Corporate Svcs PMO Governance Co-Ordinator, Defence Fire & Rescue HQ

Job summary

Defence Fire and Rescue (DFR) is led by Defence’s Chief Fire Officer (CFO) who, working closely with customer across Defence, has overarching responsibility for ensuring that Defence’s Fire Risk Management (FRM) needs are met.

The advertised post sits within the Corporate Services business unit of DFR HQ, based in Andover, and plays a key role in ensuring that effective systems are in place to support the smooth running of the HQ. The role involves supporting governance meetings across the HQ, including scheduling, engaging with attendees, preparing and issuing agendas and supporting documentation, and attending meetings to record decisions and actions.

The post holder will oversee the maintenance and development of DFR HQ’s Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) tools—primarily SharePoint—ensuring they are structured and maintained to meet evolving business needs. They will provide guidance to colleagues on how to effectively use these tools and ensure that information shared from the HQ is clear, concise, and fit for purpose to meet the needs of the organisation. Additionally providing guidance and support to colleagues on how to exploit technology available to their advantage.

The post holder will ensure that information is clear and easily understandable. It is important that information sent from the HQ is clear, concise and meets the needs of the requestor.

The role has line management responsibility of 1 x Support Officer. The Corporate Service Governance Co-Ordinator and Executive Officer Corporate Svcs Support Officer (currently gapped) role will work closely with one another to ensure the HQ is suitably supported and ensure the seamless delivery of task and responsibilities. Responsibilities also include supporting the Branch Security Officer, managing IT assets and role accounts, and providing administrative support to recruitment and general workforce queries.

The position provides an opportunity for the post-holder, at the appropriate time, to gain an awareness of a broad range of DFR's responsibilities and activities in order to develop and learn new skills, which may include those linked to project and governance management activities.

DFR HQ currently operates a hybrid working arrangement which, subject to business needs, allows for a mix of remote and office working across the Defence estate’s (3 days per week average). Please note this is periodically reviewed and is therefore subject to change.

Job description

Support the delivery of meetings, including planning, scheduling, and producing supporting documentation such as agendas, briefing packs, and presentations.

Act as Secretary to boards and committees, ensuring meetings are effectively supported and that actions are accurately recorded, tracked, and reported.

Maintain governance architecture, including Terms of Reference (ToRs), meeting memberships, and battle rhythms, working with stakeholders to implement updates where required.

Engage with internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure timely and accurate inputs to governance products.

Oversee the application and development within the Corporate Services team of DFR HQ's Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) tools, predominantly SharePoint, to ensure that they meet the evolving needs of the HQ.

Maintain and develop of tracking tools (MS Excel, SharePoint List based), including timely engagement with action leads to ensure completion and recording of actions. Interacting with action leads to ensure that updates are clear and understood.

Support the development of dashboards and reporting products to enable Senior Leadership Team oversight and timely intervention.

Utilise digital tools, including emerging Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities, to enhance secretariat and information management functions, supporting more efficient document production, action tracking, and knowledge organisation in line with security and governance requirements.

Provide oversight of HQ coordination activities to support effective and efficient operations, identifying inefficiencies in processes and recommending improvements where required.

Oversee wider office support activities including MODNET, stakeholder database maintenance, and internal communications (delegated where appropriate).

Identify and manage effectively prioritise conflicting deadlines whilst maintaining clear communication with stakeholders to ensure timely delivery and response.

Provide cross-functional support for ad hoc projects and tasks across DFR HQ and Corporate Services. Engage with colleagues to clarify support requests and ensure mutual understanding of task requirements.

Act as People Coordinator, supporting recruitment activity, workforce queries, and the communication of policy updates.

Act as Branch Security Officer (BSO), promoting unit safety awareness and managing security access for DFR HQ personnel.

Oversee wider office support activities, including stakeholder information management and internal communications (delegated where appropriate).

Line management of 1 x EO Corporate Svcs Support Officer (currently gapped).

Person specification

The position is varied and offers many opportunities to diversify once fully embedded in the role. DFR are keen to offer the potential to shadow other team members where business demands allow. To be successful in this role, we ask you to demonstrate in your statement of suitability how you can deliver against the following essential criteria:

Ability to identify and analyse problems, presenting options and recommending solutions, orally and in writing, in a clear and structured way.

Ability to apply a range of effective verbal and written communication styles to suit the need of the audience.

Strong organisational skills combined with an attention to detail and ability to work with limited supervision.

Experience in line management, with a commitment to supporting the development and performance of team members.

Ability to work to challenging deadlines and manage concurrent, disparate tasks effectively.

Additional desirable criteria are as outlined below:

Previous experience of working in a PMO or office management role.

Ability to work to challenging deadlines.

Ability to provide professional written work which delivers clear, concise, and compelling content.

Proficient with 0365 tools, including MS Word, Excel, Power Point and SharePoint.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

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

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 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%
• A working culture that encourages inclusion and diversity.
• Opportunities for personal and professional development.
• Highly Competitive Pension Scheme.
• Flexi-time scheme.
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service.
• Ability to roll over up to 10 days leave per year.
• Highly competitive pension scheme.
• Personal and professional development of skills.
• 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.
• Local site benefits such as free parking, on-site gym facilities, shop, café and the opportunity to join and use one of the on-site messes.

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.

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

At application you will be required to provide a CV outlining your career history and previous skills and experience, along with a Personal Statement (500 words). You will also be assessed against the following behaviours -

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

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. At interview you will also be assessed against the following behaviours -

• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

Sifting will take place within 2 weeks of the closing date. Interviews will be held in person at DFR HQ based within Army Headquarters, Andover, with interview dates to be confirmed. A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, 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 : Emily Van-Mol
• Email : Emily.Van-Mol100@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

MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)20201013-Air Command Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 316kB)