About the job

Job summary

The role manages the Outer Office for the Director General Commercial (DG Comrcl).

This is an exciting opportunity to join the largest and most complex Commercial Function in Government, at a time of change when the focus is on how we can make a real difference. The MOD spends over £20bn per year across nearly 6,000 contracts, ranging from property and FM, corporate services, complex IT infrastructure and services, food, clothing and medical supplies, to large equipment platforms such as ships, aircraft and vehicles.

The context in which we operate has changed. We recognise that demand is increasing and our role in Commercial is becoming more complex. We need to adapt and improve ensuring our contribution to wider acquisition reform overcomes the changing circumstances that we are operating in, including the overlapping impact of climate change and global security. In line with wider Defence and Security Industrial Strategy priorities and the Defence Command Paper Refresh, we need to proactively adapt and respond in innovative ways to address these challenges to continue to deliver value for Defence. Within our own function we are prioritising:

• Our People – ensuring we have the skills needed for the future
• Our Ways of Working – speeding up and simplifying our processes
• Our Supply Chains – improved understanding to ensure better resilience, pace of delivery and innovation.

At the heart of this change is a talented community that is recognised for being a great place to work. We need to keep it this way and ensure the community has the skills and tools to meet our challenges and be fit for the future. We are a team of trusted professionals, working together across various cultures and environments to deliver value for money for Defence. We want to encourage a broad range of people into the Commercial Function, giving depth to our understanding of contemporary UK workforce and society.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Management and control of the Outer Office for DG Comrcl, including:

• Secretariat for the Commercial Board, chaired by DG Comrcl and consisting of all Commercial Directors across Defence
• Responsible for drafting DG Commercial communications including support for external events and speeches
• Leading specific priority projects on behalf of DG; developing business cases, strategy papers and presentation slides as appropriate
• Working closely with Ministers and PUS outer offices to ensure smooth provision of advice and co-ordination of formal submissions
• Building strong relationships with Head Office and wider departmental DG community to ensure Commercial strategic priorities are known and prioritised across other DG areas.
• Co-ordination of DG Comrcl input to Departmental Plans and their quarterly updates
• Co-ordination of the Performance Management process for DG Comrcl direct reports
• Co-ordination of inputs to DG Comrcl Business Plan and update as required
• Representing DG Comrcl at regular forums as appropriate, for example the Weekly Communications prioritisation meeting, ensuring that DG Comrcl’s priorities and interests are appropriately represented
• Co-ordination, consolidation and submission of quarterly briefings to wider MOD boards
• Ensuring diary is effectively managed - determine priorities, co-ordinate supporting papers and brief DG Comrcl as required in advance of meetings, ensuring that appropriate cover is provided where DG Comrcl is unable to attend.
• Overseeing DG Comrcl inbox, highlighting urgent actions, delegating tasks and replying on his behalf as appropriate.
• Maintaining track of priorities, which is reviewed and updated weekly, hastening actionees as required.
• Building effective networks across Defence and wider Government Commercial Function to support DG Comrcl in their daily duties
• Maintaining knowledge of DG Comrcl priorities to clearly convey intent and views to senior officials (both internal and external).
• The postholder has responsibility for a team of two, with direct line management responsibility for 1 x C2/SAS1 and 1 x D/level I.

Person specification

• The post would suit someone with a commercial background who understands how a commercial function operates. 
• Experience of leading teams and dealing with a wide range of senior stakeholders in a fast paced but strategic environment.
• The ability to deal with a broad range of daily issues across Defence and wider Government and prioritise them accordingly.
• Member of the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply (MCIPS) would also be beneficial.
• Knowledge/experience of working in MOD, Public Sector and/or a Private Office environment in the Private Sector is 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 statement of suitability. (Word count: 1000)

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

• Communicating and Influencing 
• Making Effective Decisions 
• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture 
• Delivering at Pace

During the interview, a ten minute presentation will be required and the presentation question will be provided to interviewees in advance. The presentation as part of the interview will be based on one of the behavioural competencies that have been provided as part of the criteria listed.

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

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.