Army Service Manager

Job summary

The Ministry of Defence, Civil Service workforce is diverse, with many different functions and professions ranging from police officers, security guards, trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff to support the British Army.

Step into the future of warfare with the Digital, Security and Intelligence Directorate, where data drives decisions and digital dominance defines victory. We lead in strategic data management, intelligence, and cutting edge technology, delivering the tools that give the Army a decisive edge on the modern battlefield.

As part of our civil servant team, you’ll be at the forefront of information warfare, countering disinformation, safeguarding critical data, and ensuring information integrity in a rapidly evolving digital battlespace. You’ll work with state-of-the-art tools, including AI, advanced analytics, and next-gen tech, helping the Army outthink, outmanoeuvre, and outpace its adversaries.

In the Digital, Security and Intelligence Directorate, you’ll turn that vision into reality. From strengthening cyber resilience to driving digital transformation on the front lines, your expertise will shape the Army’s future. You’ll collaborate with a diverse network of experts, deploying innovative strategies to maintain the Army’s dominance in an increasingly contested information environment.

This is more than a job, it’s your chance to redefine digital defence, push the boundaries of innovation, and directly contribute to the Army’s lethality and operational effectiveness.

Join us. Shape the future. Strengthen the force.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Are you ready to play a vital role in enhancing the British Army’s digital services? As a Service Manager at the Army Software House (ASH), you will be responsible for ensuring the smooth delivery and ongoing support of innovative software solutions that underpin the Army’s modernisation and transformation agenda. This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a high impact programme that supports the Army’s goal of tripling its operational effectiveness by the end of the decade through advanced technology and digital innovation.

ASH, as a key component of the Digital Operations pillar within the Directorate of Digital, Security and Intelligence at Army Headquarters Andover, is responsible for designing, developing, and supporting bespoke applications and services that enable the Army’s digital capabilities. These include critical platforms which enable data driven decision making and operational excellence.

Our Service Managers (SM) provide dedicated service management support to tri-service customers, overseeing a range of critical applications and platforms that primarily support the Army, as well as the wider Defence. The role of a SM is to ensure these systems, used for personnel management, training, safety reporting, and other essential functions, are effectively maintained and supported to meet operational needs.

SMs coordinate a wide range of activities and should be comfortable working with data, able to adapt to changing priorities, and willing to challenge existing ways of working to find better solutions.

A Service Manager within ASH will:

• Work closely with Application/Platform Owners to deliver excellent service support based on agreed Service Level Agreements.
• Manage changes to services following established processes with support from Delivery Managers (DMs) and the Army Digital Front Door team.
• Understand services from the user’s perspective and build strong relationships with stakeholders.
• Support regular user groups and report on service performance against Service Level Agreements.
• Collaborate with a team of Civil Servants and Military staff using Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITIL) processes.
• Help improve data quality in our Information Security Management System and Configuration Management Database.
• Contribute to wider digital projects that support Army and Defence.

Person specification

We are looking for enthusiastic and motivated individuals to join us as Service Managers with a strong customer focus. This role is ideal for those new to the Civil Service who want to make a real difference by supporting the delivery of digital services to the Army and wider Defence community. You should be able to demonstrate;

• Strong communication skills able to explain things clearly and work well with different people.
• A team player who builds trust and works well across teams and departments.
• Someone who is curious and willing to suggest improvements to how things are done.
• Flexible and calm under pressure, able to make good decisions when priorities change.
• A strong focus on understanding and meeting the needs of customers and users.

Essential Skills Required:

• Customer Service experience
• Excellent stakeholder engagement and communication skills, both written and verbal.
• Ability to work effectively within hybrid working environments.
• Commitment to continuous professional development and willingness to pursue relevant professional qualifications.

Desirable

• Experience or knowledge of Agile and Lean working practices (working level ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk)
• ITIL 4 Foundation (or willing to achieve within 6 months).
• Familiarity with Defence or public sector digital and service management environments.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £30,740, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,905 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Highly competitive pension scheme
• Personal and professional development of skills
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave
• 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
• Learning and Development

We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role.

A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career.

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.

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.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

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

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

• Your CV
• Behaviour - Communicating & Influencing
• Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service

Where a large number of applications are received, an initial sift will be conducted based on the evidence you provide in support of Managing a Quality Service.

Your CV and Communicating and Influencing will only be reviewed if you are successful at this initial sift.

At interview stage you will be assessed against the following:

• Behaviour - Leadership
• Behaviour - Working Together
• Behaviour - Delivering at Pace

Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed and will be held in person. We endeavour to keep to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs.

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.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

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 : Lucy Payne
• Email : Lucy.Payne116@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.

Attachments

Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)