Defence Nuclear Organisation AUKUS (Australia, United Kingdom, and United States) Assistant Director Portfolio Controls

Job summary

The Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) is responsible for the provision of the nuclear deterrent, encompassing our submarines and nuclear warheads, while also advising on UK nuclear planning and fostering international co-operation on nuclear matters. With a multidisciplinary team of over 700 professionals, the DNO brings together expertise in science, engineering, finance, policy, programme delivery, and more. We work in partnership with the Royal Navy, the Submarine Delivery Agency and the Atomic Weapons Establishment as the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE).

Here at DNO we strongly believe that diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but is also essential for a thriving and successful organisation. We have a culture where differences are celebrated, and our people feel supported, included and empowered. Join us and be part of an organisation that truly values diversity and inclusion and makes a positive impact on the world.

The AUKUS Pillar I Portfolio Office (PfO) is a trilateral body which supports the AUKUS Pillar I Programme through governance and executive secretariat support and programme control coordination. The PfO is currently located in Washington D.C. but is moving to be co-located with the Australian Submarine Delivery Agency in Canberra, Australia in 2027. This post will be in Canberra.

The Assistant Director Portfolio Controls (UK SEO/C1) is responsible for the stewardship and coordination of the AUKUS Pillar I Tier 0 and Tier 1 Schedules and other trilateral portfolio controls artefacts and processes (such as the Endeavour Management Plan, risk, assumption and performance reporting). The Assistant Director Portfolio Controls works closely with stakeholders across the AUKUS Pillar I Endeavour and is required to provide briefings input for the PfO Director and the 2-Star Program Delivery Leadership Committee (PDLC).

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Tour Length:

• 3 Years

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• Steward and coordinate AUKUS Pillar I Tier 0 and Tier 1 Schedules, including respective repositories and databases.
• Administering the Tier 0/Tier 1 Milestone change management process.
• Produce required reports for senior-level committees, such as schedule or risk highlight reports.
• Manage and maintain trilateral risk and assumption policy and processes, including driving continuous improvement from lessons learned and incorporated feedback.
• Chair and provide secretariat support to relevant program controls fora, including agenda management, minute-taking and action item-tracking.
• Maintain relevant Endeavour Management Plan documents.
• Deputising for Director PfO, and task management and oversight of Portfolio Controls Support Officer.
• Execute records management to ensure a single source of truth.
• Foster positive relationships and maintain networks with relevant stakeholders in national Program Delivery Offices (PDOs) to resolve issues in a collaborative way, build trust, and drive continuous improvement.
• Support trilateral governance meetings as required through pre-meeting preparation (e.g. Portfolio Controls contribution to briefing materials and briefing relevant stakeholders) and minute-taking.
• Management of two UK HEO and one US HEO equivalent.

Due to the nature of the role and security constraints, it would not be appropriate for a part time or job share working pattern and is exempt from hybrid working requests.

Person specification

Essential Skills:

• Demonstrated experience in program controls, with the ability to provide sound advice to stakeholders and senior leaders.
• Experience in process management or administration work, including the management of stakeholder inputs.
• A strong attention to detail, sound judgement, professionalism.
• A confident, collaborative leader who can effectively develop and manage small teams.
• The capacity to think strategically and develop plans and processes to support and enhance the delivery of quality outputs in a high tempo environment.
• Demonstrated effective stakeholder management, with well-developed verbal and written communication and negotiation skills.
• Possesses high-level organisational skills, self-motivation and initiative, and the ability to influence others to achieve outcomes and deliver organisational objectives.

Desirable Skills:

• Experience working in Government, Defence, and an international/multilateral environment is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with project, program, or portfolio management principles would be considered a strong asset.

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.

Application sifting is scheduled to take place on week commencing 05/10/2026

Interviews are due to take place via Microsoft Teams and will be conducted week commencing 19/10/2026

Please note the above dates are subject to change.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service

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

• 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).

Discover My Benefits:

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

• 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%
• 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• On-site Gym
• Cycle Loan (Advance on Salary)
• Thank You Scheme
• Defence Sports & Recreational Association (DSRA)
• Defence Discount Service

Please note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

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 post is classed as ‘Reserved’ as per the Civil Service Nationality Rules. For further information please see the attached document.

Candidates can apply online via the Civil Service Jobs website by completing the application form before the deadline shown. Apply using the Civil Service Jobs apply button, filling in all required details in all sections. Using the Success Profiles link for information on format and style, ensure you provide evidence for all Behaviours and Experience sections requested in the appropriate competency style.

*Please note that not following the appropriate format will mean that you may be unable to reach the required grades for sift or interview*

*Candidates will be required to complete an online CV template to include job history. Please also include any relevant responsibilities and achievements.

*Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement of Suitability which should be a maximum of 750 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential/desirable requirements for the role.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, Personal Statement and the following behaviour: Communicating and Influencing.

The requirements for the role have been benchmarked and these will be used to sift all candidates, with those meeting the minimum requirements invited to interview.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Working Together, Changing & Improving, Managing a Quality Service and your experience.

Candidates will be asked to deliver a short presentation at interview on a topic that will be provided when interviews are scheduled.

You will also be expected to achieve Developed Vetting clearance, above the normal clearance level expected for the MoD.

The Defence Nuclear Organisation plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of the UK’s independent strategic nuclear deterrent. To help enhance security, staff working for the DNO are encouraged to always exercise a high level of discretion in sharing information or talking about their work. As part of the application process, we ask that you do not tell anyone other than your partner or close family member about your application to join the DNO. You should not mention your application on social media or discuss it with anyone else at this stage.

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.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and 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 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.

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 mitigation's can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

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). TheMOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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 developed vetting (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 : DNO Recruitment Team
• Email : DNO-ExternalRecruiting@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dbscivpers-resourcingteam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

See attached Further information document

Attachments

Civil-Service-Nationality-rules Opens in new window (pdf, 218kB)20230120-Nationality_Requirements-Candidates-O Opens in new window (pdf, 67kB)20241009 - Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 37kB)Ministry of Defence – Revised Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) Opens in new window (pdf, 298kB)