The Surge and Rapid Response Team (SRRT) is an innovative and unique team, working across government departments to deliver during known peaks in demand for services, and respond to unexpected crises.

The work that the Surge and Rapid Response Team does, extends across all government departments, as well as their agencies and arm’s length bodies.

Some of SRRTs’ biggest customers include the Home Office, Cabinet Office and Department for Work and Pensions, however regular provision is provided to smaller parts of the Civil Service including the National Crime Agency and Animal, Plant and Health Agency.

We pride ourselves on delivering excellent customer service to everyone we support. We are a hugely adaptable and flexible team who can deploy our people where and when they are needed the most, frequently at short notice. This means sometimes staying and working away from home, across the UK and sometimes abroad.

If this sounds like you, then you could be just the person we’re looking for to join us in Surge and Rapid Response Team.

The Surge and Rapid Response Teams are based out of HM Revenue and Customs, and we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues; an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us, and we offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career at HMRC accessible to you.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success in SRRT, and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role.

You can find out more about what it’s like working in Surge and Rapid Response Team on the Civil Service Careers website.

Watch these videos to see how our team work:

A day in the life of Surge and Rapid Response Team - Katy's story

A day in the life of Surge and Rapid Response Team - Brian's story

A day in the life of Surge and Rapid Response Team - Rachel, Winnie and Touhid’s stories

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed to the contact details, as advised later in this advert. 

Question and answer session

We will be hosting a virtual event where you can find out more about the application process and what it is like to work in SRRT.

This will take place on Monday 2 October 2023 at 1.30pm. Please visit Surge and Rapid Response Team Recruitment Campaign Q&A to book your place.

See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

The Surge and Rapid Response Team are looking for flexible frontline operational staff to be deployed as members of our deployment team to carry out various roles across a range of different civil service departments.

You will work as a permanent member of the Surge and Rapid Response Team deploying to provide great customer service and work in a host of different environments.

In this role you will deliver a high-quality service to support the delivery of key objectives, Your work will vary based on the live deployments at the time and there may be times where you will need to support the surge and rapid response team by managing priorities and deliverables where required.

Key responsibilities

Tasks and responsibilities may include:

• Casework, decision making and data processing across a variety of departments and different IT systems.
• Face to face engagement with the public, such as passport control.
• Responding to priority work requiring training or sometimes travelling at short notice.
• Delivering against timeliness and quality targets, providing excellent customer service.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to work with minimum supervision within a dynamic environment.
• Developing and maintaining good working relationships with customers, both internal/external stakeholders to deliver.
• Having responsibility for effective personal and team delivery.

You won’t need previous experience because full training will be provided. Your enthusiasm, willingness to learn and keenness to deliver is what we are looking for.

You will join a network of people in the Surge and Rapid Response team spread across a variety of different locations. The teams are friendly and welcoming and will be there to help you reach your potential.

For any further information on the role please contact the Customer Services Group Recruitment Team on [email protected]

Essential Criteria:

We are looking for staff who will uphold the Civil Service values and standards of behaviour and who:

• Are able travel nationally or abroad sometimes at short notice. (The Surge and Rapid Response Team will pay for all travel and accommodation associated with work related activity).

Desirable Criteria:

We are looking for staff who will uphold the Civil Service values and standards of behaviour and who:

• Are flexible, adaptive and can effectively deliver against deadlines.
• Are capable and confident in making decision, in line with training, to deliver.
• Can demonstrate sound interpersonal, communication and relationship-building skills and thrive working as part of a team as well as working autonomously.
• Resilient and prepared to deal with challenge and/or confrontation.
• Comfortable dealing with the public in person, in writing or on the telephone.

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

• Learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • A Civil Service pension

Team members that are moving offices as a result of the Locations Programme will be entitled to a Moves Adjustment Payment for three years where they incur additional costs. This is calculated based on the difference between the costs of travelling to and from the new and old office, over a weekly period. You will get more detail on this as part of targeted locations move communications.

Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.