About the job

Job summary

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?

Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence? 

Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.

•    Our Vision - To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.
•    Our Mission – Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability. 

DBS has recently undertaken a review of its operational locations in the North West, and have consolidated all activities in Norcross, Blackpool. A further move, to the new Government Hub at Talbot Gateway in Blackpool, is scheduled to take place in 2026.

DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society. 

We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as hybrid working.

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 office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments.  Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, 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). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

Come and join the DBS community today!

Job description

This is a role within Armed Forces Veterans Services (AFVS) based at Norcross, working within the Operational Policy, Training and Courts (OPTaC) unit.
 
OPTaC is based at Norcross, it has close links with the Operational Teams responsible for administration of the War Pension Scheme (WPS), the Armed Forces Compensation Scheme (AFCS) and the Armed Forces Pension Schemes (AFPS).
 
In addition to the Operational policy functions, OPTaC has wide ranging responsibilities which extend through planning for change to defending the schemes.  The unit consists of three areas; the advertised post sits within the Compensation Scheme Defence Team whose tasks include monitoring appeal decisions from the First Tier Tribunal and Upper Tier Tribunal hearings, management of Departmental Representatives and a management of a Counter Fraud Team.
 
Role Purpose
 
The HEO post manages 10 staff that are involved in Appeal Tribunal Work and Counter Fraud; 6 members of the team are Departmental Representatives.  Their role is to present the Secretary of State’s case at First Tier Tribunal hearings.  Line management and allocation of court logistics form part of this HEO Role.
 
The HEO supports the Scheme Defence Manager SEO in ensuring appeals are defended in the First Tier Tribunal and that suitable cases are identified for challenge by the Secretary of State to the Upper Tier Tribunal.   Similarly, in appellant-led appeals to the Upper Tribunal, the HEO is pivotal in ensuring that the correct strategy is applied when defending the Secretary of State’s position.
 
A significant part of the HEO duties will be to continually monitor Tribunal behaviours and the quality of the appeal documents presented to the Tribunal.  This involves using information gathered by the Departmental Representatives but also investigating new and innovative ways of obtaining and interpreting this information.
 
Where business improvement is identified, the HEO will lead, in the first instance, in applying the appropriate improvement activity.
 
Part of the function of the team is to build upon good working relationships with key stakeholders within the Ministry of Justice.  This role involves taking the lead in approaching MOJ with procedural issues, attending/arranging meetings with MOJ staff in the service of improving the appeals process for both organisations and the wider tribunal community.
 
This role also has management responsibility for the Data Protection focal point (DPFP) for OPTaC, ensuring that OPTaC business, Operational guidance/training and appeals procedures are compliant with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
 
Management of the Counter Fraud team involves supervision of the ongoing caseload and creating innovative solutions to proactively prevent fraud from occurring.
 

Person specification

The post holder will be required to:

• Manage a team of EOs ensuring that all managerial duties are carried out including scheduling daily attendance at hearings for the Departmental Representatives 
• Ensure that Tribunal decisions and quality of appeals are monitored, lead discussions from an informed perspective with strategic policy colleagues/lawyers to identify suitable cases for challenge
• Ensure that decisions from the Upper Tier Tribunals are taken forward where necessary ensuring that the SEO is aware of any potential issues or changes to WPS or AFCS legislation following the decision
• Identify improvement activity or Lessons Learned from observations of Tribunal Decisions and Fraud Case investigations 
• Attend meetings to escalate issues directly with MOJ to help improve appeal processes
• Lead on Business initiatives when required
• Oversee administration of Fraud caseload, including assisting in investigations involving the Ministry of Defence (MOD) Police and Government Legal teams.
• Ensure the exchange of data with MOD Claims handlers is maintained with respect to Civil Damages Claims against the MOD
   
  Essential Criteria
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Excellent organisation and planning skills
• Good analytical skills and the capability to understand and interpret data to inform decision-making
• Ability to analyse and to solve problems in creative, pragmatic ways.
• Responsive and positive approach to change and to changing demands.
• Flexibility and willingness to work across functions within the team to ensure overall team success and the timely delivery of required outcomes

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of leading a diverse team 
• A knowledge of WPS and AFCS and awareness of the Rules and Regulations of the Tribunal Services would be a distinct advantage when scheduling appeals and deciphering Tribunal decisions
• Knowledge of relevant legislation and MOD policies relating to Data Protection and GDPR principles
• Experienced user of Microsoft Office 365 particularly MS Word and Excel, Microsoft Forms and Lists
  
  

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,290, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,528 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, Strengths and Experience.

Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.

Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on the following success profile elements: Primary: Experience - Personal statement. In this instance the remaining elements will be tested at interview.

At the application stage you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours 

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working together 

Experience 

• CV
• Personal Statement 

At the interview stage you will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours

• Leadership 
• Changing and Improving 

In the rare case where individuals have exact matching scores, the order of merit will be determined based on the behaviour scores at interview in the following order:

1. Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
2. Behaviour - Working Together
3. Experience - Personal Statement 
4. Experience - CV

If candidate scores are still exact, the merit order will then be determined on the sift score in the following order:

1. Behaviour - Leadership
2. Behaviour - Changing and Improving

We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn’t always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months. 

Application sifting to take place on early March 2024

Interviews are currently taking place via Ms Teams and will be conducted Middle of March 2024

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.

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: DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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. 

To assist with your application please find attached -  

DBS Candidate Information Guide - Working for Defence Business Services - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) 

(26) UK Ministry of Defence: Life , LinkedIn

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.