HMRC RISEs to the challenge

HMRC is committed to the principles of the Armed Forces Covenant and was awarded the silver Defence Employer Recognition Scheme award in 2015 and is regarded by many as an exemplar employer of reservists and veterans.

Building on this success, HMRC RISE is the first of its kind in the Civil Service, a recruitment programme offering both an internship and a 2 year fixed term appointment to successful applicants. 

Recognising the value and highly transferable skills Service leavers bring to an organisation, this is an exciting opportunity for talented service leavers to gain valuable insight into the work of HMRC. 

This unique programme offers an 8 week internship followed by a 2 year fixed term appointment for those who meet the standards required for the role. 

During the 8 week programme interns will continue to be paid by the MOD as part of the resettlement process. Interns will be placed into a role within one of our key lines of business such as Customer Compliance Group, CDIO, HR or Customer Services Group. Wherever you are placed you will have the opportunity to learn first-hand from subject matter experts and experienced colleagues with an established reputation in the profession. 

To support your transition and throughout the programme, you will be matched with a buddy from the HMRC Veterans Advocates network and join a virtual cohort of other service leavers. 

HMRC is transforming into a modern tax authority, equipped for the future needs of customers. This means it will become a smaller, more digital and more highly-skilled organisation, bringing people together in 13 large Regional Centres. 

This transformation includes redesigning our processes around our customers, creating great online services, and making better use of the data we have to change the way we do our compliance work. 

It is also about making HMRC a great place to work by investing in your skills and career development, creating modern, collaborative working environments and offering more rewarding and interesting work. 

Our Regional Centres will make it far easier for us to invest in people’s skills and career development, to work more collaboratively and to offer more rewarding and interesting work. 

They will be home to multiple lines of business and professions, and have a balance of operational delivery, compliance and tax professional roles. They will also all have roles from our corporate and strategic functions, for example, policy, HR, project management, finance and communications - although the size and make-up of teams will vary across each Regional Centre.

After 12 years serving in the Royal Air Force, I swapped uniformed service for Civil Service in 1997, joining DWP where I stayed for 19 years, before transferring to HMRC in 2016. I was excited by the prospect of a new HMRC Regional Centre in my location and challenged myself to learn something new and take on new opportunities 

I like the challenge of learning something new; I think that I had become a little bit complacent after spending 19 years in DWP. There is a danger that you can spend too long in a job, and that was definitely me. I like the autonomy that I am now given in HMRC – from making my own decisions, to managing my own work and my team. HMRC positively encourage Smarter Working, which offers me and my team the flexibility to strike to right WorkLife balance to ensure the wellbeing of our mental and physical health. 

I was a Data Analyst in the RAF, and this helped hone my naturally curious mind and gave me the confidence to challenge. I look for patterns in data, am comfortable in a spreadsheet and readily challenge the status quo. I have brought transferable skills to HMRC from my time both in the RAF & DWP, including leadership and communication which to me are the most important behaviours to demonstrate. I am used to moving into different roles every 3 years (a throw-back to Military posting timelines) so I look for new and exciting opportunities to help me stay “fresh” in the role. 

Civil Service jobs give Service Leavers a sense of familiarity, both in structure and rules. It can be very hard for a Service Leaver to adapt to civvie life, but a career in HMRC or any Civil Service department will help them transition smoothly. There is no role in HMRC that a Service Leaver couldn’t do.  

People management, leadership and communication skills are key, especially the ability to listen and show empathy.

Most Service Leavers will have a sense of “belonging” from their time in the military, and they fit well into any workplace with structure and hierarchy. They have a can-do attitude and ability to self-manage their work effectively. They are the perfect fit for HMRC.

Communications & Engagement Support Officer, Manchester, up to £27,080