Military Intelligence Services Strategy Lead

Job summary

Shape the Future of Intelligence Across Defence

Are you a strategic thinker with strong stakeholder engagement and governance skills? Do you thrive in complex environments where you can influence senior decision-makers and drive organisational change?

Defence Intelligence is seeking an exceptional individual to join the Military Intelligence Services (MIS) Central Team. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of MIS, supporting the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) in delivering strategic priorities, strengthening governance, and driving the development of the MIS Operating Model.

Working from within the Director Strategy & Enterprise (DSE) pillar, you will engage with senior leaders across Defence and the Intelligence Community. You will help ensure that MIS is organised, connected and prepared to support decision making and warfighting preparedness across Defence and government.

This role is advertised at 37 hours per week

Job description

In Defence Intelligence (DI) our people solve problems, create understanding and give perspective to the diverse and complex Defence threats and challenges in a rapidly changing world. Together our civilians and military personnel inform decision making in Defence, manage complex finance programmes and develop new technology.

In DI we believe your unique experiences, view and understanding of the world could provide a vital perspective and contribution to our work. We recognise that great minds do not think alike and are striving to increase our diversity representation at all levels. As an equal opportunities employer we hire, train and promote people based on merit and inspire to create an inclusive workplace free of discrimination. We also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexi-time, job share and compressed hours.

All jobs advertised in DI are subject to fair and open competition.

About the Role

Reporting to the MIS Central Team Leader, you will play a central role in developing and implementing the Military Intelligence Services Strategy and Operating Model.

You will support senior leaders, including CDI in their role as Head of MIS, while helping to establish the structures, governance, and relationships that will underpin Defence's intelligence enterprise for years to come.

You will engage with senior military and civilian leaders across Defence, influencing decision-making and ensuring that strategic priorities translate into coherent action across the enterprise.

Why it Matters

MIS has been established to bring greater coherence, accountability, and effectiveness to Defence's intelligence enterprise. Achieving this requires more than strategy alone. It requires disciplined governance.

A central part of this role is creating and sustaining the governance drumbeat that enables MIS to function as an enterprise. You will ensure senior boards are professionally planned and delivered, papers are prepared to a high standard, decisions are accurately captured, and actions are followed through to completion.

Whilst these activities may appear procedural, they are fundamental to organisational success. Effective governance is how senior leaders make informed decisions, set priorities, manage risk, monitor progress, and drive change. It is the foundation upon which the success of MIS will be built.

We are therefore looking for someone who takes pride in getting the basics right, understands the importance of detail and rigour, and recognises that well-run governance can have a strategic impact across an organisation as large and complex as Defence.

Key Responsibilities

As the Military Intelligence Services Strategy and Governance Lead, you will:

• Deliver the secretariat function for the 3* Military Intelligence Services Governance Board and support the development and delivery of subordinate governance forums.
• Support the development, implementation and refresh of the Military Intelligence Services Strategy and Operating Model.
• Provide regular briefing and support to the Chief of Defence Intelligence in their role as Head of Military Intelligence Services.
• Monitor and report progress against strategic objectives, ensuring decisions are implemented effectively and risks are appropriately managed.
• Build and maintain a strong network of stakeholders across Defence, enabling collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Support assurance, risk management and performance reporting activities across the Military Intelligence Services.
• Line manage an HEO responsible for communications and engagement activities.
• Deputise for the MIS Central Team Leader when required.

Person specification

This role would suit a motivated individual with strong strategic judgement, governance experience, and the confidence to engage effectively with senior stakeholders. Excellent communication and influencing skills are essential, alongside the ability to build trusted relationships across Defence and the wider Intelligence Community. Candidates should be able to see the bigger picture, listen carefully to divergent views, reflect key issues clearly to senior leaders, and help identify solutions that account for competing needs. Experience in secretariat support, risk management, performance reporting, or organisational change would be advantageous. If you are interested but unsure whether you meet every requirement, we encourage you to back yourself and apply.

Essential criteria:

It is essential that successful candidates demonstrate:

• Experience of coordinating, improving, or delivering activities across teams or organisations to achieve outcomes.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and influence a range of stakeholders to achieve shared objectives.
• Ability to communicate clearly and confidently, both in writing and verbally, including preparing papers, briefings or presentations for senior audiences.
• Ability to understand complex issues, exercise sound judgement, and provide practical recommendations in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of leading people, projects, workstreams or significant pieces of work and delivering results through others.

Desirable criteria:

It is desirable that successful candidates demonstrate:

• Knowledge or experience of working within Defence, intelligence, national security, military, or related policy environments.
• Experience supporting senior executive, director-level, or board-level decision-making through governance, assurance, risk management or performance reporting activities.
• Experience of managing, developing or mentoring staff and fostering effective team performance.

Behaviours

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

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

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).

We offer a range of excellent benefits including but not limited to the following:

• All successful candidates will be eligible to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme with an average employer contribution of 28%.
• Leave entitlement – 25-day annual leave allowance per year increasing by 1 day per year (maximum 30 days per year). In addition, 8 statutory Bank Holidays and 1 privilege day per year.
• Complementing our generous annual leave allowance, we also have a flexible working scheme.
• Additional working pattern options – we have a strong culture of flexible working and encourage all employees to have a healthy work/life balance. We offer a wide range of potential working patterns, including part time, job share and compressed hours. These need to be balanced with business needs so they will vary from job to job. If you would like to know more, please speak to the Recruiting Line Manager.
• Professional Development – We are committed to your continued professional and personal development with learning as one of our core values.
  Health and Wellbeing – staff have the option of using the exceptional on site gymnasium facilities.
• We also offer an excellent range of family-friendly benefits, for example, enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
• Special Paid Leave to volunteer up to 6 days a year

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.

All applicants will need to provide a personal statement, of no more than 500 words, including evidence of the essential and desirable criteria requested within the job advert.

When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the requirements described in the Person Specification section thoroughly, as this is what your written evidence will be assessed against.

A CV will be required for this position; this cannot be uploaded to the advert. You will submit using the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard in part two of your application, detailing job history, previous experience, and skills.

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

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

Should there be a large number of applicants the sift will be based on the CV, Personal Statement, and Delivering at Pace Behaviour.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

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

We would generally expect Behaviour examples to follow the STAR structure and encourage candidates to use this throughout their application.

Application/Interview Scoring System

We adopt a scoring system of 1-7 for Behaviours, Technical skills, and Experience.

7- The evidence provided wholly exceeds expectation at this level

6 – Substantial positive evidence; includes some evidence of exceeding expectations at this level

5 – Substantial positive evidence of the competency or behaviour

4 – Adequate positive evidence and any negative evidence would not cause concern

3 – Moderate positive evidence but some negative evidence demonstrated

2 – Limited positive evidence and/or mainly negative evidence demonstrated

1 – No positive evidence and/or substantial negative evidence demonstrated

The sift should take place within two weeks of the job closing and candidates will be informed of the results, at all stages, via the website. Interview dates are to be confirmed.

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.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

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.

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 : UKStratCom-DI-DSE-Calendar@mod.gov.uk
• Email : UKStratCom-DI-DSE-Calendar@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

20250919-Candidate Information Pack V8-Accessibility CSOC Opens in new window (pdf, 428kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 25kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)