Programme Support Officer - Air Mobility

Job summary

We are looking for a Project Support Officer to join the Air Mobility Programme Management Office (PMO) at Air Command, High Wycombe.

In this role, you will help the Programme Manager keep work organised, on track, and moving forward. You will support a range of Air Mobility programmes that help deliver capability for the RAF.

This role would suit someone who:

• Enjoys organising information and keeping things running smoothly
• Likes working with different people across teams
• Is comfortable asking questions and helping solve problems

You don’t need to know everything on day one. We will support you to learn and develop in the role, including opportunities to gain recognised project delivery qualifications.

We offer flexible working where possible, and adjustments can be made to support different working styles and needs.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Air Mobility delivers a wide range of programmes, including aircraft capability, upgrades, and support to operations.

As a Project Support Officer, your job is to help the programme run effectively day to day.

What you will do

You will:

• Help organise and keep track of key programme information, including;
  • Risks, issues, and assumptions
  • Schedules and milestones
  • Reports and updates
• Support meetings by:
  • Planning and scheduling them
  • Preparing information in advance
  • Capturing actions and decisions
• Help maintain clear communication across the team and with stakeholders
• Support governance processes so that senior leaders can make informed decisions
• Assist with assurance activity (e.g. reviews and audits) and track follow-up actions
• Help manage and document changes to plans or deliverables

What the role is like

• Work is varied but structured
• You will often be managing several tasks at once, with support to prioritise
• You will work with a mix of military, civil service, and external colleagues
• There may be occasional travel within the UK

Development

This role is a good opportunity to build experience in project and programme delivery. Training and professional qualifications (e.g. PRINCE2 Programme Management) are supported.

Person specification

We are looking for someone who is organised, reliable, and comfortable working with others.

Essential skills and experience

You should be able to:

• Organise your work and manage multiple tasks (with support where needed)
• Communicate clearly, both in writing and in meetings
• Work with a range of people and build positive working relationships
• Use information to support decision-making
• Understand or be willing to learn how projects and programmes are managed

Experience

• Experience working in a project, programme, or delivery environment
• Experience of supporting meetings, reporting, or coordination activity

Desirable (not essential)

• Experience in Defence or government
• A project delivery qualification, or willingness to work towards one

We welcome different working styles

We recognise that people work in different ways. If you need adjustments (for example around communication, environment, or ways of working), we encourage you to discuss this with us.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

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

• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Other benefits include, but are not limited to:

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• Pension contribution: 28.97%
• An environment with flexible working opportunities
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Professional and personal development of skills
• Option of Flexible Working Hours scheme upon completion of 6 months in the role
• 25 days paid annual leave rising to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
• 8 public holidays per year plus an additional days leave for the King’s Birthday
• 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
• On-site free parking, sports and social clubs, gym and cafes
• The post attracts the Recruitment and Retention allowance (RRA) of £2000pa (pro-rata). 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.

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.

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 complete an online Verbal test.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a Personal Statement (500 word max)

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

• Communicating and Influencing

In the event of a significant number of applications, an initial sift may be conducted on the lead criterion: Communicating and Influencing. Candidates who are successful at the initial sift will then progress to a full sift.

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

Civil Service Verbal Test

Candidates will be required to complete an online Verbal test.

Should you be invited to complete the online tests, please allow sufficient time to complete the tests and the remainder of the full application form; only candidates who are successful at the test stage will be invited to complete the remainder of the application by clicking ‘Submit Application’. Your application must be completed by 23:55 on the closing date of the vacancy. Late submissions cannot be accepted. The tests are not timed, as they work by giving you harder questions if you answer the previous question correctly, and easier if you get it wrong. You should allow up to an hour for each test, and each test must be completed before you will be invited to complete the second part of your application. Internet access will be required for the duration of the test. Please refer to the attached Candidate Guidance for further information.

Candidates that reach the minimum required pass mark will have their results saved as a banked score against the following tests:

• New Civil Service Verbal Test

When a candidate has a banked score they’re not asked to re-take the same test providing it is set at the same level. Scores will be banked for a 6 month period from the date of test completion. If a candidate is invited to take the same test against multiple vacancies, the banked score will be recognised against all vacancies and all active applications will progress.

CSJT scores cannot be banked as each test is generated from the behaviours required for a specific role which will vary between recruitment campaigns.

If you require any particular arrangements (for example due to a disability or health problem) to be made in order for you to complete the online test you MUST contact the DBS Enquiry Centre on 0800 345 7772 BEFORE accessing the online test.

Opening times Mon Friday 0800- 1600 hrs.

Further Information:

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 : Esmon George
• Email : esmon.george110@mod.gov.uk
• Telephone : 03033702771

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

Air Command's Applicant Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 499kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)