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.

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or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.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. Please note that we’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

Job description

Are you passionate about Project Management? Have you considered building an exciting career within an organisation that supports the UK’s Armed Forces? We may have the perfect opportunity for you! An exciting opportunity has arisen for a Project Manager to join our Wildcat Helicopter team in Yeovil.

From support and upgrade of existing fleets to the introduction into service of new technologies, capabilities, and platforms, you will have the opportunity to lead in the development of exciting and innovative projects, as these enhanced capabilities are procured, deployed and operated.

Want to hear what one of our current Project Managers thinks of their role?

‘What we do as project managers is key to successful and timely delivery of safe and effective equipment to Front Line Commands and their Service personnel. Every day we play a functional part of making this happen, and that is ultimately what is important.’

You will gain experience in all phases of a project lifecycle, from concepts through to disposal. Our projects are challenging, technical and innovative, but you will deliver them knowing that what you do at work every day makes a difference to the capability of our Armed Forces.

As a Project Manager, you will be responsible for delivering semi-complex projects, multiple simple projects or have accountability for the control account of a complex project or programme. You will be expected to address issues or situations with limited supervision and take ownership for delivery of the required outcomes to time, cost and performance. You will be expected to ensure your project remains aligned to the organisational vision and effectively lead direct reports, peers and senior colleagues to achieve the required outcomes.

Working at our Leonardo Helicopter site, you will get a hands-on concept of the projects that you will be working on, including seeing some of the Helicopters you have been supporting, in action, from your own desk. Within this exciting and challenging post, you will follow technical standards to support Project Delivery, whilst working alongside a multitude of project teams, with your wider team consisting of over 100 employees.

If you want a further idea of what our projects mean to our customers, the following links will tell you about Wildcat, Merlin and Apache helicopters: Wildcat, Merlin MK2, and Apache.

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

• Responsible for leading, managing and developing multidisciplinary teams covering a range of subject areas within associated semi-complex projects, multiple simple projects or complex control accounts.
• Accountable for the delivery of their projects' outputs within the performance/cost/time envelope for a semi-complex project, multiple simple projects or complex control accounts.
• Responsible for ensuring the most cost-effective and efficient means of delivery, whilst mitigating risk and leveraging opportunities.
• Responsible for embedding and adhering to all governance and policy and enable the required compliance throughout their team, ensure appropriate challenge and gain approval to deviate when necessary.
• Regularly meet the customer to understanding the objective, requirements and the means of acceptance in line with the MoD's Operating Model and Defence Lines of Development.
• Deliver project requirements within the performance/cost/time envelope. Sustain and leverage value through the monitoring and management of contract performance against commitments (product and services) and meet our own obligations under the contract.

Person specification

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

• Experience of leading and managing a team.
• Previous project management experience to ensure successful project delivery.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and building positive working relationships.
• Ability to identify project improvements or change.

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

• Controlling a Project (Practitioner)
• Stakeholder Management (Supervised Practitioner)
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

Benefits

• 25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 27%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded qualifications
• Support for progression
• Huge range of discounts
• Volunteering days
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver for the defence of tomorrow. Here you’ll find a supportive, family-friendly organisation to be a part of - and if you need any assistance with your application, just let us know.

#LI-Hybrid

Further Information

• Candidate Information Pack: https://bit.ly/DES-Candidate-Information-Pack
• Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-SDA-Terms-and-Conditions

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.
3. 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 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.