Deputy Head MAB Afghan Inquiry Response Unit

Job summary

This role is a fantastic opportunity to be the senior civilian leading on MAB HQ’s response to the MOD-sponsored Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, chaired by Lord Justice Sir Charles Haddon-Cave.

The Inquiry was announced in December 2022 to investigate and report on allegations of wrongdoing by the British Armed Forces in relation to deliberate detention operations in Afghanistan from mid-2010 to mid-2013. The Inquiry will also look at the adequacy of the MOD’s response to those concerns and assess what lessons can be learned.

MAB HQ has established a dedicated unit – the MAB Afghanistan Inquiry Response Unit (MAIRU) to co-ordinate and deliver MAB’s response to the Inquiry. This is a high-profile area with strong Ministerial, senior official and military interest in the outcome. Responding effectively is critical to ensuring public trust and maintaining MAB’s “license to operate”. It is essential we do so at pace to meet the ambitions of the Chair, whilst supporting our people.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

This role will likely require working in the office at least 4 days per week, but flexible working patterns are supported, including job share.

Job description

The successful candidate will lead the MAIRU team alongside a military counterpart. MAIRU currently consists of 38 personnel, the majority of which are military. You will have overall responsibility for:

• Leading this well-motivated and highly capable team, empowering and delivering effect through them. Developing the individuals within that team and helping them fulfil their potential.
• Overseeing and shaping MAB’s strategy regarding the Inquiry, including how to prioritise activity, co-ordinate with stakeholders, identify and mitigate risks.
• Ensuring that MAIRU has the appropriate resources, staffing and capability to succeed.
• Feeding into advice to Ministers and seniors on sensitive policy and litigation issues, ensuring that MAB HQ, Comd MAB and wider organisational views are fully reflected.
• Attend regular briefings with Ministers and PUS, where you will reflect the views of MAB.
• Feeding into MOD’s communications and Parliamentary engagement in response to a high degree of Service Personnel, Parliamentary and media interest.
• Overseeing the support provided to MOD witnesses called by the Inquiry through the MAIRU Witness Support Team, noting organisational welfare is paramount to the Comd.
• Managing relationships with a range of stakeholders across the organisation.
• Frequent briefings to military 1* and 2* personnel are also required. The successful candidate would be expected to have a broad understanding of organisational issues, requirements and motivations and how these objectives tie in with wider departmental issues.
• Attending meetings with personnel often more senior to you where you will be required to provide an organisational view, which can, at times, differ to wider departmental views.
• Policy application for MAB into the Inquiry but also understand how this fits into MAB HQ structures and processes, advising where change may be required to align with evidence coming out of the Inquiry.
• Lead on proactive strategy work, which will feed into the Inquiry and attend court hearings to understand the direction of travel of the Inquiry.
• Identifying potential areas of change that could result from the Inquiry Chair’s report and recommendations at the end of the Inquiry.
• Attending meetings and briefings with the MAB HQ Command Team and at Unit level.

As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Deputy Head MAB Afghan Inquiry Response Unit in the Afghan Inquiry Response Unit. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. The reason why you are appointed for a fixed period is due the limited nature of the Afghanistan Inquiry - this position exists only while the Inquiry is ongoing. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 31/07/2028, or when the Inquiry concludes (which may be later). You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 31/07/2028. You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 23 months). At the end of the posting you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

Person specification

In order to achieve the requirements of this position, it is essential the candidate has the following skills, please pay close attention to the areas set out below, which will need to be evidenced in your application:

Essential skills:

• Previous experience of working on judicial/litigation processes
• Experience of working in a predominately military team / military headquarters.
• Policy Professional
• Experience of managing a mixed team of military and civilian personnel.
• Ability to deliver multiple, concurrent workstreams at pace and re-prioritise when needed.
• Experience of providing advice to senior military and/or civilian personnel and Ministers with the ability to provide challenge and deliver difficult messages.

Desirable Skills:

• Previous experience of working on a Statutory Inquiry.
• Previous experience of working closely with or for MAB HQ.

Behaviours

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

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

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 (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%

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.

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

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

At sift, Candidates will be assessed against their CV and the following:

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

At Interview, we’ll assess against the following Success Profiles Behaviours:

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

If a significant number of applications are received, we will only assess your CV and the following behaviours only: Leadership and Making Effective Decisions to determine interview candidates.

Please note this position is open to sole UK Nationals only.

You must have Developed Vetting to assume the role.

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.

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) generates and operates specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Always on, we are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see - or those you can’t.

From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our collective expertise delivers the warfighting edge Defence needs to deter threats and secure the nation today and prepare for tomorrow.

CSOC unites Defence’s cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army, and the Royal Air Force - acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command. For more information, please see here.’

Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to design the way in which the new Military Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, posts within CSOC are/or may become subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

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 : RECRUITING-GROUP-MAILBOX-LDN@mod.gov.uk
• Email : RECRUITING-GROUP-MAILBOX-LDN@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

CSOC Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1777kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)