About the job

Job summary

Military Capability sits at the heart of the MOD’s major decisions. It is headed by the Deputy Chief of Defence Staff (Military Capability) (DCDS(MilCap)), a 3-star military officer (equivalent to a Director General) with responsibility for taking a pan-Departmental view of MOD’s strategic balance of investment decisions and the Department’s financial planning rounds. The Future Combat Air System Team sits within DCDS(MilCap)’s domain and is critical to UK military capability. FCAS supports Defence Tasks and wider National Security Objectives and is a key element of both the UK’s industrial base and our international partnering. The Future Combat Air directorate defines policy in line with the 2018 Combat Air Strategy, and enables Government decisions on investment, programme and partnering choices. The Director Future Combat Air provides leadership across the Future Combat Air System (FCAS) Enterprise. He acts as the Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for both the FCAS Acquisition Programme and Technology initiative Programme. Part of the Finance and Military Capability area of Head Office, the Future Combat Air Directorate is the heart of an enterprise spanning Defence, Whitehall, UK Industry and key international partners; delivering what is likely to be Defence’s largest investment of the coming decades. It drives both the Future Combat Air System Acquisition Programme (CAAP) and Future Combat Air System Technology Initiative (FCAS TI) - including the

Team Tempest industrial partnership – under a single Senior Responsible Owner (SRO). Our vision is to deliver the UK’s strategy for Combat Air by rebuilding the nation’s capability and creating a viable, UK-led option for Future Combat Air System acquisition. We actively seek to provide an inclusive working environment which gets the best from every member of our team, and which recognises team members for their commitment and professionalism. We are a learning organisation in which you will be encouraged to develop your skills and knowledge, building on our wide range of work areas, and given support to develop your career on your own terms. We seek and encourage diversity of thought, background, experience and approach. We also recognise that everyone has different personal and family commitments and encourage applications from those who require flexible working patterns.

This post is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Security underpins the effectiveness of our future capability and that of our trilateral partners. The FCAS security team is split into three teams: Physical, Personnel and Policy; Information assurance and Cyber (including Secure by Design); and Product, Industry and Special Security measures. The FCAS security team’s remit is to provide security assurance up to the Future Combat Air System SRO and work with Italy and Japan to develop the trilateral security framework and understanding to deliver the Global Combat Air Programme (GCAP). 

The 2 x roles include the following responsibilities:

• Report to the Assistant Head of Security (Product, Industry and SSM). Responsible for managing the day-to-day oversight and assurance of the product security of the UK Future Combat Air Programme (FCAS).
• Provide oversight of product security sub-working group actions and delivery of additional working groups as per required.
• Drive meaningful engagement at a trilateral level (Japan, Italy, UK), providing the necessary product security advice and support to ensure the Global Combat Air Platform is a success.
• Mature the GCAP product and industry framework to support GIGO stand-up.
• Management of UK risks and issues escalating through the FCAS governance structure or at the Trilateral Global Combat Air Programme Working Groups. Leading the delivery of strategic bow-tie analysis in concert with the Security Risk team while reaching down into the Lead System Integrator for review and assurance through the supply chain.
• Management of product security factors relating to technical development work streams and acquisition work packages including the Tempest demonstrator.
• Lead on industry engagement and media enquiries which affect product. Be aware of aspects on the technical development work streams which have relevance to the FCAS / GCAP products.
• Provide support and assurance to the wider FCAS product security team including through engagement with Trilateral industry and government colleagues. Including support for the FCAS and GCAP Security Working Groups including the Non-Technical Working Groups. 

Person specification

The successful candidate will be:

• A confident communicator with the ability to succinctly engage with a range of stakeholders both Government and Industry, including with international colleagues 
• Curious and able to challenge irrespective of grade / position to better understand risks and issues 
• Experienced in risk management 
• Knowledgeable on UK Defence acquisition   

Desirable experience:

• International engagement 
• Bow-tie analysis 
• Working with Government / UK Military 

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,080, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,631 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:

• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace
• Seeing the bigger picture

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

• Communicating and influencing
• Making effective decisions
• Delivering at pace
• Seeing the bigger picture

In the event of a large number of applicants the sift will focus on statement of suitability and the behaviour Communicating and Influencing.

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. It is also possible that we may offer similar lower graded role/s to reserve candidates or, if no reserves are appointed, candidates that meet the lower grade criteria in merit order. 

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.