DBS Strategy and Corporate Plans

Job summary

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?

Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.

• Our Vision - To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.
• Our Mission - Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability.

DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society.

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as hybrid working.

Come and join the DBS community today!

DBS is part of The National Armaments Directorate (NAD) Group which is at the heart of delivering and sustaining the UK’s defence capability. Bringing together organisations responsible for developing, procuring, supporting and modernising Defence equipment, infrastructure and services, the Directorate works closely with industry, international partners and academia to ensure the Armed Forces have the capabilities they need to deter threats, protect the nation and succeed on operations. NAD drives innovation, operational readiness and value for money while supporting economic growth and strengthening the UK’s defence industrial base.

DBS has recently undertaken a review of its operational locations in the North West, and have consolidated all activities in Norcross, Blackpool. A further move, to the new Government Hub at Talbot Gateway in Blackpool, is scheduled to take place in 2027.

Job description

This is a great opportunity to work at the strategic heart of Defence Business Services at a time of significant and exciting transformation in Defence Shared Services under the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) agenda. Working with senior leaders in the organisation, this is a business plans, strategy and corporate role which straddles both the Operational Delivery Profession as well as the Policy Profession. It is instrumental in setting the overall goals for the business and developing and monitoring the Annual Delivery Plan to achieve them.

Responsibilities: strategic management and planning

• Undertake the development of the five-year Corporate Plan and corporate Annual Delivery Plan, helping to shape the DBS vision and direction.

• Undertake research and data analysis to inform the development of well-informed strategic planning, business decisions, and major projects and pillar delivery plans.
• Provide support and insight into significant organisational changes.
• Liaise with DBS representatives to set smart targets which deliver the DBS vison, and to monitor and track performance of the annual Delivery Plan.
• Assess the DBS strategic performance. Produce the quarterly report to the DBS Executive Committee informing them of actual versus planned outcomes, risks to delivery and agreed mitigations, and recommending actions required to address any missed targets.
• Lead communication of progress for stakeholders, customers and staff.
• Lead annual lessons learnt review, develop action plan and assist with the continuous improvement of strategic management and the strategic planning process in accordance with best practice.

• Support the development and implementation of the Shared Services Operating Model (SSOM) for the future Defence shared service centre and ensure alignment with DBS’ vision and alignment with the Shared Services Operating Model.

• Work closely with DBS colleagues and other stakeholders to ensure that documents are based on robust, clear evidence, analysis and data.

• Support the planning for strategic planning events.
• Maintain own continuous professional development.

You will support the Deputy and Assistant Heads with influencing, developing, documenting, and overseeing the implementation of the strategic planning process and assessing and reporting performance made in the realisation of the DBS vision and transformation. The role will also help to deliver Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) for Defence. You will have line management responsibility for 1 x HEO.

These responsibilities may change as the programme of work progresses.

The role also satisfies the following Operational Delivery criteria:

• Supporting business or directorate strategy development.
• Coordinating annual business planning cycles.
• Tracking delivery against strategic priorities.
• Performance reporting and KPI management.
• Risk and dependency management.
• Supporting governance boards and decision-making forums.
• Producing delivery plans, implementation plans and road maps.

Person specification

The ideal candidate will:

• Be results focused, with the ability to take personal initiative, as well as continuos improvement of processes/products

• Have strong analytical skills and an aptitude for problem solving, with the ability to analyse and evaluate data accurately and to relate to the ‘big picture’

• Have excellent interpersonal skills, including the ability to effectively communicate and influence across all grades, but particularly confident when dealing with senior stateholders at 1*

• Have strong stakeholder management skills and the ability to develop and promote good working relationships with a wide range of staff at all levels

• Have strong attention to detail, as well as strong written communication and presenation skills
• Be comfortable working at pace during peaks periods and managing through ambiguity and change
• Have proven line management experience

Desirable Criteria:

• Interest in corporate affairs and deepening knowledge and experience in a shared services organisation

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 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%

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.

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

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

Personal Statement:

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

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV and Statement of suitability and the following

• Seeing the big picture
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and influencing

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following:

• Seeing the big picture
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating and influencing
• Delivering at pace

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on the following success profile elements:

Primary: Career - Personal Statement

Secondary: Career - Previous Skills

In the rare case where individuals have exact matching scores, the order of merit will be determined based on the behaviour scores at interview in the following order:

1 - Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
2 - Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing
3 - Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
4 - Behaviour - Delivering at Pace
5 - Career - Previous Skills
6 - Career - Job History
7 - Career - Personal Statement

If candidate scores are still exact, the merit order will then be determined on the sift score in the following order:

1 - Career - Previous Skills
2 - Career - Job History
3 - Career - Personal Statement
4 - Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
5 - Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
6 - Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing

Sift start date: Mid October
Interviews are currently taking place via the following method: Face to face
Interview start date: Mid-Late October

Further information:

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.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into 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 basic (or equivalent) 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 : Dominic-Haydn Braithwaite
• Email : dominic-haydn.braithwaite599@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@MOD.gov.uk in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

Attachments

Candidate Information 2025 Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1563kB)