About the job

Job summary

The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army.

This is a fantastic opportunity to care for and maintain the horses that deliver important, and internationally renowned, state ceremonial operations in central London and across the country! In this exciting role, you will help to promote national interests by ensuring the horses of the Household Cavalry Mounted Unit are well looked after and presentable at key public events such as the King’s Birthday Parade, whilst also ready to support unexpected resilience operations when needed.

We are committed to providing quality care for our horses and are looking for individuals who enjoy working as part of a dedicated team to deliver the essential maintenance the horses require. The work is dynamic and thoroughly rewarding and will give you the chance to use your valuable equestrian and skills to support some of the UK’s most important strategic objectives!

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Job description

The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army.

Successful applicants will be responsible for grooming, clipping, handling, feeding, and exercising the Military Working Horses. You must be passionate about making sure they receive the appropriate level of care and attention, and ensure they are presentable when needed for important state ceremonial duties.

Part of the role will involve assisting the veterinary and farriery team both to restrain and manipulate various breeds of horses, and to administer basic daily treatments such as medication and physiotherapy exercises.

You will regularly get to exercise and school the horses, which will include roadwork, canter work, lunging, and supporting rehabilitative programmes. You will also help to maintain the cleanliness of the stables and stable areas, ensuring Health and Safety compliance and pleasant living conditions for the horses.

Given the dynamic and flexible requirements of the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, you will need to work on your own initiative with minimal supervision, whilst occasionally needing to meet tight deadlines as part of a committed team.

Does this challenge sound of interest?

Person specification

To sustain the high-quality standard of care we expect for our horses, it is essential that our grooms:

• Have completed Level 2 BHS in Riding and Grooming, or an equivalent qualification (e.g. a level 2 Equine Animal Care and Welfare Apprenticeship).
• Have recent and relevant experience in horse grooming, with a proven ability to ride horses of different temperaments and undertake physically demanding work.
• Have a proven ability to present horses to a high standard, including trimming, clipping, and mane and tail pulling.
• Are competent to undertake a range of stable duties.
• Are committed to the welfare of horses.

Given the horses’ need for continuous care, you will be required to work a four-week shift pattern involving some weekends and public holidays and might be needed to work overtime when unforeseen situations arise.

Whilst a full UK driving licence is desirable, driving is not an official requirement of the post.

Development Opportunities:

The Ministry of Defence offers a wider variety of professional and technical development opportunities, and we are committed to giving staff the time and support to develop their careers.

Whilst BHS Groom with Riding Level 2 is essential to the job role, there will be opportunities for us to support you in obtaining the Level 3 qualification.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £21,610, Ministry of Defence contributes £5,834 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Online application, assessed via a CV, sift completed, successful candidates invited to Combermere Barracks Windsor for interview and assessment. 

This will be assessed via a CV, which details the experience you have had that is relevant to the role, and a 750-word statement of suitability, in which you should outline how your previous experience meets the essential criteria stated in the Person Specification.

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

Behaviours

• Delivering at Pace 
• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Technical Skills

• Your riding ability will be assessed during a half-day assessment centre and interview, during which we will ask you to perform a range of riding tasks along with other applicants.
• Your technical knowledge of grooming and horse care will be assessed via technical questions during your interview, as part of your half-day assessment centre.

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 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. 

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 counter-terrorist 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

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.