DNO Level 4 Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship Bristol
Ministry of Defence
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 20th November 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Do you want to be at the heart of real Defence issues and play a key role in the United Kingdom’s (UK) national security? Then this DNO Level 4 Associate Project Manager Apprenticeship programme could be the opportunity you are looking for!
The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent has existed for over 60 years to deter the most extreme threats to our national security and way of life, and that of our NATO Allies. To ensure that we have a credible and capable nuclear deterrent for as long as the security situation requires, we are building four new nuclear armed submarines – known as the Dreadnought Class – and replacing our nuclear warheads. These renewal programmes will utilise world-leading technology and are a showcase in science and engineering, highlighting the prowess of British industry.
This is a genuinely exciting time to join the Ministry of Defence (MOD) if you want to be at the heart of real Defence issues. You will get to work on a high profile and distinctive portfolio which is rarely out of the news and have a unique insight into the captivating world of nuclear.
Here at DNO we strongly believe that diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but is also essential for a thriving and successful organisation. We know that diverse teams bring a wide range of perspectives, experiences and ideas, which lead to better decision-making, creativity and innovation. We have a culture where differences are celebrated and our people feel supported, included and empowered. Join us and be part of an organisation that truly values diversity and inclusion and makes a positive impact on the world.
You must have the right of abode in the UK and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA (including other countries determined within the EEA or those with bilateral agreements), for at least the previous three years on the first day of learning.
Job description
The role will be filled by an apprentice who will provide project support to the Nuclear Propulsion Capability Development team which is situated within the DNO’s Move/Nuclear Propulsion Pillar, part of the Submarine Capability Directorate, and the ‘Move’ Capability Planning Working Group. They will utilise the project delivery skills that they develop on the apprenticeship, including supporting different projects within the Submarine Capability. They will be required to be flexible and adjust to priorities as they evolve, with a requirement to lean into different parts of the programme. They will develop strong relationships with a variety of stakeholders across the UK Programme Delivery Office (PDO).
It is a truly unique undertaking, and the role holder will have an excellent opportunity to see first-hand how major Defence programmes are established and run.
The position is a 24 Month Fixed Term Appointment. You will be responsible for finding a permanent post after your apprenticeship ends, and we will offer appropriate support to you in relation to career development.
In addition to completing a Level 4 Associate Project Manager apprenticeship, you will also:
- Learn the fundamental skills you need to begin your career as an associate project manager.
- Gain invaluable knowledge, experience, behaviours and transferable skills, and be able to immediately apply these in the workplace.
- Have ring-fenced off-the-job training/study time as part of your apprenticeship pathway.
- Be supported by experienced mentors and managers who will guide you through your apprenticeship, and career development.
There is a non-contractual expectation of being in the office three days a week. Working from other sites and supplier visitors contribute to this.
Hybrid and flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application.
Responsibilities
Project support responsibilities can include (but are not limited to):
- Risks and Issues: Assist with and maintain risk and issue logs, escalating where appropriate.
- Administration: Be responsible for project file management using robust version control. Organise key project meetings and provide secretariat support.
- Resources: Ensure any organograms remain up to date.
- Stakeholders: Assist with maintaining the stakeholder log for internal and external stakeholder managements. Act as the focal point for project responses to external requests for information.
- Planning: Create and maintain plans, including liaising a central planning team to ensure individual project plans align with overarching plans for the whole programme.
- Assurance: Establishing, planning, and managing reviews at appropriate points during all stages of the project life cycle.
- Change Control: Applying change control to manage and document all requests that alter the scope of a project, seeking authority accordingly. This includes the capture, evaluation and approval or rejection of any requests.
- Proactively undertake Continuing Professional Development, furthering capability of both individual and team, supporting the associated PM team current aims.
About the apprenticeship:
The apprenticeship programme is up to 23 months and is fully funded and will be completed within your normal working hours (training/study will be 20% of your normal working hours). You will learn about the key fundamentals of being a project manager that will enable you to manage projects efficiently, effectively and to a high quality, opening up progression opportunities in your career. The apprenticeship learning provider will deliver the programme as a blended learning model combining traditional teaching methods, workshops, and digital solutions to meet 21st century living and working demands alongside regular 1-2-1 meetings.
Along side your apprenticeship, you will have the opportunity to complete the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ).
The apprenticeship includes:
- Support from a dedicated apprenticeship skills coach
- Regular 1-2-1 coaching support, reviews and guidance
- Remote support
- Online learning resources and support available 24/7
- Assignments and guided self-study activities
- End Point Assessment preparation, support and readiness checks
Person specification
It is important to note that all apprenticeships are designed to provide substantive new skills and learning.
To be eligible to apply for this level 4 apprenticeship you must:
- Currently hold five full GCSEs at A*-C or grades 4-9 OR Scottish National 5 Certificate A-C. - to include English Language and Maths
and;
- the role requires you to currently hold two full A-Levels at grades A*-D in any subject (or equivalent)
- cannot hold any other Project manager qualification at level 4 or above*.
- PMF & Prince 2 are excluded from this.
Please see the guide for acceptable equivalents – What qualification levels mean: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-level) and (https://scqf.org.uk/media/e5pjypw4/qccb-web-oct-2019.pdf) for Scotland.
Please note - You will be asked to provide evidence of essential qualifications e.g Original certificates, as they are required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made.
Qualifications
- Currently hold five full GCSEs at A*-C or grades 4-9 OR Scottish National 5 Certificate A-C. - to include English Language and Maths
and;
-the role requires you to currently hold two full A-Levels at grades A*-D in any subject (or equivalent)
-cannot hold any other Project manager qualification at level 4 or above*.
- PMF & Prince 2 are excluded from this.
Please see the guide for acceptable equivalents – What qualification levels mean: England, Wales and Northern Ireland - GOV.UK (https://www.gov.uk/what-different-qualification-levels-mean/list-of-qualification-level) and (https://scqf.org.uk/media/e5pjypw4/qccb-web-oct-2019.pdf) for Scotland.
Please note - You will be asked to provide evidence of essential qualifications e.g Original certificates, as they are required as part of your pre-employment checks before a formal offer can be made.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
- Managing a Quality Service
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
We truly believe that the MOD is a great place to work, and we offer a unique employee experience. We want to ensure that every single employee feels appreciated & fairly rewarded and offer the following additional benefits:
Please note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed. The post does not offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility. Discover My Benefits 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. 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. Hybrid Working 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 employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another MOD workplace, 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). DBS cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. 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. 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. |
Things you need to know
Selection process details
‘When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.’
Stage 1: Fill in your first stage short application form where you will be required to fill in details of your eligibility including details of your nationality and contact details.
Stage 2: Complete the full application form which will include:
- Job history
- Full qualification details
- Previous skills/experience
- Your behaviour (competency) statements (up to 250 words each). The STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) format is the preferred format
Please allow sufficient time to complete these details before the closing date. Use the Success Profiles link for information on format and style, ensure you provide evidence for each Behaviour requested within the application.
Stage 3: Your application be taken forward to the sifting stage.
Stage 4: Bench marking will take place as part of the sifting stage, with successfully sifted candidates (in merit order) being invited to an interview. Interviews are anticipated to take place late November/early December 2024 and will include:
- Behaviour (competency) questions. The STAR (Situation, Task, Action and Result) format is the preferred format.
Please note offers of employment are subject to achieving satisfactory pre-employment and security checks. These include an Occupational Health Assessment and a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS). As part of this you will need to confirm your identity, employment/education history, nationality and any criminal record (unspent convictions only).
The level of security needed is Security Check (SC) and you should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for 5 years immediately before clearance action commences. If you have lived overseas or travelled extensively during this period, it may affect the length of time to obtain full security clearance and this may affect your offer of employment. It is essential that ALL requests for information are completed fully and timely, as incomplete information may result in significant delays. Offers of employment are also subject to candidates achieving acceptable grades where predicted.
If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer for up to a maximum of 23 months. At the end of the posting, you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.
If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan, you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties, then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.
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.
Because of the classification of much of the role, all posts will be open to UK Nationals only. Further information on Nationality Requirements is attached below.
Nationality Requirements - Further Information for Candidates
1. This post is classed as ‘Reserved’ as per Civil Service Nationality Rules Section 3. In accordance with these rules, ‘only UK nationals may be employed in reserved posts in the Civil Service’1 (Paragraph. 3.1).
UK National Definition
2. The definition of a ‘UK National’ can be found at Paragraphs. 1.4-1.8 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Dual Nationals
3. As per Paragraph. 1.41 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules:
4. ‘Candidates with dual nationality are in principle eligible for employment in the Civil Service provided that they meet the requirements in relation to one of their nationalities [i.e. UK National]. They may not be eligible, however, for employment in certain reserved posts where additional nationality requirements are imposed.’
Additional Restrictions for Reserved Posts
5. As per Paragraphs. 3.10-3.11 of the Civil Service Nationality Rules:
6. ‘…departments and agencies are entitled to impose additional requirements in reserved posts if this is considered necessary. This could include, for example, requirements as to the residency of the applicant or the nationality of one or both parents of the applicant.’
7. If you are a Dual National who possesses UK Nationality and wish to check your eligibility for the post, please contact our recruiting team at the details below. Please be advised that we will not be able to provide a justification for our decision for security reasons.
8. Irish nationals and Commonwealth citizens are also eligible for employment in reserved posts if they were in the Civil Service at 31 May 1996 or before, or were appointed from a recruitment scheme with a closing date for receipt of applications before 1 June 1996. (Paragraph. 3.1)
No application can be accepted after the closing date.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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 : DNO Early Careers Team
- Email : DNO-DNE-Talent@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : DBSCivPers-AMO@mod.gov.uk
Further information
Applicants should monitor their Civil Service Jobs application centre regularly for updates.
Some of MoD’s Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) changed from 3 February 2014. Those TACOS changes applied to Broader Banded and Skill Zone staff who were new recruits to MoD or who were appointed to a post on substantive promotion, progression or advancement. On the same basis, the TACOS for Departmental Retained Grades changed with effect from 01 September 2014.
All employees joining MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.
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/.
Complaints
Please be aware that the selection and interviewing of applicants is the responsibility of the Recruiting Line Manager (RLM) and not the Defence Business Services (DBS) Resourcing team. DBS do not play any part in the selection and interview process.
Therefore, if you wish to discuss your feedback, or you are dissatisfied with your markings, you should in the first instance raise this with the Recruiting Line Manager of the vacancy.
If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint. by writing to DBS at the following address:
Complaints Management Team, Defence Business Services, Oak Building Mail Point #6109, MOD Abbey Wood North, Bristol, BS34 8QW
If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address:
Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ
Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk
Cabinet Office Fraud Checks
Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant whose details are found to be held on the IFD will be refused employment
Civil Service Recruitment Principles
Please see the link below for the civil service recruitment principles.
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-principles/
To find out a bit more about what it’s like working for MOD, visit the Civil Service Careers Website
https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-ministry-of-defence/
Please see the MOD Privacy Notice link below which describes how we will use your personal data, explains your rights and gives you information you are entitled to under Data Protection legislation.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-privacy-notice/mod-privacy-notice
