GUARDIAN Programme Support Officer

Job summary

The role of the GUARDIAN Programme Support Officer (PSO) is to provide programme management expertise to the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), Programme Director and Programme Manager (PgM). Programme GUARDIAN is a system that links radars and radios of the UK and NATO to communicate between the ground and aircraft.

In support of the GUARDIAN Programme you will produce and manage the required reports, governance and programme artefacts to ensure compliance with Managing Successful Programmes (MSP). You will be working alongside a diverse team consisting of Civil Servants, military colleagues and contractors’ teams to achieve positive outcomes.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

As described in the Government Project Delivery Capability Framework the core tasks are:

PDCF 8 Risk & Issue Management. You will generate and manage the Pg Risk and Dependency Registers, hold internal reviews and lead quarterly Pg Risk Working Groups.

PDCF 5Scheduling. You will create, develop, and manage the Integrated Master Schedule to: maintain an accurate record of the identified Level 1 milestones; liaise with stakeholder and delivering partners to manage the record of forecast completion dates; maintain an accurate record of the intra-programme dependencies.

PDCF 11Governance. You will collate programme management information and coordinate stakeholder returns to enable the production of regular Programme Reports, Board Meetings and Working Groups. You will also provide vital secretarial support to major programme governance meetings at senior level.

PDCF 13Stakeholder engagement. You will have a close working relationship with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership. Create, develop and maintain the Stakeholder Profiles, to ensure membership information for Pg Boards and Working Groups is kept current and engaged as necessary.

PDCF 14Assurance. You will be responsible for the coordination of programme assurance activities, including Gate Reviews and Government Functional Standard GovS 002 compliance.

PDCF 7 Budgeting & Cost Management. You will review programme budget and forecast information understanding the context in which they are presented, liaising with the PgM, finance representatives and delivery partner.

Head C2SD manages Project Delivery staff on a flexible basis to ensure programmes have the talent required to deliver outputs and maximise opportunities in support of skills development and wider career pathways. The successful candidate may be reassigned flexibly within the portfolio as priorities change and programmes begin and end.

Person specification

Essential Skills and Experience

Although not necessarily a Project Delivery SME on appointment you will need sound analytical skills and be able to produce well-articulated and well-presented document drafts. You will also have good numeracy skills and be computer literate.

We are looking for an individual who is proactive, motivated and possesses the ability to problem-solve in a fast-paced environment.

Desirable Skills and Experience

You will be comfortable working autonomously and taking decisions within rules, policy and guidance. However, you will have a support network of senior personnel and more experienced personnel to assist where required.

You will provide authoritative advice to senior officers and guidance to subordinates, including exercise of professional judgement.

Desirable Qualifications

Candidates will hold or have the willingness to work towards one or more of the following:

• Experience of working within a Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) framework and/or equipment programme is particularly desirable.
• APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ)
• Prince 2 Practitioner
• Agile Project Management Practitioner
• Management of Successful Programmes (MSP)
• Or equivalent qualifications

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Flexible working
• Training and personal development opportunities
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• 25 days paid annual leave rising to 30 days on completion of 5 years’ service
• In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for the Monarch’s birthday
• Highly competitive civil service pension scheme
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• Subsidised membership to a fitness suite and lunchtime/evening Military led fitness classes
• Café and shop on site
• 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 (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

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 statement of suitability. (250 Word count)

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at pace

At interview, you will be assessed against the following:

• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Working together

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, the sift will be conducted on the CV, Personal Statement and the lead behaviour Making Effective Decisions only.

Interviews are expected to take place in May 26 at RAF High Wycombe (HP14 4UE).

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 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

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 : Louise Turvey
• Email : louise.turvey100@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

20230201 - Air Command's Applicant Guide (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 499kB)Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)