide visible, accessible, and effective leadership, taking a personal lead in communicating messages with clarity and conviction across your own team and with other colleagues. Seeking feedback from colleagues, listening, and acting on this.

Line management of EO analysts.

Occasional travel and overnight stays may be required. 

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