MOD Corsham

Job Summary

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.

We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cyber security at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD’s joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.

Working at Defence Digital

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job Description

At Defence Digital, we are looking for an Assistant Head to the Chief of Business Operations (CBO).

This post sits within the 2* Operations Directorate, working with civilian and military colleagues in the UK and overseas, to enable delivery of front line services for Defence. In this role you will be managing and delivering the Directorate strategic workforce plan, focusing particularly on the planning and business change activities to ensure the delivery of strategic outcomes. You will also oversee business operations in areas such as finance, audit, Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) and risk management.

There is an expectation that the post holder will attend the Corsham office for a minimum of 3 days a week and, occasionally, travel to other locations to engage with key stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Drive the Strategic Workforce Plan (SWP) and implementation of the new Op Model for the Directorate
Lead on business change activities for the various workstrands within the SWP
Lead the wider Operations team in alignment with the Operations Director's vision, and provide support to the CBO and Operations Senior Leadership Team
Ensure smooth running of the Operations outer office and the Command Support Group
Stakeholder management - Support the vision and direction of the Ops Director by disseminating information, acting as the business liaison, building collaborative stakeholder relationships, and driving change activities
Lead on key governance activities for the Directorate – Finance, Performance, Risk, KIM, safety, security, business continuity.

At Defence Digital, we are looking for an Assistant Head to the Chief of Business Operations (CBO).

This post sits within the 2* Operations Directorate, working with civilian and military colleagues in the UK and overseas, to enable delivery of front line services for Defence. In this role you will be managing and delivering the Directorate strategic workforce plan, focusing particularly on the planning and business change activities to ensure the delivery of strategic outcomes. You will also oversee business operations in areas such as finance, audit, Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) and risk management.

There is an expectation that the post holder will attend the Corsham office for a minimum of 3 days a week and, occasionally, travel to other locations to engage with key stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Drive the Strategic Workforce Plan (SWP) and implementation of the new Op Model for the Directorate
Lead on business change activities for the various workstrands within the SWP
Lead the wider Operations team in alignment with the Operations Director's vision, and provide support to the CBO and Operations Senior Leadership Team
Ensure smooth running of the Operations outer office and the Command Support Group
Stakeholder management - Support the vision and direction of the Ops Director by disseminating information, acting as the business liaison, building collaborative stakeholder relationships, and driving change activities
Lead on key governance activities for the Directorate – Finance, Performance, Risk, KIM, safety, security, business continuity.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will be a strong leader and also a collaborative team member who recognises and values the collective input of others. You will deliver tangible results, consistently seeking to add value and focusing on outcomes.

A high level of energy and personal drive is essential to meet business objectives. Responsiveness and a proactive approach to innovation, including identifying opportunities for creative change, are crucial. You will also have strong problem-solving skills and the ability to quickly adjust to shifting priorities.

Application

When submitting your CV, please highlight your career history and experience relevant to this role.  Additionally, refer to the "Things You Need to Know" section of the advert and provide a personal statement (max.1250 words) demonstrating the Essential Criteria listed below: 

Strong leadership and strategic thinking skills
An understanding of business change activity and the challenges of implementation
Experience of organisational design and implementation of Strategic Workforce plans
Excellent communication and interpersonal skills
Ability to deliver at pace in a complex environment with changing priorities

Behaviours

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

Leadership
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture

Alongside your salary of £59,690, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,292 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

An environment with flexible working options
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year
In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King's birthday
Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to volunteer for military or emergency service reserve commitments
Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year
Enhanced parental and adoption leave
Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing
Free car parking; access to Gym membership
A highly competitive pension scheme.
An opportunity to be considered for Reward and Recognition - £250-£5000 per year.

Discover my benefits for more information

Learning & Development

In Defence Digital we have a strong learning and development ethos, supporting you to fulfil your potential by providing –

Learning and development tailored to your role
Professional and Personal Development of skills
Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by MOD
Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by MOD

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 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.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

To apply please complete the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard, ensuring your CV highlights your relevance to the Essential Criteria listed in the Person Specification above.

All applicants will also need to provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) and it is vital that this includes evidence of the Essential Criteria. Your CV and personal statement will be scored 1-7 and make up part of your overall score to assess your suitability to be invited to interview.  

In the event of a high number of applications, we will sift on the lead essential criteria of;

Experience of organisational design and implementation of Strategic Workforce plans

Interview

At Interview Candidates will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

Leadership
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Seeing the Big Picture

Presentation

At interview you will also be asked to give a five-minute presentation, full details of the presentation topic will be given nearer the interview date.

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Defence Digital. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

AI Usage in Job Applications

We encourage the use of technology to streamline the job application process. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be helpful in generating ideas, improving writing style, and increasing efficiency. However, it is essential that any content submitted as part of a job application is truthful, accurate, and a genuine reflection of the applicant’s qualifications and experiences. Any use of AI should be supplementary to your own knowledge and abilities. Ultimately, the application should demonstrate your unique skills and suitability for the role.

Professional Framework Statement  

Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.  Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.  

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 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.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:

UK nationals
nationals of the Republic of Ireland
nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

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 : Defence Digital Talent Acquisition Team
Email : ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. 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: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. 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.

UK Ministry of Defence

New Jobs

Defence Digital - Chief Business Operations Assistant Head