Deputy Head of ACTS Management Team - Army

Job summary

The Land Warfare Centre (LWC) is at the forefront of Army training transformation, shaping how the British Army adapts and develops for the future. The introduction of the Land Training System (LTS) and delivery of the Army Collective Training Service (ACTS) marks a once‑in‑a‑generation change in how the Army trains its people.

ACTS is a £2.5bn, 15‑year strategic partnership with industry, due to enter service in June 2026. It will fundamentally reshape how collective training is delivered across the Army. This is a high‑profile, fast‑paced and complex programme requiring exceptional visible leadership.

We are seeking a dynamic and experienced professional to shape and drive this critical capability. Reporting to the Head of the LWC Business Centre, you will be responsible for leading the ACTS Management Team and working closely with the Strategic Training Partner (STP) to ensure successful delivery of ACTS across the Land Training System.

This is a rare opportunity to influence Army training for the next decade and beyond. This is a leadership role with significant responsibility for governance, commercial oversight and engagement at 1* - 2* level across Defence and industry.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

We are seeking someone proactive to support the delivery of a major outsourced training service under the Collective Training Transformation Programme (CTTP). The successful candidate will work closely with internal stakeholders and the external contractor to ensure robust contract management, value for money, and effective oversight of the capability delivered by the STP throughout the life of the contract.

This role is responsible for leading the contract management function, ensuring risks are managed appropriately and that there is a strong successful partnership with the STP. This will be through sound financial, commercial/ performance management and technical functions brought together under the ACTS team.

Key Responsibilities:

• Build, lead and develop a high performing team, fostering a culture of collaboration and continuous improvement.
• Responsible for creating the foundations for a successful partnership with the STP and maintaining this relationship throughout.
• Delivery of the ACTS Governance Strategy (nested in the LTS governance) in collaboration with the LWC and industry Stakeholders, supporting decision-making, improving performance, learning from experience and the reduction of risk.
• Oversee embedding of the ACTS across appropriate stakeholder communities both within and external to the LWC.
• Cultivate and manage strong relationships with internal and external stakeholders such that longer term aspirations are captured and progressed, working collaboratively to lead ACTS initiatives and act as the interlocutor between the LWC leadership and the Strategic Training Partner for effective delivery and resolution of any disputes.
• Responsible for the ACTS budget, monitoring the expenditure and costs against benefits as the contract progresses, provide a lead for the exploitation of Income Generation opportunities. Provide scrutiny of requirements and in conjunction with LWC stakeholders ruthlessly prioritise capability as needed.
• Leadership of contract performance management including ACTS organisational and contract changes, looking to rationalise and consolidate where appropriate including driving effective decision making through membership of the ACTS Senior Executive Board, and other ACTS Boards as required.
• Collaborate with key personnel within Army HQ to ensure contract alignment to emerging initiatives and utilise the ACTS MT Commercial team into Army Commercial as required, on contract changes.
• Support governance and assurance framework of end-to-end ACTS operation ensuring training delivery to required output.
• Represent Senior Civil Servants (SCS) at key stakeholder events and meetings as required.
• Provide absence cover if required.

Person specification

Essential skills required:

• Experience of leading a team delivering complex outputs.
• Experience working collaboratively with commercial partners to support and deliver outputs.
• Is a confident and credible leader, able to influence at senior levels.
• Commercial awareness and thrives in fast paced, complex environments.
• Can quickly build trust with industry partners.
• Promotes collaboration, continuous improvement and high performance.

Desirable skills:

• Financial Skills Certificate - Foundation (or equivalent)
• Managing Successful Programmes (or equivalent).
• Contract management experience.
• APM Programme Management Qualification (or equivalent).

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service

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

• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Programme Manager Competence - Change Control (Working)
• Programme Manager Competence - Planning (Practitioner)
• Programme Manager Competence - Stakeholder Engagement (Practitioner)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £72,840, Ministry of Defence contributes £21,101 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
- Access to a free gymnasium for those with personal insurance.

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.

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.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

At application stage you will be assessed against the following:

• Personal Statement - 750 words demonstrating your skills and experience in line with the essential criteria listed on this advert.
• Behaviour - Leadership
• CV

Where a large number of applications are received, an initial sift will be conducted based on the evidence you provide in support of Leadership. The remaining evidence provided at application stage will only be reviewed if you are successful at this initial sift.

At interview stage you will be assessed against the following:

• Behaviours
  • Leadership
  • Managing a Quality Service
• Technical - Programme Manager Competence Project delivery capability framework - Government Project Delivery
  • Change Control - Working
  • Planning - Practitioner
  • Stakeholder Engagement - Practitioner
• Presentation - you will be asked to deliver a 5 minute presentation on the following: “What are the key challenges in leading a £2.5bn strategic partnership, and how would you contribute to making such a collaboration successful?”

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 : Kati Goodwin
• Email : kati.goodwin257@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

20240307-ArmyTLBEVP Opens in new window (pdf, 3932kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Candidate Information (2) Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)