Navy Command Develop Directorate Strike Net Communications and Network Lead

Job summary

At Navy Command, we lead, support, and sustain the Royal Navy across every theatre of operations. We coordinate the people, platforms, and missions that keep the Fleet ready for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we uphold centuries of naval tradition while driving innovation that ensures the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect our nation and secure our future.

As the Royal Navy’s design authority for future capability, the Develop Directorate drives the innovation and modernisation essential to maintaining operational advantage. From advanced warfighting concepts to cutting‑edge maritime technologies, the directorate shapes the Royal Navy of tomorrow, ensuring the Fleet is equipped with the systems and solutions needed to meet evolving threats.

You'll be based at HMS Excellent, home to the Naval Headquarters and front-line training units. From here, the Royal Navy directs operations, develops strategy, and delivers training that keeps the Fleet ready for any challenge. It is a hub of leadership, coordination, and expertise at the heart of naval command.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Do you want to shape the future of how complex, high-stakes operations stay connected in the most demanding environments?

This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in a major digital transformation programme, working at the cutting edge of communications, networking, and systems integration.

You’ll help design and deliver advanced, mission-critical capabilities that enable faster, smarter decision-making. At the centre of this is Strike Net, a flagship programme that will redefine how platforms, systems, and partners connect and operate together.

Strike Net goes beyond traditional IT. It is a next-generation networking capability designed to seamlessly link crewed and uncrewed platforms across complex and contested environments, ensuring information can be shared securely, reliably, and at pace when it matters most.

By bringing together modern connectivity, common data standards, and integrated system design, Strike Net will unlock true interoperability, both across the organisation and with international partners.

What you'll be doing

• Act as the lead Subject Matter Expert for communications and networking, supporting the Strike Net Technical Lead and deputising when required.
• Lead and coordinate internal engineering teams and external partners to design and deliver communication and network solutions aligned to user needs and programme objectives.
• Define and implement a forward-looking roadmap for experimentation, prototyping, and capability development, ensuring alignment with evolving operational and technological requirements.
• Work across departments and with external partners to identify opportunities for integration, interoperability, and shared capability development.
• Support research, development, and experimentation (RD&E) activity, including shaping business cases and funding proposals to secure resources for future capability growth.
• Contribute to programme governance, reporting, and risk management processes to ensure successful delivery and compliance with organisational standards.
• Ensure all solutions are developed in line with Secure by Design principles and relevant security frameworks.
• Provide additional engineering leadership during high-priority phases, supporting agile delivery approaches to accelerate outcomes.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Experience in prototyping and rapid capability development, with a track record of turning concepts into practical solutions
• Systems design expertise, including architecture and end-to-end solution thinking
• Experience in systems integration, working across multiple platforms, technologies, or environments

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Prototyping – Practitioner level or equivalent experience
• Systems Design – Practitioner level or equivalent experience
• Systems Integration – Practitioner level or equivalent experience

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.

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• Market-leading employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Personal & professional development
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to a confidential, professional support service
• Discount schemes
• Bicycle / season-ticket loans
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave
• Special paid leave to volunteer (up to 6 days a year)

Our headquarters in Portsmouth offers an impressive range of on-site facilities including a gymnasium, tennis courts, and other sporting facilities, a children’s nursery, a bistro restaurant, a shop and plenty of car parking spaces.

In Navy Command we believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you’ll be supported through your learning journey and your career. This can include working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking an apprenticeship as part of your role.

You’ll have access to a variety of qualifications pathways ranging from GCSE/A-Level equivalent all the way up to master’s degree, depending on your role, your previous skills and your experience. Some qualifications even include “on-the-job” training which means minimal disruption to your working day but maximum impact.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Candidates will be required to provide a personal statement. This should be a maximum of 500 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential requirements for the role.

At sift, you will be assessed against your personal statement and the following:

Behaviour:

• Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills:

• Modern Development Standards – Practitioner or equivalent experience
• Prototyping – Practitioner level or equivalent experience
• Systems Integration – Practitioner level or equivalent experience

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviour:

• Delivering at Pace

Technical Skills:

• Modern Development Standards – Practitioner or equivalent experience
• Prototyping – Practitioner level or equivalent experience
• Systems Integration – Practitioner level or equivalent experience

Click here to access the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework

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

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 : Navy Dev Recruitment Team
• Email : Navydev-recruitment@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

20260413 - Navy Command Candidate Application Guide-O Opens in new window (pdf, 1595kB)Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Document in 26-06 Defence Internal Brief notice for inclusion of all adverts and issued alongside Posting Notices_O Opens in new window (docx, 25kB)EXTERNAL PACK (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)