About the job

Job summary

Established in April 2016, the Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) delivers nuclear capability to deter threats and protect our nation. We do this as part of the Nuclear Enterprise working in close partnership with the Royal Navy, the Submarine Delivery Agency and the Atomic Weapons Establishment.

As Deputy Director Strategy, you will be responsible for developing, driving and communicating a coherent strategy across the entire Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), focussed on delivery of the UK’s Continuous At Sea Deterrence as a national endeavour. You will work with a range of senior Defence leaders, from within the Defence Nuclear Organisation, across the Royal Navy, into our Arm’s Length Bodies, and beyond, to bring a single focus that the Enterprise can get behind. 

Are you a strategic policy professional who can create a strategic vision that motivates and inspires a team to deliver? Then we would love to hear from you.

Job description

The current responsibilities of the role include:

Setting Direction

• Developing and driving implementation of a clear strategy for the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE) as we sustain and renew the UK nuclear deterrent for the decades ahead.
• Ensuring senior governance fora, including the National Security Council (NSC), are engaged on the highest priority topics and are well advised. And ensuring their decisions are implanted and monitored.
• Advising senior decision makers up to and including the Defence Secretary and the Prime Minister on the biggest strategic questions facing the DNE.
• Working closely with the policy, finance and portfolio teams on our input into fiscal events and national security strategic reviews.

Engaging

• Delivering the National Endeavour communications campaign for the DNE and leading the busy DNO communications and parliamentary teams – which includes delivery of Department of State functions.
• Coordinating key international relationships, particularly with the US and France.

Problem Solving

• Managing resource flexibly on strategic projects of high importance to the DNE – occasionally leading strategic projects personally.
• Running the Nuclear Collaboration Board, which brings together the shared interests of MOD and Department for Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ).

Management

• Managing a team of 14 with two grade 6 direct reports. Serving in the Senior Leadership Team of the Strategy and Policy Directorate.

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• Excellent leadership skills with an ability to create and present a strategic vision or direction, that motivates and empowers others to work towards a common goal. You will also need to demonstrate how you are able to build and lead high performing, diverse and inclusive teams in a matrixed environment.
• Senior experience leading on policy development and solving complex policy problems and issues. You will need to highlight the problems you identified and how you were able to solve them.
• An excellent strategic thinker with a proven track record of using knowledge and experience to create and contribute to a culture of innovation, around complex operational and policy issues, using evidence-based strategies to evaluate the full range of options, understand the impacts and get the right solutions.
• Proven experience of senior stakeholder management in a political, pressured environment with evidence of being able to build a strong network of collaborative relationships at all levels, including at Board level. You must also demonstrate how and when you have been able to influence senior officials within a complex environment.
• Experience in making difficult decisions using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice. You must also demonstrate your ability to defend your decision making, and challenge senior officials where necessary.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than 23:55 Monday 6th May 2024 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal:

• A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role. 

Both documents are weighted equally in their scoring, so it's important to consider this when uploading your application. Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. 

For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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.