Programme Director - Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon
Ministry of Defence
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 2nd October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
We have an exciting job opportunity for a Programme Director to lead delivery of a key strategic defence programme - the Future Cruise / Anti-Ship Weapon (FC/ASW) programme. This programme will deliver a new generation of deep strike and anti-ship missiles for the 2030s and 2040s, to meet both Air Force and Naval requirements for the UK.
The Programme is currently at the end of a joint assessment phase with France and is about to move into the next phase of work, with plans to bring Italy on board as a third partner nation.
FC/ASW is a Category A programme and sits on the Government Major Projects Portfolio list.
This post offers an excellent opportunity to shape programme direction on both a UK and international stage. A key element of the Lancaster House Treaty, the programme will support UK Freedom of Action and Operational Advantage in this key capability area, as well as driving prosperity and sustaining UK sovereign industrial capacity.
The FC/ASW Programme Director post sits within the Complex Weapons team in the Strategic Programmes Directorate in the Ministry of Defence, working alongside a portfolio of other strategic teams and programmes delivering for UK defence needs.
This is an exciting and challenging post, requiring a proactive individual with drive and excellent team-working skills. The successful candidate will be flexible, adaptable, confident, and able to establish strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders at all levels and across culture / language barriers.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job description
The Programme Director will be responsible to the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for leading the FC/ASW programme and the associated business change activities. They will have primary responsibility for successful delivery of the required outcomes, including the direction and evolution of appropriate governance and assurance, monitoring progress, managing risks and issues, and ensuring the business readiness for change.
The role provides an opportunity to be an integral part of the delivery of a key future capability within one of the most important portfolios in defence, supporting our armed forces and maintaining UK security and Freedom of Action.
The successful candidate will be working within a complex programme, operating strategically in a multi customer-facing environment. You will oversee and drive delivery with the joint MOD / industry international programme team, ensuring delivery of the maturing business case and programme benefits.
The role requires experience of programme management and an understanding of the complexities of defence and international procurement would be beneficial. The successful individual will have strong stakeholder skills as they will be working closely with the whole of the Complex Weapons team, our delivery agent Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S), the Front Line Commands (FLCs), the broader MOD Head Office community, with external bodies such as the Infrastructure Projects Authority (IPA) and with our key suppliers (MBDA) and International partners.
The post-holder will be responsible for:
- Programme Delivery – setting and directing the overall plan across all Defence Lines of Development to achieve programme outcomes and benefits.
- Leadership vision & objectives – Create an environment in which projects can succeed – working together and managing dependencies and driving transformation to enable delivery at pace.
- Business case – Lead the development of the Full Business Case for the Demonstration & Manufacturing phases. Ensure alignment with senior stakeholders and agreement through Programme Board / Senior Responsible Owner / Scrutiny / Investment Appraisals Committee / HM Treasury.
- Communications & Stakeholder Management – Ensure stakeholder interests are identified and managed. Build consensus across a large and often diverse group of stakeholders and develop strategic relationships with internal and external suppliers. Work closely with the SRO to co-manage senior stakeholders, including in the international environment.
- Resource Management – Build and maintain a strong delivery-focused programme team both with Strategic Programmes and across the wider enterprise. Provide leadership and direct multi-disciplinary teams to deliver successfully. Manage project financial aspects within tight constraints.
- Risks & Issues – Accountable for ensuring strategic and operational risks and issues are identified, prioritised, assessed and mitigated. Ensure senior stakeholders are briefed, updated and where appropriate, enrolled in the management and control of key risks. Identify and engage specialists as appropriate.
- Benefits realisation – Provide strategic leadership in monitoring benefit delivery and to maximise benefits from the programme.
- Programme Performance & Controls – Responsible for identifying success criteria, set programme controls and be accountable for performance. Monitor and control progress, engage fully with assurance and respond to recommendations.
- Dependency Management – deliver a robust dependency management process, work with senior stakeholders to resolve issues and act as a link between the programme and business governance.
Reporting to the SRO, the post-holder will have line management responsibility for a central team of 3-5 individuals – a mixture of military and civilian roles, as well as access to broader stakeholder resources in Defence Equipment & Support, Front Line Commands and Industry.
Person specification
Suitable for candidates with experience in successfully managing complex programmes, who can demonstrate a breadth of Project, Programme, and Portfolio Management (P3M) skills, supported by relevant professional qualifications or memberships. (Eg, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner, PRINCE2 Practitioner, MSP Advanced Practitioner, APM Registered Project Professional, Project Leadership Programme)
The individual must have strong communication and organisational skills and seek to develop understanding of a complex programme and portfolio.
This role requires an individual with the following personal attributes:
Essential
- A proven ability to lead and deliver large, complex programmes.
- Demonstrable experience of programme / project management and related governance / assurance systems.
- Excellent written and oral communication skills and the ability to present data and information clearly to senior and expert / non-expert audiences.
- A proven track record of establishing strong working relationships with the ability to influence and challenge across a wide range of stakeholders, both internally and externally, including on technical issues (although you don’t need a technical background to do this).
- A good understanding of the political and wider strategic context.
Desirable
- Experience of working in defence and with complex technical engineering projects.
- Knowledge of defence capability management and MOD approval process
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Benefits
This is an excellent development opportunity for someone who wishes to expand and enhance their project/programme management skills to include experience of working within a complex portfolio, operating strategically in a multi customer-facing international environment.
The Strategic Programmes Directorate encourages knowledge development and supports wider learning.
This role provides the opportunity to develop skills and qualifications across a range of disciplines (Benefits, Acquisition, P3M and Performance and Change Management) in a unique Head Office directorate.
Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension
- 25 days paid annual leave rising to 30 days on completion of 5 years' service
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
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Things you need to know
Selection process details
At sift, you will be assessed against the following:
Experience:
- A CV including job history, full details of education and qualifications, responsibilities and achievements.
- A Statement of Suitability for the role (500 words).
Success Profiles Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
In the event of significant numbers of applicants, applications will be sifted based on CV, statement of suitability and the lead behaviour of Leadership using Success Behaviours for Grade 6 level.
Shortlisted applicants will be invited to interview via the Civil Service jobs website and should note this will either be in person or via MS Teams. This will be confirmed nearer the time. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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Working for the Civil Service
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).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : James Dowson
- Email : james.dowson500@mod.gov.uk
- Telephone : +44 300 1577 224
Recruitment team
- Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk
Further information
info@csc.gov.uk.
