Programme Delivery Manager

Job summary

The MOD's digital teams ensure we remain among the most technologically advanced Armed Forces in the world. We develop and deliver cutting-edge data science, automation, and cybersecurity solutions to protect the UK and its interests, at home and abroad. Our mission also goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

From the 1st April 2026 Defence Digital has changed its name to National Armaments – Digital and Data.

▶ Watch to find out more about what we do.

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

All applicants will need to meet US State Department eligibility criteria for accreditation, notably this bars dual US Nationals/Lawful Permanent Residents, has a minimum age of 20 years old, and an expectation that you will not have held another accredited post in the USA within the 3 years prior to posting.

U.S (United States). visa law does not recognise common-law relationships. Where only a tourist Visa is given by USA immigration, we are unable to accept the partner as ‘officially recognised’ and the employee is classed as unaccompanied for the overseas tour. This is in line with the current policy which states that whilst we might recognise SOWER status, we are still bound by the host countries VISA requirements, and we can only support the partner if a full VISA is provided not a tourist VISA.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

We’re offering an exciting opportunity to join our team in a pivotal role where you'll lead the delivery of complex programmes. You’ll bring together technical strategy and Agile methodologies to drive impactful outcomes.

You'll be at the forefront of ensuring successful outcomes by:

• Manage complex dependencies, with the ability to plan effectively and contribute to broader programmes and portfolios.
• Oversee programme expenditure by contributing to budget planning, forecasting, tracking actual spend, and supporting the development of business cases.
• Establish and maintain governance frameworks that align with both programme objectives and organisational requirements.
• Provide upward support and reporting to the programme lead, while effectively managing a diverse team of contractors, suppliers, and Crown Servants.
• Effectively balance competing objectives and reallocate people and resources in response to shifting priorities.
• Act as a key escalation point for the programme, working collaboratively with colleagues to resolve issues effectively.

Beyond that, you'll support and coach Delivery Managers and programme colleagues, helping them develop strategic awareness, navigate the bigger picture, remove blockers, and effectively manage risks, commercials, budgets, and teams.

For further information on the role and duties, please refer to the Government, Digital and Data Capability Framework: Programme delivery manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com

Person specification

We're looking for a confident and capable leader who thrives on autonomy, motivates teams, and ensures seamless coordination across a dynamic portfolio, with proven knowledge of Agile, other delivery methodologies, and product and service life cycles.

This is a highly complex and technically demanding programme, set within a challenging approvals process and a diverse stakeholder landscape.

Success in this role requires a strong problem-solver with deep expertise in digital delivery and has the confidence to lead through uncertainty. You’ll operate across both Government and Defence, engaging with stakeholders at all levels in a strategic, fast-paced environment. The ideal candidate will demonstrate strategic thinking, communicate with confidence, drive delivery forward, and effectively manage relationships with senior stakeholders.

When submitting your CV, please highlight your career history and experience relevant to this role. Additionally, refer to the "Things You Need to Know" section of the advert and provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) demonstrating the essential criteria listed below:

• Proven experience leading complex projects or programmes using Agile and Waterfall approaches, with strong governance, risk management throughout the delivery life cycle.
• Proven ability to build and manage senior stakeholder relationships through clear communication and expectation management across the delivery life cycle.
• Proven experience in managing programme or portfolio-level finances, ensuring accurate planning, forecasting, and spend tracking.

Do you want to hear more about this role? Join us at our candidate brief! Learn more about this role by joining members of the team at our upcoming brief, being held on 28/04/26 at 5pm. To confirm your attendance, please email us at ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk with the CSJ reference number, your name and email address. We will then forward you a Teams invite to be able to join on the day.

Please note:

• This role is only eligible for UK sole nationals.
• Due to the nature of the role, it is required to be worked on a full-time basis and is not suitable for job sharing or part-time working arrangements.
• Where a candidate is unmarried but has dependants, those dependants will not be eligible for a visa, as US visa regulations only allow applications from legally married partners.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Leadership

Technical skills

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

• Life Cycle Management
• Making a Process Work

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Discover My Benefits:

Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/

• Learning and development tailored to your role with a dedicated minimum of 5 days per year
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (by 1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service
• Ability to roll up to 10 days annual leave per year
• In addition to eight public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
• Parental and Adoption Leave
• Discounts on a range of services within and external to the civil service – Defence Discount Service, Civil Service societies for Sports and Leisure, Healthcare, Insurance, Motoring, Company discounts with Virgin, Vodafone, and Microsoft Office.
• In year rewards and ‘thank you’ schemes such as vouchers and gift cards
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Please see Benefits Leaflet for more detail Discover My Benefits - All Benefits

Learning & Development

In Defence Digital we have a strong learning and development ethos, supporting you to fulfil your potential by providing:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Professional and Personal Development of skills
• Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by MOD
• Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by MOD

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Professional Framework Statement

Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing. Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.

Defence is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way it conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts are/will be subject to review and potential changes, as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout the transformation programme, Defence is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with personnel and Trade Unions.

This post offers full relocation allowances subject to availability. Cost of Living Overseas Allowances is payable based on personal circumstances and marital status.

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.

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.

To apply, please upload your CV in the relevant section on the Civil Service Jobs application section, ensuring it clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. You must also submit a personal statement (maximum 1,250 words) providing evidence of how you meet these criteria.

Please find a link to our video, which gives you helpful tips and guidance, on the CS Jobs application process: How to apply for Defence Digital roles on Civil Service Jobs

We’ll assess you against the following Behaviours and Technical Skills during the interview process:

Behaviours:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Leadership

Technical Skills:

• Life Cycle Management
• Making a Process Work

In addition to the interview, you will be required to deliver a 5-minute presentation on a topic pertinent to the role. The topic for the presentation will be communicated to you in advance of your interview. We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for interviews or assessments.

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.

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.

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 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 : Talent Acquisition
• Email : UKStratComDD-HR-TalentAcqDel@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please see Further Information document attached.

Attachments

DD_Campaign Pack_2026_O Opens in new window (pdf, 1889kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Unmarried Partners Guidance - USA only Opens in new window (docx, 63kB)20241009 - Further Information - External Opens in new window (docx, 34kB)