About the job

Job summary

This is an important role in an exciting and rapidly changing area of UK Defence. You would be working with a blended military/civilian team which is responsible for delivering upwards of £25 billion of the Ministry of Defence's digital capability development portfolio. We are looking for someone who is proactive, enthusiastic, happy working as part of a close knit team as well as comfortable working at pace and to demanding stakeholders. The role deals with classified material so is based primarily in Northwood Headquarters, however as interoperability is the focus routine national and overseas travel should be expected. Close interaction with the wider Capability team, across Government and internationally is essential. Flexible working is also possible following discussion with your line manager.

Northwood Headquarters is a hub of Defence activity and is always busy. There is limited on-site parking or employees can use the free shuttle to and from Moor Park Underground Station. For those days when you don’t make it to the subsidised on-site gym, Northwood Underground Station is a twenty minute walk away. Your grade would also entitle you to join the Officers Mess, which is on site and has a lively social scene.

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.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Deputy Head C4ISTAR (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance) International Engagement and Collaboration is responsible for ensuring engagement, coherence and alignment of UK C4ISTAR interoperability work to support the development of c£2 billion of critical information capabilities for Defence. The position will ensure that the UK’s equity with international partners and alliances are maintained by ensuring there is sufficient technical interoperability both for operations and capability development.

The role’s focus is on ensuring the technical aspects of interoperability, including data enablement, can be delivered, by overseeing the entirety of C4ISTAR international collaboration and engagement activity across UK Strategic Command. This will require Defence priorities to be used to define and align multinational collaboration and capability interventions. The incumbent will lead a team of military, civil service and contractors to provide the direction and priorities for international engagement to achieve the required capability investments, and to ensure C4ISTAR interoperability and associated experimentation requirements are met. It will work very closely with the new Integration Design Authority and utilise the C4I (Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Intelligence) Alignment Board to govern and assure all activity. The role will manage a team of at least three SEO/HEO or military equivalent.

Person specification

• Ensure UKStratCom engagement and representation at international C4ISTAR fora is appropriate, lead engagement at NATO (C3B and FMN), Combined Communications Electronics Board (FVEY), Pegasus, multilateral and bilateral technical interoperability boards.
• Own and govern associated C4ISTAR MOUs, Letters of Intent, Project Arrangements and Implementation Plans.
• Provide technical advice and policy guidance on UK C4ISTAR interoperability and data enablement requirements to senior leadership across UK StratCom in their engagement at key international boards and emerging requirements based on priority demands. Ensure a consistent, policy-compliant approach to engagement while providing oversight of UK's contributions to multinational boards and associated sub-committees.
• UKStratCom lead to ensure Defence can interoperate with partners at all security classifications to enhance the coherence of international C4ISTAR capability development, exploiting opportunities to optimise multinational engagement and interoperability.
• Engage with Defence programmes that will require C4ISTAR international interoperability, and direct coordinating activities to ensure multi-national C4ISTAR capability coherence across UK StratCom; provide international partners of choice, Partners Across Government, and internal UK Defence stakeholders, with the authoritative view on UK interoperability, both current and for the future.
• Inform the Annual Budget Cycle (ABC), Balance of Investment (BoI) exercises and capability audits for technical interoperability. Work with the capability directorate to identify opportunities for adjustments/enhancements/savings making sure all capability decisions deliver value for money. Ensure dependent programmes understand the implications of ABC decisions.
• Act as the interoperability subject matter expert in support of the Integrated Design Authority and Chief Data Officer to ensure common requirements and standards across Defence and the MDI Sharing Environment. Provide the UKStratCom focal point for C4ISTAR interoperability standards.
• Lead the international test and experimentation efforts for strategic C4ISTAR efforts in the pre-Concept phase of the CADMID cycle, in conjunction with Jt Warfare, Cap C4ISTAR and Defence S&T/DSTL, aligning activity and prioritising validation support, with capability areas and the Defence exercise program.
• Lead the C4ISTAR international team of staff, including mixed military, civil servants and contractors to prioritise, direct and synchronise international activity.  Coordinate C4ISTAR interoperability activity across nominated staff in Cap C4ISTAR, DSMD, CDO and wider Defence Digital.

The ideal candidate will have experience in technical Project Management, provision of IT services and leadership of mixed civilian and military teams. Formal Project Management and leadership training qualifications are highly desirable.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £67,820, Ministry of Defence contributes £18,311 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.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include: job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a 500 word statement of suitability.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, statement of suitability and the following Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Applications will be sifted and those successful invited to interview. Sifting is anticipated in mid-January 2024, with interviews in late January or early February 2024.

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.
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 

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 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.