About the job

Job summary

The Air and Space Warfare Centre, Flying Division operates a large number of military and civilian aircraft types for test and evaluation purposes across the UK and globally under the command of the Chief Test Pilot. This task helps to ensure that front line crews across all three armed services are provided with safe and capable air systems including fast jets, large aircraft, helicopters and uncrewed aerial vehicles of all types.

Based at RAF Waddington on the outskirts of Lincoln, a unique opportunity has arisen to work as the Deputy Chief of Staff within the Flying Division Headquarters.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The ASWC is the organisation which provides the primary source of impartial, authoritative, and integrated T&E advice, to underpin success on current and future operations in the Air and Space environments, along with Electronic Warfare and Cyber. ASWC Flying Division, HQ has been formed at RAF Waddington following a organisational changes, which now provides enhanced command and control of test and evaluations squadrons located across 6 permanent sites across the UK and USA. ASWC Flying Division is headed by the Chief Test Pilot (CTP) and the Deputy Chief of Staff (DCOS) position is a non-supervisory role. You will be expected to ensure that your professional knowledge is current, and you need to keep yourself abreast of new developments within your specialist area. As the holder of the position of Flying Division DCOS, you are responsible to Flying Division Chief of Staff / Chief Air Engineer, for the responsibilities detailed below.

The successful applicant will undertake the following key tasks in support of Flying Division HQ output:

• Oversee the efficient running and day-to-day management of activities within the HQ, including the processes and functions supporting all ASWC outputs. 
• Co-ordinate coherent staff effort across the Division, to deliver Information Management System tasked outputs, Force Generation tasks or answer requests for information as tasked by CTP or higher HQs.
• Co-ordinate formal and informal progress reporting and compilation of Flying Division PARMIS (risk management tool) input, to articulate and manage key risks and issues.
• Co-ordinate HQ information management (IM) activities, including safety critical information forming Air System Safety Cases. This is to include development and management of the HQ SharePoint site, MS Teams and other IM applications in accordance with MOD policy and regulations.
• Manage the administration of the Division Level Functional Safety Management System, in accordance with the ASWC Functional Safety Management Plan.
• Manage the administration of HQ formal orders, to include Aviation Engineering Standing Orders, ensuring annual reviews are carried out on time and updates published.
• Co-ordinate, recording and follow-up of Command Boards.

Person specification

We require the successful person to have leadership skills, we need a dynamic DCOS, that understands the diversity of skills and knowledge required to meet this demanding challenge, and to empower the Flying Division team to achieve the best possible results. They need to possess necessary capacity to undertake all the business management functions, of the Flying Division HQ.

The work environment will be mostly office based using standard MOD MS Office applications. The successful person should be able to work collaboratively with other professionals to accomplish a variety of managerial and administrative tasks to ensure the smooth running of the HQ. Occasional visits to other sites may be required. 

An understanding of Defence Aviation is desirable.

Qualifications, to be taken following appointment:

PARMIS Training (Online)

Risk Management (Open Learn)

Knowledge and Information Management Practitioner - Modules 0 – 3 (Defence Academy)

All essential training should be undertaken and completed within 6 months of taking up post.

With further desirable Qualifications

Records Management (Defence Academy)

Managing Safely (Specialist Training School, Halton)

All desirable training should be undertaken and completed within 6 months of taking up post, some of which may be residential.

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.

Selection will be by application sift and interview.

The following behaviours are relevant to the role:

• Leadership.
• Making effective decisions.
• Changing and improving.
• Working together.
• Seeing the big picture.
• Communicating and influencing.
• Managing a quality service.
• Delivering at pace.

 With these four being assessed at interview. We also request evidence of these on your application form:

• Leadership.
• Making effective decisions.
• Changing and improving.
• Delivering at pace.

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

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.