About the job

Job summary

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what's next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of around 27%, to help work, work for you.

Nationality, visas and vetting: For security reasons this role is open to sole UK nationals only. A ‘sole UK national’ refers to an individual who holds citizenship solely in the UK, without dual citizenship or nationality from another country. We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you have been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.

Job description

As an Operations Manager within our Typhoon team, you will be managing the fleet of Typhoon aircraft and play a key part in the delivery of Typhoon aircraft to the RAF. The Typhoon is an agile multi-role combat aircraft used by RAF in current operations and forms the backbone of the UK’s Combat Air Capability.

You will be working imbedded within the RAF and our industry partners BAE Systems acting as the interface between both to ensure we provide the RAF with what’s needed to be able to successfully complete operations. The key aspect of this role will be to understand and interpret data and information to create a quarterly plan with BAE Systems to provide support for the RAF Typhoon fleet. As the Operations Manager you will hold BAE Systems to account for the various deliverables that Defence Equipment and Support have contracted them to provide in-support of the Typhoon fleet.

An understanding or previous experience of working alongside the RAF would be beneficial. There will be a number of development opportunities including commercial awareness and understanding.

You will have line management of two members of staff, an Engineer Officer and an Airforce Technician. This role is based at RAF Coningsby and as this is a military site you will have access to the Officers mess and gym facilities.

At DE&S, we champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

What you’ll be doing

• Leads the team in the delivery of support for in-service capability within area of responsibility, according to the customer requirements, delivery plan, support solution, KPIs, and subsequent governance and reporting requirements
• Implements appropriate governance arrangements for the delivery of the service, aligned with DE&S, Contract and Customer requirements
• Monitors service delivery progress and delivery against customer KPIs utilising Management Information, reporting monthly through reporting drumbeat. Interprets data to identify trends, risks and issues, and continuous improvement opportunities
• Responsible for contract management activities including liaising with suppliers, monitoring, and controlling performance against contractual obligations and agreed KPIs, Government Furnished Assets (GFA) management, and coordinates the drafting, tender process and assessment of tenders
• Leads the development of delivery plans, delivery approaches and procurement strategies. Coordinates resource and cost forecasting and has oversight of Inventory Demand and Supply Planning
• Manages resource, monitors actual spend and updates forecasts accordingly to ensure the integrated support meets customer requirements within budget
• Responsible for ensuring the most cost-effective and efficient means of delivery, whilst mitigating risk and leveraging opportunities. Leads on risk management activities, accurately assessing impact and likelihood, developing risk responses as well as prioritising, monitoring, reporting and escalating risks as necessary. Manages assumptions and dependencies, effectively communicating changes with stakeholders
• Leads the development of business cases, and manages assurance, endorsement, and approvals through the appropriate channels

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Strong demonstrable experience of undertaking Operations Management work or associated disciplines (Project Management, Engineering, Through Life Support)
• Experience of stakeholder and relationship management
• Experience in delivering customer service
• Experience of leading a team
• Experience in interpreting and using management information and data

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Governance and Performance Reporting - Practitioner
• Stakeholder Management - Practitioner
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £42,600, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,502 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

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift - We will check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift - Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills

Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.

1. Interview - If you're invited to interview, you'll be assessed against the Sift categories listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

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

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.