Senior Engagement Manager United States Visiting Forces (USVF) Support Group

Job summary

Do you want to support the Royal Air Force (RAF) – the air and space force of the Ministry of Defence?

The RAF’s success depends on their people – the Whole Force – regular and reservist military, civil servants, and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly. Civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, undertaking essential work and contributing to the RAF’s mission and values. The role of civil servants in Defence is more vital than ever – now and for the future.

This is an exciting opportunity for a driven individual, with exceptional leadership and communication skills to be part of the team that provides corporate and business support to Air Command civil servants and military personnel employed on and in support of ten United States Visiting Forces (USVF) sites in the UK. The USVF refers to American military personnel who are stationed at bases across the UK, due to close military alliance and historical relationships between the US and the UK.

This role will work closely with the Station Commander RAF Marham, who is dual hatted as the USVF Support Group Commander, to lead the USVF Support Group, supporting the USVF in achieving their missions. The Support Group includes RAF Commanders, who act as a military liaison at each USVF station, Community Relations Advisers, who assist in maintaining and developing the British American relations within the local communities and Business Support, Business Management and Engagement Teams, who are responsible for administrative support to the civil servants embedded within the US workforce at each of the stations and directly supporting the USVF mission.

This position is based at RAF High Wycombe, embedded with the Headquarters No 2 Group Team, and is advertised at 37 hours a week. Regular travel to the USVF sites across the UK will be required to carry out this role.

RAF High Wycombe is an attractive place to work and live, with free car parking on site, as well as access to fully equipped gyms at reduced membership rates, catering and retail facilities.

Job description

This post has two primary functions:

Act as the USVF Support Group’s Civil Service representative to develop effective communication channels and build a cohesive working relationship with key USAFE personnel, providing transformational leadership to facilitate and effect change across the MOD Civil Service community.

This will ensure early sight of proposed changes and effective two-way communication. Engagement will ensure a consistent approach to management of personnel and application of appropriate MOD policies across the USVF estate. The postholder is to act as a senior advisor to the USVF Spt Gp Cdr, Dep AOC 2Gp and Air Dep Dir People on USVF issues and provide early sight of any potential challenges or issues that may arise or be raised at the Civilian Personnel Committee, a 1* co-chaired US-UK Committee. This will be supported by liaising with SMEs from within Air Cmd and wider MOD.

Act as the USVF Support Group’s lead for Strategic Planning and Governance. The post holder will be responsible for driving forward change across the MOD workforce (Civil Service and RAF Reserve) on USVF bases. This will require developing a deep understanding of the current workforce, likely drawdown profile(s) of the embedded Civil Servants; and the future requirements of the USVF and the MOD to identify innovative and realistic proposals to ensure the USVF Support Group remains capable of efficiently and effectively supporting the USVF. This will include planning and implementing any amendments to the workforce structure in line with MOD policies, alongside reviewing governance arrangements across the USVF Spt Gp to provide coherence and consistency of all its activities and ensure formalised support through HQ Air Command and individual Air Bases.

Person specification

A key and vital role within the USVF Support Group, the successful candidate will have experience of leading a team, with strong interpersonal skills that supports the development and fostering of positive working relationships. They will be able to work independently with autonomy, with the capacity to work at pace and under pressure to be able to complete tasks within short time frames.

This role is suited to someone who has developed communicating and influencing skills, with the confidence to provide advice, guidance and reasonable challenge when required, across a range of grades and military ranks. They will be able to problem solve effectively, applying policies and guidance to make evidence-based decisions.

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).

It is essential for the successful applicant to be able to demonstrate:

• Excellent oral and written communication skills, as the role involves engagement with a wide range of stakeholders within Air Cmd, wider MOD and USVF. Experience of working with Civil Service and Military colleagues would be an advantage.
• A proven understanding and application of Microsoft Office Excel, Word and PowerPoint.
• A motivated self-starter who is able to work under their own initiative, works methodically and is able to lead and drive change at pace.
• Confident and keen to influence change using experience from previous roles so that you can help establish and deliver a change programme.
• Flexible and willing to apply your skills to a range of tasks across the team
• Outstanding inter-personal skills to establish and maintain outstanding working relationships both within Air Command and wider MOD and with our USVF colleagues.

The successful candidate must hold a full valid UK driving licence, due to the need to visit all USVF locations in the UK and the relative distance of these from public transport.

Previous experience in a HR or stakeholder management and/or in delivering change and/or transformation programmes is desirable.

Licences

valid UK driving licence

Behaviours

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

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

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

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

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.

Benefits include, but are not limited to:

• • Flexible working
  • Training and personal development opportunities, including Apprenticeship training where appropriate.
  • A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
  • 25 days paid annual leave rising to 30 days on completion of 5 years’ service
  • In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday
  • Highly competitive civil service pension scheme
  • Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
  • Subsidised membership to a fitness suite and lunchtime/evening Military led fitness classes
  • Café and shop on site
  • 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 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.

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.

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 and Statement of suitability. Please use this section to describe why you would be suitable for this post, and what skills and attributes you would use to deliver the outputs of this post including leading engagement across the USVF Spt Gp and the transformation of the wider USVF Spt Gp organisation and governance and the following:

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

At interview, you will be assessed against the following:

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

Applicants will be sifted for interview based on their CV, experience, statement of suitability and the stated Behaviours.

All applicants will be contacted via Civil Service Jobs to advise of the outcome.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Interviews will take place face to face at RAF High Wycombe.

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.

See here for a guide to Civil Service applications.

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 : Leonie Boyd
• Email : leonie.boyd411@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

Defence Civil Service Offer (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Candidate Information (2) Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)20230201 - Air Command's Applicant Guide (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 499kB)