Navy Command Strategic People Engagement & PolSec Manager

Job summary

His Majesty’s Naval Base Clyde (HMNB Clyde) is home to the United Kingdom’s Strategic Nuclear Deterrent, Astute Class Attack Submarines, First Mine Counter Measure Squadron and 43 Cdo Royal Marines. It is an operational support and maintenance base, within the Navy Command TLB and comprises both Faslane and Coulport sites. HMNB Clyde’s primary purpose is to provide engineering and logistical support to the Royal Navy in maintaining Continuous at Sea Deterrent (CASD). This is achieved by ensuring at least one Vanguard Class submarine is on patrol at sea every day of the year.

RNAD Coulport is responsible for the storage, processing, maintenance and issue of the Trident Weapon System and the ammunitioning of all submarine-embarked tactical weapons.

In Navy Command, our civil servants work alongside their military colleagues in jobs that matter; jobs which often have a direct impact on the quality of the operational capabilities we deliver. Roles can offer great job satisfaction and there are many opportunities to develop and progress both within the Ministry of Defence and across the wider Civil Service.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

As Strategic People Engagement & Policy Secretariat Manager at HMNB Clyde, you will have the opportunity to shape and develop this new high-profile role.

This will include developing and implementing a new internal engagement strategy, ensuring it aligns with broader strategic goals. You will lead narrative development, designing and coordinating delivery of integrated communication activities, and evaluating communication effectiveness. You will coordinate cross-departmental messaging, stakeholder engagement, and provide strategic communications guidance to senior leadership.

You will also act as focal point for POLSEC activity, coordinating activity between NC POLSEC and HMNB Clyde. You will manage Parliamentary and legislation-driven requests for information, and offer advice on policy issues to NBC, Directors and other HMNB Clyde staff as required. This includes managing Parliamentary business (Parliamentary Questions, Ministerial Correspondence, briefings for Ministers etc) and managing requests for information from the public under the Freedom of Information Act, the Environmental Information Regulations and the Data Protection Act.

Key Responsibilities:

• POLSEC focal point: Provide POLSEC advice and guidance, and coordinate activity across wide range of HMNB Clyde stakeholders and NC POLSEC to meet essential deadlines.
• Internal Communications Strategy: Collaborate with key stakeholders to update and implement a cohesive internal communications strategy that supports One Clyde priorities and enhances employee engagement.
• Coordinate engagement activities: Manage HEO People Engagement Manager to deliver activities including content and channel management, regular One Clyde events, production of the One Clyde magazine and One Clyde briefing materials.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with teams across the organisation to facilitate delivery of key initiatives such as innovation, safety, and all-staff events, ensuring consistent and impactful messaging.

This role is anticipated to move under NBC Chief of Staff one in place.

Person specification

You will be comfortable working in a fast-paced, changing environment. You will be able to pivot quickly and maintain a constructive outlook, even in challenging situations, focussing on opportunities and solutions to maintain momentum.

You will have experience of building trust and rapport across all levels and possess the confidence and tact to question and influence senior leaders constructively, ensuring communication is clear, inclusive, and aligned with organisational objectives.

Essential Criteria:

• Experience in either communications, people engagement and/or POLSEC roles.
• Experience working in Defence or a similarly complex stakeholder environment.
• Strong stakeholder engagement and management skills.
• Strong communication skills.
• Familiarity with digital communication and online collaboration tools.

Behaviours

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

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

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

• Communicating and Influencing

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%

As a Civil Servant, you will be part of a forward-looking organisation with inclusive workplace policies, excellent career prospects, and a job that makes a difference.

This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is an informal, non-contractual and voluntary arrangement, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (the permanent duty station, (HMNB Clyde, Faslane), which is based on business assessment of where the work is best done) and working from home as a personal choice (if the role is suitable for this). If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.

Navy Command prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance. Other benefits for Navy Command Civil Servants include:

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• A very competitive pension scheme
• Personal & professional development
• Alternative & Hybrid working patterns for many roles
• Access to a confidential, professional Employee Assistance 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
• On-site Facilities (gymnasium, recreational shopping mall, café, messing facilities etc)
• Free Car Parking
• Assisted Travel Scheme

Successful candidates can discuss their development options with their manager when in post.

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.

Personal Statement: Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability. (500 Word count)

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

• Communicating and Influencing

At interview, you will be assessed against the following:

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

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 : Ruth Mather
• Email : ruth.mather372@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

20250110- CS Applicant Pack Booklet - O Opens in new window (pdf, 1607kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)