OC Plans and Futures

Job summary

The Northwood site delivers operational command and control to UK and assigned coalition forces deployed around the world. Within the context of the wider establishment, Northwood HQ’s mission is to deliver a safe and secure site and provide the supporting functions to enable the outputs of the Northwood-based operational HQs.

Northwood is home to a broad and challenging spectrum of operational HQs, CIS, infrastructure, and people. Clearly delineating planning and futures from daily operating challenges is critical to ensuring CO Northwood can deliver a site that supports current operational output while simultaneously anticipating and enabling future requirements on behalf of Cyber and Special Operations Command as the senior operational HQ on site.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Northwood Headquarters is home to multiple operational HQs with associated CIS, infrastructure and people. Separating the daily challenges from future planning is critical in achieving coherence across a multitude of change activities and projects.

OC P&F is responsible for achieving coherence across a multitude of change requirements and projects as well as providing the strategic view of plans and futures for the site. With multiple projects spanning CIS, Infra, Security, Compliance and major change, required by multiple different lodger organisations, with various sources of funding and competing priorities, OC P&F will hold a single ‘programme’ of Northwood as a capability and balance priorities accordingly. From minor change, disability adjustment, parking planning, infra and power planning, to being the focal point for major project coherence reaching decades into the future and worth billions of pounds. OC P&F will also work with the lodger units and Defence needs to interpret and plan the future needs of NWD, working with the Contract Monitoring Team, CSOC Infra, CIS, NATO and the operational HQs to create a single and coherent approach.

Working directly to CO Northwood and supported by a Change Manager, Project Management Office, Project Officers, Comms Officer and Requirements Managers, OC P&F is one of two deputies to the CO, working alongside the military OC Base Operations who deals with short-term activity, security, people, welfare and discipline. OC P&F is also the most senior Civil Servant (CS) within the Northwood HQ team and provides mentoring and reporting for relevant CS workforce and advice and guidance to CO Northwood on CS matters and planning.

Responsibilities

As part of this role your key responsibilities will include:

· Ensuring coherence across all projects on site irrespective of initiating unit, funding and SRO – multiple TLBs and HLBs on site have different funding lines.

· Overseeing change requests to ensure effective governance from the start, correct process and funding provision. Coordinate activities between the business units, CSOC, Northwood HQ and the PFI via the contract management team.

· Overseeing medium- and long-term planning for managing and enhancing the productivity of the site. This includes effective communication planning and engagement activities where required.

· Identifying requirements for the development and maintenance of Business Continuity Plans.

· Providing Line Management oversight and support to the Change Manager (HEO), Programme Management Officer (HEO) and Project Requirements (HEO), acting as a supporting interlocutor between the CO, PFI, CSOC Infra, and DIO MPP.

· Providing Line Management oversight and support to the Communications Officer as they deliver the CO’s messaging in relation to Major Projects.

· Acting as the CO’s lead Civil Servant, advising on Civil Service matters (supported by CSOC HR) and ensuring compliance with Civil Service HR policies.

Line Management: CO Northwood.

This is a permanent assignment.

Person specification

The successful candidate must perform in the position quickly and will be expected to demonstrate:

· Experience of working in Defence or a good understanding of how Defence operates.

· Experience of project management or managing strategic programmes, or a detailed understanding of NWD business to which project management training can be applied.

· The ability to work in an ambiguous environment, problem solving and designing innovative but deliverable solutions, often at pace and sometimes against competing priorities.

· The ability to assess information rapidly, seek clarity or additional information where necessary and articulate needs or processes in a way that is understood by a broad and diverse community of interest.

· Strong interpersonal and written and verbal communication skills. The complexity of the site and the breadth of projects and programmes will require regular engagement with multiple stakeholders; the ability to deliver information with concision and accuracy will be crucial.

Responsibilities

As part of this role your key responsibilities will include:

· Ensuring coherence across all projects on site irrespective of initiating unit, funding and SRO – multiple TLBs and HLBs on site have different funding lines.

· Overseeing change requests to ensure effective governance from the start, correct process and funding provision. Coordinate activities between the business units, CSOC, Northwood HQ and the PFI via the contract management team.

· Overseeing medium- and long-term planning for managing and enhancing the productivity of the site. This includes effective communication planning and engagement activities where required.

· Identifying requirements for the development and maintenance of Business Continuity Plans.

· Providing Line Management oversight and support to the Change Manager (HEO), Programme Management Officer (HEO) and Project Requirements (HEO), acting as a supporting interlocutor between the CO, PFI, CSOC Infra, and DIO MPP.

· Providing Line Management oversight and support to the Communications Officer as they deliver the CO’s messaging in relation to Major Projects.

· Acting as the CO’s lead Civil Servant, advising on Civil Service matters (supported by CSOC HR) and ensuring compliance with Civil Service HR policies.

Qualifications and Licences

UK vetting: Directed Vetting (DV). Candidates must be sole United Kingdom nationals (no dual nationals should apply).

All qualifications, licences or memberships declared must be held at point of application and if applicable be in date. Equivalents will not be accepted.

Competencies:

· Relevant project management qualification such as Managing Strategic Programmes (MSP), PRINCE2 or similar. This can be worked towards by the successful applicant once appointed, but evidence of experience in the field is highly desirable on application and at interview.

· Accredited Risk Management qualification

Qualifications

Managing Strategic Programmes (MSP), PRINCE2 or similar.

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

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 home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this 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.

  Northwood also attracts an additional London Allowance of £3300 pa (paid at £275 per month). Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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.

To apply for this job, please submit:

CV. A CV outlining your job history, full qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Personal Statement. A Personal Statement (maximum 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience meet the role description and responsibilities.

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

• Seeing the big picture
• Making Effective Decisions

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

We aim to release sift results to applications one week following the closing date. Depending on the volume of applications, these dates may be subject to change.

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to undertake a single interview which will take around 45 minutes. Remote interviews via Microsoft Teams may be arranged if required.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following:

• Seeing the big picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

During the interview we will be asking questions to assess you against the Civil Service Behaviours referenced previously.

Interviews are scheduled to take place one to 2 weeks after the job advert has closed. These dates may be subject to change depending on the volume of candidates we have to interview.

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.

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.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and 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. Candidates will undergo SC clearance checks.

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 mitigation's can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

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 Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

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 the Civil 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.

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 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 : David Walker
• Email : David.Walker543@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 updated (1) Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)EXTERNAL PACK (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Stratcom Candidate Information Pack (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 469kB)