About the job

Job summary

Drive innovation and efficiency within the Strategic Programmes Directorate by leading the charge in digital transformation, with a focus on AI adoption. As our Digital Transformation Lead, you will be instrumental in identifying, implementing, and optimising cutting-edge solutions to revolutionise our processes, enhance decision-making, and drive strategic advantage. This is a unique opportunity to shape the future of the directorate and make a lasting impact on the Ministry of Defence's capabilities.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

About StratProgs

As part of Military Capability (MilCap), previously known as FMC, the Strategic Programmes Directorate (StratProgs) maintains choice and operational advantage for Defence in key military capabilities. We achieve this by developing and implementing capability assurance strategies; delivering specified military capabilities and programmes; and shaping the industrial and international environment. StratProgs is the largest directorate in MilCap, organised around three pillars: Complex Weapons, International Capability Strategy (ICS), and Research & Development and Test & Evaluation (RDT&E).

What you'll do:

• Lead Digital Transformation: Identify and implement cutting-edge digital technologies, including AI-powered solutions, to optimise core directorate processes, including automation of workflows, data analysis, and risk assessment.
• Champion Modern Ways of Working: Drive the adoption of modern collaboration tools and platforms, such as MS Teams and SharePoint, to foster a connected and collaborative environment across the directorate.
• Empower Decision-Making: Develop and deploy AI-driven dashboards and tools that provide actionable insights to leadership, enabling data-driven decision-making at all levels.
• Drive Cultural Change: Foster a culture of innovation and continuous improvement by championing the use of digital technologies and AI across the directorate, providing training and support to empower teams to embrace new ways of working.
• Collaborate for Success: Partner with Defence Digital, Head Office, and the Strategic Hub to ensure alignment with broader MOD digital / AI strategies and leverage best practices.
• Shape the Future: Stay at the forefront of digital and AI advancements, continuously exploring new applications and opportunities to enhance the directorate's capabilities.

Why Join Us?

• Work at the heart of Defence: Based in MOD Head Office, as part of the organisation focused on military capability, StratProgs is a high-profile business area; much of our work features in the media through current ops and future weapons development such as the DragonFire laser.
• Make a Real Impact: Play a pivotal role in shaping the future of the Strategic Programmes Directorate and the MOD's digital capabilities.
• Lead the Digital Revolution: Be at the forefront of digital transformation, working with cutting-edge technologies to drive real-world impact.
• Grow and Develop: Benefit from a supportive environment that encourages continuous learning and development, with opportunities to expand your digital and AI expertise.

Person specification

Who we're looking for:

Essential Skills and Experience:

• Self-motivated with proactive and results-oriented mindset, and a passion for driving innovation.
• Proven expertise in digital transformation, business process improvement, and data, with a track record of successful implementation in complex environments.
• Strong leadership and communication skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate teams and stakeholders to embrace change.
• Exceptional analytical and problem-solving abilities, with a passion for data-driven decision-making.
• Experience with applied AI (LMMs and non-LLMs), Palantir Foundry, MS Power Platform, and other relevant tools.

Desirable:

• Familiarity with user focused agile methodologies and project management.
• Experience in performance and risk reporting and data visualisation.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,670, Ministry of Defence contributes £15,570 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, Ability, Experience and Technical skills.

At the application stage you will be asked to complete an online styles assessment and provide examples against Civil Service behaviours and technical skills. A sub-set of these will also be assessed at interview.

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 statement of suitability. (1000 Words)

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours/Technical Skills:

• Changing And Improving 
• Communicating And Influencing
• Delivering At Pace
• Working Together
• Seeing The Bigger Picture 
• Leadership 

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

• Changing And Improving
• Working Together
• Leadership 

Candidates will be required to complete an online Civil Service Judgement test.

The Civil Service Judgement Test is not bankable and therefore must be taken on every vacancy where it is applied.

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 Judgement 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.

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 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

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.