Deputy Director Corporate Services and Enablers, Security Policy and Operations

Ministry of Defence

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 6th October 2024

 
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Details

Reference number

369519

Salary

£75,000
Plus a Civil Service pension, with an employer contribution of 28.97%, and a London Weighting Allowance

Job grade

SCS Pay Band 1

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

MOD - Head Office & Corporate Services

Type of role

Business Management and Improvement
Governance
Operational Delivery
Policy
Risk Management
Strategy

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Job share

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

MOD Main Building, Whitehall, London SW1A 2HB

Job summary

This post presents an excellent opportunity to deliver organisational change and continuous improvement. You will be responsible for all corporate matters across the Security Policy and Operations organisation within Ministry Of Defence. You will be responsible for developing and implementing strategies and plans to manage and improve all corporate business across the organisation. It is the ‘go-to’ senior leadership role charged with running the business, supporting the leadership team, and addressing the corporate needs of staff. This challenging role is central to driving forward change and we welcome applications from innovative leaders.

Job description

The current responsibilities of the role (which are likely to expand) include:

  • Lead a team of civil servants, military and contractors (around 40), and re-organise and optimise capability, capacity and focus in order to enhance corporate strategy and service provision. New functions are likely to be added to the team through this ongoing change programme, including a ‘Chief of Staff’ function to tightly manage Security Policy and Operation (SPO) priorities and tasks.
  • Run the corporate governance across SPO, supporting and implementing decisions of the SPO Executive Committee and overseeing all corporate matters.
  • Develop and deliver a strategic workforce plan and build a People function to cover all people policies, processes and services across SPO, working with HR Business Partners. This includes a team leading on strengthening the MOD Policy Profession across Defence.
  • Oversee financial planning (including for forthcoming Spending Review) and in-year management across SPO, working closely with Finance Business Partners and delegated SPO budget holders (annual budget c£565M). Also act as the delegated Budget Holder for the SPO Headquarters (annual budget c£90M).
  • Act as Senior Responsible Owner for the SPO digital transformation programme, chairing the associated governance Board and developing plans for the programme's future.
  • Design and incorporate further changes across SPO resulting from pan-MOD transformation programmes such as Defence Reform.
  • Oversee improved delivery of corporate services across SPO, working with leads across MOD Main Building to deliver improved IT and office accommodation to SPO.
  • Oversee teams leading on International Agreements and other centralised tasks (e.g. a secretariat and a corporate communications function) which have not yet been designed.
  • Build close working relationships with the entire senior leadership team to improve the provision of corporate services across the whole of SPO, and act as the senior interlocutor between staff and leadership, ensuring we respond excellently to staff and business needs.
  • Support the broader leadership of the organisation, including as a key member of Director Policy and Plans senior leader team and as a central and highly-visible leader.

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

  • Excellent corporate leadership skills, experienced in operating in a senior business management role across a large and complex organisation, advising senior leaders on corporate strategy and delivering it through high-performing and inclusive teams.
  • Proven record of building, motivating and inspiring teams (under direct line management and galvanising champions across an organisation) towards achieving a common purpose, driving inclusion, improving capability and ensuring high performance.
  • Exceptional communication skills with experience of effectively engaging and influencing a wide variety of stakeholders including at Board and senior executive level to support leadership decision-making and communicating sensitive messages tailored to staff across an organisation.
  • A highly motivated leader with a strong delivery focus, who sets clear direction and delivers high quality work, at pace and to tight deadlines, on difficult and sensitive issues for demanding customers, building credibility and trust in their judgement and in their delivery.
  • A strategic thinker who anticipates emerging challenges quickly, sees the big picture and is proactive and innovative in identifying pragmatic corporate business solutions.
  • Proven experience of corporate business HR, finance, risk, governance and corporate change. Qualifications in some of these disciplines are desirable but not essential.
  • Learning and development tailored to your role
  • An environment with flexible working options
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than 23:55 on Sunday 6th October 2024 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below::

  • A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
  • A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role. 

Both documents are weighted equally in their scoring, so it's important to consider this when uploading your application. Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. 

For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk.

Damian Johnson will also be offering an online Q&A session on Monday 30th September between 15:00 – 15:30 to provide an overview of the role and welcome any questions you may have. Candidates can access the meeting by clicking here. Please note this is not part of the formal assessment process.



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 developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

  • Name : SCS Recruitment Team
  • Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

  • Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk

Attachments

SCS1 Deputy Director Corporate Services and Enablers Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 2377kB)

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