Assistant Head Regional Support Team, USVF regional delivery

Job summary

The Regional Support Team Assistant Head (RST AH) is a critical leadership role within the Regional Support Team, operating in a complex and distinctive USVF environment shaped by international agreements, including NATO Status of Forces Agreements and Cost Sharing Arrangements.

Acting as the Region’s Business Manager, the role ensures the effective, efficient, and compliant operation of regional activity. It supports the delivery of regional objectives by coordinating business functions, enabling strong governance, and maintaining effective relationships with colleagues across DIO and partner organisations.

The Assistant Head leads and manages a core service area within the Regional Support Team, embedding a culture of continuous improvement, professional excellence, and proactive problem‑solving. Through strong leadership and coordination, the role enables operational delivery, strengthens organisational resilience, and ensures the Region is well‑positioned to meet current and future demands.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

This is a pivotal leadership role at the heart of the USVF built estate, shaping how the organisation operates, assures performance, and delivers value. The post provides cohesive governance, assurance, financial and workforce oversight, training coordination, data stewardship, and business integration across the estate—ensuring activities are aligned, informed, and effective.

Reporting too and working closely with the Deputy Head USVF RD, the role drives high‑quality performance reporting, leads assurance activity, and manages escalation processes to maintain grip, transparency, and confident decision‑making across the USVF portfolio. It plays a key role in turning insight into action and supporting sustained operational excellence.

The post also leads and develops the Regional Support Team, delivering essential business support services including digital enablement, charging and cost recovery, workforce administration, training coordination, and audit and assurance support. Through this leadership, the role enables front‑line delivery, strengthens organisational resilience, and supports continuous improvement across the region.

While the post does not hold delegated procurement authority, it is central to coordinating activity, advising stakeholders, and ensuring robust governance and assurance across all areas of responsibility

This role brings together responsibility for:

• The Regional Support Team (RST)
• Finance, Training and workforce oversight
• Digital and data stewardship
• Business improvement, Reporting, assurance and governance
• Risk management and Reporting
• Management of Security policy and processing

Key Responsibilities

Examples:

• Own USVF RD governance (forums, ToR, decisions/actions)
• Coordinate cross-cutting RD activity (finance, workforce, data, risk, audit); track US commitments
• Primary regional contact for US customers; capture and drive actions/decisions
• Lead USVF financial governance: forecast, track spend/obligations; own charging/cost recovery governance (where used)
• Oversee regional delivery portfolio (sites, dependencies, milestones); escalate risks/issues
• Accountable for the quality and timeliness of management information
• Lead regional resourcing activity for the support function, including recruitment planning, vacancy management, onboarding and induction
• Set and deliver a team capability plan: identify skills gaps, coordinate training and coaching, and assure completion of mandatory and role-specific learning

1. Leadership & Line Management

• Lead and manage the Regional Support Team, setting clear direction and priorities.
• Plan and deliver recruitment activity for the Regional Support Team, including defining roles, running fair and open campaigns, and ensuring effective onboarding and probation management.
• Promote and role‑model the Civil Service Code and DIO values.
• Manage performance, capability, wellbeing, and development of staff, including coaching and constructive challenge.
• Foster a culture of continuous improvement and accountability.
• Build and maintain a team capability plan (skills, training needs, cover arrangements) to ensure resilient business support for the Region.
• Ensure compliance with mandatory training and people requirements.

1. Governance, Audit & Assurance

• Own USVF RD governance (forums, ToR, decisions/actions) and US customer engagement
• Track delivery of USVF RD actions/commitments; escalate risks/issues
• Regional lead for audit engagement and assurance responses.
• Track, manage, and assure delivery of audit actions.
• Provide assurance to the Regional Head on compliance, controls, and risk.
• Act as a focal point for governance engagement across DIO and MOD.
• Oversee Host Nation and business support compliance activities for the Region, ensuring guidance and documentation align with DIO/MOD policy and relevant legislative requirements

1. Finance, Workforce & Business Management

• Provide options, trade‑offs, and recommendations to support senior decision making
• Lead medium term workforce and resource planning aligned to regional priorities
• Own and assure financial controls, including end-to-end charging/cost recovery (where used): rules/evidence, forecasting assumptions, timelines, governance, and issue resolution
• Lead USVF RD financial reporting/returns (timely, auditable, agreed requirements)
• Maintain audit-ready records and evidence packs for finance controls and charging/cost recovery activity, coordinating inputs from relevant teams
• Ensure value for money and effective use of regional resources.
• Accountable for the quality and timeliness of management information

1. Risk, Business Continuity & Assurance

• Provide risk-based insight that enables proportionate decision‑making
• Ensure Parliamentary and corporate responses are coherent, assured, and consistent with regional position
• Authoritative owner of the regional risk and issues register.
• Own USVF RD risks/issues and delivery commitments (owners, mitigations, escalation)
• Maintain RD USVF risks and issues in the MOD/DIO corporate risk tool (e.g., SPRITE), ensuring owners, mitigations, review cadence and escalation routes are clear
• Engage with the DIO Risk Assurance Team to support assurance activity, provide evidence, and respond to risk deep-dives as required
• Coordinate inputs from site risk leads across the RD USVF estate to ensure risks/issues are raised, reviewed, and mitigated consistently
• Reflect US customer requirements and critical dependencies in Business Continuity Plan and incident response

1. Digital, Data & Business Improvement

• Act as Regional Data Steward, ensuring compliance with data and information standards.
• Assure USVF RD data quality and definitions for agreed measures
• Lead digital enablement and continuous improvement initiatives.
• Automate/simplify USVF RD workflows (action tracking, reporting, document control), ensuring clear ownership, version control and accessible records
• Set standards for management information, dashboards, and performance reporting Ensuring effective use of performance reporting and management data.
• Produce USVF RD performance packs (inputs, metrics, narrative, actions)
• Drive standardisation, efficiency, and improved ways of working.
• Champion innovation that improves delivery outcomes.

1. Stakeholder Engagement & Communications

• Run USVF RD governance comms (agendas, papers, minutes/decisions, actions)
• Manage stakeholder commitments (owners, dates, dependencies) and report progress
• Coordinate assured responses to US/customer and DIO/MOD information requests, including performance narratives, service delivery evidence and governance documentation

Person specification

Experience & Skills

Essential

• Proven leadership of multidisciplinary teams.
• Strong governance, assurance, and risk management experience.
• Experience of financial or business management in a complex organisation.
• Experience of workforce management, including recruitment, onboarding and capability development.
• Experience owning or assuring finance controls and charging/cost recovery (recharges), including maintaining audit-ready evidence.
• Ability to influence senior stakeholders and challenge constructively.
• Full UK Drivers Licence

Desirable

• Knowledge of DIO / MOD operating environment.
• Experience of digital transformation or data stewardship.
• Experience coordinating training delivery and building team capability in a governance-led environment.
• Background in estates, infrastructure, or service delivery environments.

Licences

Full UK Driving Licence

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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%

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements 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.

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.

• Selection will be based on the Civil Service Success Profiles framework.
• The process is expected to include:
  • An assessment of applications against the essential criteria, and
  • An interview, assessing the Success Profile elements specified in this advert (for example Behaviours, Experience, Technical and/or Strengths).
• Any additional assessment methods will be clearly stated in this advert.
• Interviews are expected to be held face to face.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability. (1000 Word count)

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and Statement of suitability and the following:

• Seeing The Big Picture
• Leadership

At interview, you will be assessed against the following:

• Seeing The Big Picture
• Leadership
• Changing And Improving
• Communicating And Influencing
• Managing A Quality Service

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

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 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 : Mark Keen
• Email : mark.keen105@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

DIO Candidate Information Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 1963kB)Candidate Information (2) Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)