About the job

Job summary

Harnessing the game-changing power of Artificial Intelligence (AI), the Defence AI Centre (DAIC) drives UK Defence's strategic advantage to safeguard UK national interests both at home and abroad. 

As part of the DAIC, you’ll be a crucial member of a world-class, multi-disciplinary team at the forefront of ambitious, safe and responsible AI innovations. You’ll support our collaboration with international partners, government agencies, and industry leaders, to shape the future of AI for UK Defence. 

Joining the DAIC is an opportunity to help pioneer cutting-edge AI solutions to real-world problems, directly impacting the security and protection of the UK. You'll be part of a dynamic, supportive team, contributing to work that's unparalleled in terms of scale and significance. Nowhere is AI innovation more important than Defence – and our team is at the heart of it. 

'Watch our video to find out more about the DAIC.'

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The responsibilities of the role are broken into the following workstreams: 

P3M and Planning 

• Assure and advise project- and programme-level management, planning and scheduling work 
• Collate and report on DAIC portfolio milestones 
• Create, maintain and continuously improve planning and project management guidance 
• Report progress against implementation of strategic milestones 
• Support the creation of portfolio-level strategic plans 
• Support the use and continuous improvement of P3M tooling 

Workforce Management 

• Support and oversee the collection, management and analysis of workforce data 
• Support and drive workforce planning 
• Support recruitment and onboarding 
• Oversee business management processes and work 

Risk Management 

• Run strategic risk management for portfolio 
• Assure and advise project & programme level risk management 
• Maintain and develop risk management processes and guidance 
• Report against changes to strategic risk profile 
• Create, maintain and continuously improve risk management guidance 
• Support the use and continuous improvement of risk management tooling 

People Management 

• Manage the Portfolio and Governance Support role,  

• Manage the Business Manager role leading Knowledge and Information Management, Board Secretariat, DAIC internal business process including onboarding.  

Support wider DAIC implementation plans, with tasks allocated based on personal development and business need. As we move from ’start up’ to ‘scale up’ there is a range of areas that the postholder could be involved with as we develop a deeper understanding of where the DAIC can maximise value to Defence.

Person specification

We are looking for an outcome-focused, highly motivated individual with strong experience in programme or portfolio management, ideally in a digital environment. Alternatively, individuals with extensive experience of project management or project controls in large and complex digital projects will also be considered. 

A qualification in project, programme, or portfolio management (P3M) is essential. Additional qualifications in Agile management, risk management or business change management will be greatly beneficial.  

You will report to the DAIC’s Portfolio Manager Assistant Head, and manage the team that champions and enables reporting, oversight, and assurance of DAIC delivery activity. With your team you will lead the inward-looking P3M functions that maximise DAIC’s delivery across its complex portfolio. This requires a keen insight into the differences between Agile, waterfall, and service delivery methodologies and understanding of which of their techniques are most suitable when.  

Additionally, you will run portfolio-level strategic risk management and workforce planning, support the process of aligning the DAIC’s strategic objectives with project- and programme-level planning, and drive portfolio-level progress and risk reporting. 

Above all, you will have a creative, innovation mindset be curious about how new technologies can enhance Defence outcomes, while being motivated by the ambitious,safe and responsible use of AI in Defence.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,080, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,631 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 and Experience.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply, please complete the CV and personal statement template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard. It is essential that your personal statement includes evidence of the following essential criteria and is no more than 1250 words.

Each one will be scored 1-7 and make up part of your overall score to assess your suitability to be invited to interview.

Your personal statement should provide a paragraph on each of the following, detailing your experience and suitability for each:

Essential Criteria

• Motivation to work in an organisation at the cutting edge of enabling Defence to harness the potential of Artificial Intelligence. 
• Strong experience of Portfolio, Programme, or Project Controls in a dynamic environment. 
• Proven leadership skills to motivate a small direct team – with the flexibility and personal resilience to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances. 
• Exceptional communication skills with the ability to command credibility to build effective and inspiring collaborative partnerships across stakeholders. 

Watch: How to apply on CS Jobs: Guide and Tips

Qualifications

Candidates will hold either the PRINCE2 Practitioner,  APM Practitioner Qualification, APM Registered Project Professional or Project Leadership Programme. Candidates will be expected to provide documentary evidence of achievement if called forward for interview. Equivalent qualifications will be considered. Please detail in your supporting statement what equivalent qualifications you hold. Please note all qualifications need to be in date. 

Presentation  

You will be asked to prepare and deliver a 10-minute (max) presentation on a role-related subject. Further details will be sent prior to interview. 

Interview

At interview you will be assessed against the following behaviours:

• leadership
  
• delivering at pace 
  
• working together
  
• changing and improving 

Candidate Brief

Learn more about this role, and other opportunities at the DAIC, by joining senior members of the team at our upcoming Candidate Brief.

The Brief is being held on the 8th January, from 17:30 to 18:30 GMT, and we would love you to join to discuss the Portfolio Manager Assistant Head role and much more. To confirm your attendance, please email us at ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk with your name, email address, and the role you're interested in.

If you're considering multiple roles, we're also hosting another Brief on January 12th, from 16:00 to 17:00 GMT. Feel free to attend both these sessions to explore all the available DAIC opportunities that interest you.

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Defence Digital. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Hybrid Working

This role allows hybrid working but the post holder will have to regularly attend meetings on various sites. DAIC don't have a formal centre but have work space in Portsmouth (DSTL Portsdown West); Salisbury (DSTL Porton Down); Bristol (DE&S Abbey Wood); Corsham (Defence Digital); London, MoD Main Building and Scale Space, White City, West London. 

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 employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity.  Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or carry out detached duty in another MOD workplace, 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). DBS cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. 

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities.  Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

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 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.