DIO – Strategic Compliance Manager

Job summary

We have a vacancy for a Strategic Compliance Manager to play a critical role in ensuring that the Defence estate across the South East Region and Private Finance Initiatives are safe, compliant, and fit for purpose.

This role focuses on validating compliance with statutory and mandatory requirements, supporting operational delivery teams, and working closely with industry partners to manage risk and drive continuous improvement. You will provide leadership across one of six strategic compliance areas (fuels, fire, gas, electric, asbestos or legionella) helping to safeguard personnel, infrastructure, and defence capability across a diverse and nationally significant estate.

You will be working in a demanding environment where compliance failures can carry significant safety, financial, and reputational risks. The challenge lies in maintaining high compliance standards across a geographically dispersed estate, delivered through long‑term and complex contracts, while balancing day‑to‑day operational pressures.

You will need to:

• Provide authoritative leadership in your specialist compliance area
• Influence a wide range of stakeholders without direct line management
• Identify, manage, and mitigate strategic compliance risks
• Drive consistency and improvement across multiple teams and contracts
• Support and mentor site management teams to strengthen compliance culture

Success requires strong judgement, confidence in decision‑making, and the ability to collaborate effectively with Defence colleagues, industry partners, and senior stakeholders in a fast‑paced, high‑accountability environment.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Location can be discussed at the time of interview.

Job description

Key responsibilities include

· Lead and provide strategic oversight for one of the six key compliance disciplines (Fuels, Fire, Gas, Electrical, Asbestos or Legionella).

· Ensure the Defence estate meets all statutory, mandatory, MOD and DIO compliance requirements and standards.

· Provide authoritative technical advice and guidance to site management and regional delivery teams.

· Monitor, assess and manage strategic compliance risks, ensuring timely mitigation and escalation where required.

· Lead compliance assurance activities, including desktop and site reviews, audits and performance assessments.

· Oversee compliance performance of Industry Partners, ensuring contractual obligations are met and issues resolved.

· Support contract management through participation in governance, review meetings and technical discussions.

· Coordinate and deliver accurate, timely strategic compliance reporting for senior leaders and performance boards.

· Contribute to the development, interpretation and application of MOD and DIO policy, guidance and instructions.

· Drive corrective action in response to non‑compliance, working collaboratively with stakeholders and governance routes.

· Build strong relationships with internal stakeholders, customers, SMEs and Industry Partners to support effective delivery.

· Develop, mentor and upskill site and regional teams to strengthen compliance capability and culture.

· Support assurance and compliance requirements across programmed works, ad‑hoc works and future estates programmes.

· Uphold DIO leadership behaviours, ensuring financial propriety, accurate record‑keeping and adherence to audit requirements.

Person specification

Essential Experience

• Strategic compliance or assurance experience.
• Risk management and decision-making.
• Stakeholder engagement.

Desirable Experience

• Audit or assurance background.
• Contract or supplier management experience.
• Knowledge of statutory building processes, regulations, and compliance requirements.
• Technical specialism in a compliance discipline.

Essential Licence:

Full UK driving licences is required as visits to multiple sites are part of the role which are not accessible by public transport.

Licences

Full UK driving licences is required as visits to multiple sites are part of the role which are not accessible by public transport.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving

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.

• 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%

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.

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.

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

Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement (750 Word count).

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, Personal Statement and the following Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving

In the event of a high volume of applications, an initial sift will be based on the CV and Personal Statement. Where the required standard for these are met, you will continue to be sifted on the remaining Behaviours, otherwise your application will be rejected.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making Effective Decisions

Experience:

• Career History
• Experiences

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.

Interviews will be conducted in person, and you will receive confirmation of the location as soon as possible.

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 : Colin Streater
• Email : colin.strater100@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

Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)DIO Candidate Information Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 1963kB)