Project and Business Change Manager

Job summary

Part of the Defence College for Military Capability Integration (DCMCI), the Defence Cyber Academy (DCA) is responsible for training and educating Ministry of Defence’s cyber specialists and providing broader cyber education to leaders at all levels. This role, as DCA Project and Business Change Manager, will be closely involved in supporting the continuing development of DCA, through the management of contractor delivered technical support and training design, and delivery projects/activity.

Working within the DCA to the Facility Manager, candidates are responsible for managing projects that support the delivery of DCA training and education. This includes liaison with key stakeholders and ensuring projects are delivered to time and specification and within agreed costs.

Candidates will develop an understanding of cyber education and training, and the underpinning technical infrastructures, and will manage change activity to ensure effective and efficient delivery of DCA’s outputs.

The Post Holder will possess established communication/influencing and analytical/problem-solving skills, as well as a creative approach. They should have experience in project management, business change, & stakeholder management with outside agencies across government and industry. Experience with MOD commercial and financial processes is highly desirable.

To be successful, candidates must be capable of working independently and at pace. A key requirement is to work collaboratively with key internal and external stakeholders to support the design and implementation of a shared vision for how the Defence Cyber Academy should develop.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Manage, track, and report on DCA projects and a wide range of activities as part of an overall programme of works. To include, but not limited to, Business Case staffing, commercial engagement and oversight, risk and issue management, detailed project management and financial tracking.
• Act as the DCA Business Change Manager and ensure wider regular reporting occurs. Work with DCA Senior Leadership Team to ensure that change activity links to measurable programme benefits.
• Manage statements of requirements for DCA activity and support planning across the DCA training delivery schedule.
• Working with DCA & external staff to support and manage the procurement and implementation of communications, IT systems, commercial training & education and external consultancy activities for the development and delivery of DCA courses and other taskings.
• Business change functional liaison and wider project support to Assistant Head Development in Headquarters DCMCI.

Job description

Main objectives of the role:

• Manage the delivery of all DCA projects within time, cost and specification.
• Work with DCMCI Business Management to ensure DCA activity remains on track against financial forecasts, escalating project and financial risk where appropriate.
• Liaise with DCA’s key stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient management of projects as the DCA programme Business Change Manager.
• Business change functional liaison and wider project support to Assistant Head Development in Headquarters DCMCI.
• Support & coordinate technical and business change within DCA.
• Undertake learning and development and upskilling as required.

The post holder will have a good understanding of Project Management and, if not formally qualified, be willing to undertake an MOD recognised Project Management training course at the earliest opportunity.

The post holder will gain an understanding of how DCA’s Information Technology is critical to supporting DCA training delivery.

It would be desirable to have knowledge and experience of the financial & commercial processes within the Ministry of Defence, and understand the purpose of creating a Business Case through the different levels of approval.

The post holder will maintain accurate financial records of DCA spend, manage forecast of spend throughout Financial Years, maintaining records as required for audit and Financial & Information Management Purposes, and work closely with Defence College for Military Capability Integration (DCMCI) Business Management Team to ensure financial accountability.

They must be a Team Player, committed to a shared set of Team objectives, working effectively, inclusively, and fairly with colleagues in a diverse and mixed Civilian, Military and Contractor environment.

They will need to have excellent working knowledge of Microsoft Office 365 applications, particularly Teams, Excel, Word, Outlook, OneDrive and an understanding of SharePoint.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week and located at the Defence Academy of the UK, Shrivenham. The role is suitable for a mix of home and office working, which currently expects 60% of the working week onsite at Shrivenham.

Person specification

Due to security and information access restrictions, the role is only open to a sole UK national; please only apply if you meet the nationality requirements.

Essential criteria: Working experience of Project Management.If not already held, a willingness to undertake a formal (MOD) recognised, qualification in Project Management.

Desirable criteria: Aformal, MOD recognised, qualification in Project Management.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

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 (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Flexi-time scheme upon completion of 6 months service if new to the Civil Service or the Line Manager has the ability to adopt flexible working sooner than the 6 month period.
• With Line Manager agreement move to an alternative Working Patterns (there are 9).
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service. If by chance you have previously completed service in the Public Sector in the past 5 years, you may be eligible to request 30 days leave immediately. (Evidence will be required).
• In addition to annual leave you will be entitled to 8 Public Bank Holidays per year.
• Professional and Personal Development of skills.
• Minimum of 18 Days Special Paid Leave in a rolling 12-month period for Public Duties commitments (such as a Magistrate).
• Special Paid Leave for community volunteering up to 12 days a year for Special Constables and 6 days a year for other volunteering.
• Enhanced parental and adoption leave.
• Shrivenham has good travel links with free car parking. Other facilities are a Sports & Social club, a Gym complex, stables, a Golf Course and onsite Mess & Retail shops.
• 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 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.

Due to security and information access restrictions, the role is only open to a sole UK national; please only apply if you meet the nationality requirements.

This recruitment process will consist of two parts:

1. A written application containing your experience (a CV and a 250 word Statement of Suitability [Personal Statement]) and 3 Behaviours drawn from the Civil Service Success Profiles.

2. If your written application is successful, you will be invited to a face-to-face interview where you will be assessed against 1 additional Behaviour, plus the 3 from your application.

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace

If a large number of applications are received, you will be assessed against your CV and Statement of Suitability.

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

Behaviours are assessed individually with a 250-word statement. The application form will indicate which behaviour is being assessed. We are looking for evidence using the Situation, Task, Action, Result (STAR) methodology.

Situation: Briefly describe the background of the situation in which you found yourself.
Task: What you were required to do/chose to do.
Action: What actions you undertook to achieve the tasks. Make sure to use “I”, not “we” to explain how your actions led to results.
Result: Use facts and evidence to demonstrate the results that your actions produced. Explain whether it was a successful outcome, and if not, what you learned from the experience.

Please make sure you have consulted the HM Government ‘Success Profiles - Civil Service Behaviours’ document (available on Gov.uk) to ensure you have understood the relevant Behaviours at Level Higher Executive Officer (HEO).

PLEASE NOTE
Sift to take place within 2 weeks of Advert closing. Interviews likely to take place within 3 weeks of Sift.

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.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

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. 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.

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) generates and operates specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Always on, we are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see - or those you can’t.

From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our collective expertise delivers the warfighting edge Defence needs to deter threats and secure the nation today and prepare for tomorrow.

CSOC unites Defence’s cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army, and the Royal Air Force - acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command. For more information, please see here.’

Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to design the way in which the new Military Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, posts within CSOC are/or may become 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 Command’s transformation programme 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 the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

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 : Lauren Hawley
• Email : lauren.hawley102@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

CSOC Candidate Pack 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 1777kB)EXTERNAL PACK Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Terms and Conditions of Service 1 Opens in new window (docx, 24kB)Candidate Information updated_ Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)