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 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 our customers and the communities within which we are located.

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 – although our expectation is that our roles will spend a minimum of 60% working in-office.

Phase 1 of the DBS Workplace Programme (WPP) is now complete, and all Northwest based in-scope posts have now relocated to Tomlinson House (Norcross). WPP phase 2, which will result in all posts based in Tomlinson House (Norcross) relocating to a new Government Hub at Talbot Gateway in Blackpool, is scheduled to take place in 2026.

For all current DBS employees who relocated, from either Liverpool or Cheadle Hulme, agreed terms of transfer will remain extant as long as individuals continue to work in Tomlinson House (Norcross). For any new individuals applying for DBS posts in the Northwest, relocation and/or paid transfer costs will NOT apply – the only exception will be successful individuals who are currently identified as surplus (i.e., those in the Redeployment pool). To note, any DBS staff member, who has relocated to Tomlinson House (Norcross), who is successful in a subsequent DBS job application will be expected to comply with the in-office requirements of their new post – this will be a minimum of 60% in-office attendance, or, if required, 100% office attendance.  

DBS continues to support flexible working; however, 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. Please note that some DBS posts require 100% in-office working. 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.

Come and join the DBS community today!

Job description

What do the Finance and Corporate Services (F&CS) Team do?

This team are responsible for all corporate enabling functions across DBS; including:

• Managing the DBS budget and ensuring financial policies and assurances are in place.
• Delivering a communication, marketing and media handling service for DBS.
• The co-ordination and delivery of people engagement and management plans (including health & wellbeing and reward & recognition) enabling the timely and successful delivery of the DBS People Approach.
• Management of the DBS estate to ensure appropriate working environments are provided with full compliance with required policies such as health and safety.
• Clienting and Commercial Management.

The advertised role is an essential support and delivery enabler in the DBS People Team.

The Role

People are at the heart of DBS, and as such developing and maintaining a positive and robust Employee Lifecycle is the driver behind the DBS People Team. This aspiration will be increasingly important as DBS transforms, and its People are reskilled, upskilled or, indeed, relocated to ensure that DBS is an organisation fit for our future purpose within Defence.

This is a key role within the People Team Learning and Development (L&D) function, with a firm focus on supporting the development, implementation and management of the DBS L&D strategy and plan. This role works proactively with Capability and Professions leads and managers across DBS, providing guidance and support as well as enabling, administering and reporting on all L&D activities. The post holder will support the DBS Professionalisation Strategy, by helping to better understand requirements and developing the underpinning programme of activities.

The role is part of a small specialist and focused L&D team who are responsible for shaping, influencing, sourcing, facilitating and enabling timely and value for money L&D activities across the whole of DBS. As a result, this is a fantastic opportunity for an existing HR or L&D professional to take their current career to the next stage, or for an individual who is interested in growing an expertise in the L&D environment.

The People Team operate an agile resourcing model with all team members, where required and following discussion/agreement, leaning into to provide support across the People Approach portfolio. This enables opportunities for team members to build experience across the entire Employee Lifecycle and HR Operations environment.

Role Responsibilities

This role will make a substantial contribution to the development of L&D and Employee Experience activities across DBS and will support the HEO People Development Manager and SEO Strategic Workforce Planning and Governance Manager to obtain a clear business view and insight across DBS to assure that associated interventions are prioritised and delivered in a timely manner.

Specific role responsibilities include:

• Assist with the management and delivery of Employee Experience and L&D interventions across the organisation. This may include helping to develop the content for staff conferences and the DBS annual People Week.
• Lead on securing in-house closed learning and development events e.g. CSL workshops. Book courses and ensure all delegates are enrolled onto CSL system. Issue effective joining instructions, confirm attendances and coordinate course feedback. Keep all stakeholders informed throughout process.
• Manage ad hoc training enquiries/requests, providing advice and support in a timely manner.
• Hold iProcurement User permissions on MOD Contract Purchasing and Finance (CP&F) system and act as SME on Training Procurement, ensuring purchases are fully compliant with MOD Policy, liaising with Def Commercial Officers and DBS Procurement Liaison Manager where applicable.
• Manage the internal processes for evaluating the effectiveness of DBS L&D activity, analysing delegate feedback post course, highlighting all causes for concern within the People Team and providers as required.
• Assist with the management of Talent Programmes within DBS (Rise, Elevate etc).
• Analyse data from K&I to proactively encourage Required Learning (RL) completion compliance and the correct recording on MyHR. Manage and integrate changes in RL into the DBS suite and communicate accordingly.
• Assist HEO People Development Manager to ensure that DBS has a coherent and up-to-date Capability Plan that supports the organisation to deliver its objectives by determining L&D priorities, cost-effectiveness and delivery against the given budget.

Further post specific responsibilities can be found on the attached terms of reference.

Person specification

Applicants must have experience in:

• An understanding of the Civil Service and MoD's L&D environment or a willingness to learn at pace
• Proficient in use or knowledge of contract purchasing and Finance systems
• Leadership and management of people and a commitment to employee development.
• Flexibility and willingness to work across functions within the team to ensure overall team success and the timely delivery of required outcomes.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills including drafting of written briefs, reports and articles.
• Ability to effectively engage and interact with business leads and stakeholders at all levels of the organisation.
• Responsive and positive approach to change and to changing demands.
• Excellent organisation and planning skills.
• Personal impact and credibility.
• Ability to analyse and to solve problems in creative, pragmatic ways.
• Proficient in use of MS Office software, in particular MS Excel and SharePoint site administration.

This role is part of the Human Resources (HR) profession and, as such, there is a drive to ensure that all HR postholders have a relevant qualification and Chartered Institute of Personnel and Development (CIPD) membership level. For this role, the CIPD Foundation Certificate in People Practice (level 3) and CIPD Foundation-level membership are both relevant, but NOT essential. If these are not already held, a commitment to commence the appropriate study programme within 6 months of taking up this role is required. Internal support will be provided.

Potential career development beyond the required level 3 qualification is the CIPD Associate Diploma in Organisational Learning and Development (level 5), which subsequently can lead to CIPD Associate-level membership.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,300, Ministry of Defence contributes £7,641 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.

Selection Process Details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

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

 Experience-

• Personal Statement (maximum 500 word) – all elements of required personal specifications as they apply to the role advertised, should be reflected in the personal statement.

Behaviours-

• Working Together (250 words)
• Developing Self and Others (250 words)
• Making Effective Decisions (250 words)

At interview you will be assessed against below behaviours only.

 Behaviours-

• Delivering at Pace (250 words)
• Communicating and Influencing (250 words)
• Changing and Improving (250 words)

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:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving

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

• Personal Statement
• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others
• Making Effective Decisions

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

The outcome of the sift will be published w/c 22nd January 2024, with interviews, which will take place via MS Teams, taking place before the end of January 2024. If you require any reasonable adjustments please contact: DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk

A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to adhere to this timescale, but this is subject to change to accommodate business needs.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Disability Confident Scheme 

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) 

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.