About the job

Job summary

The Commando Force Programme is one of the most complex and exciting change programmes in Defence, working across air, land, maritime, space and cyber environments.  This high performing and fast-paced team is transforming how the UK’s Commando Force operates – in its sub-threshold and routine global operating methods, in what we can offer to UK government when it comes to crisis response and in conflict, how we can deliver Theatre Access from the sea. The outcome is a Force that offers persistent engagement and forward presence, with greater routine productivity and a warfighting capability that meets the current threat and is fit for the emerging threats of tomorrow posed by State and non-State adversaries.  Not a traditional equipment-focused programme, it drives change across the organisational, structural, logistics, people, training infrastructure and equipment lines of development, and stems from extensive analysis, experimentation, wargaming and trialling.  Established as part of the Integrated Review 2021, it aligns with UK Defence’s Driving Integration objectives.

As Programme Manager, the candidate will be a critical part of the Commando Force programme Senior Leadership Team within the Directorate of Navy Acquisition. The candidate will work directly to the Programme Director and Senior Responsible Owner to ensure the programme-level outputs are being delivered in accordance with P3M principles through the five project-level areas, and work closely with the Project Management Office and other areas of the Headquarters such as Navy Finance, Navy Commercial and Performance Group.  Based in Navy Command’s Headquarters in Portsmouth, the programme team is a small but highly motivated mix of Civil Servants and Royal Marines, Royal Navy and British Army military personnel which seeks to expand and increase resilience and capacity as the programme enters the delivery phase.

In Navy Command, our civil servants work alongside their military colleagues in jobs that matter; jobs which often have a direct impact on the quality of the operational capabilities we deliver. Roles can offer great job satisfaction and there are many opportunities to develop and progress both within the Department and across the wider Civil Service.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Setting direction for the delivery of a £1.2bn programme with multiple projects and workstreams assuring the implementation of the programme’s strategy and direction for the programme, holding to account the subordinate projects for the delivery of programme outcomes.

Own the programme costing, scheduling, project integration and risk process including all programme documentation. Oversee the development of artefacts which clearly articulate the programme and how controls will be applied and managed to support effective and timely decision making.

Set strategy and direction for the provision of business cases, evidence and assurance to meet the approval strategy providing expertise on smart approvals, business case scope, analysis and drafting to a standard suitable for submission.

Develop and own the business and approvals processes to allow the programme team to leverage In Year Cost Delivery and Balance of Investment opportunities whilst maintaining effective governance of planned programme delivery.

Regularly reassess the resource requirement, including for External Assistance, ensuring affordability, regularity, propriety, holding to account, tasking, delivery, and prompt payment.

Set the strategy for external programme reviews and reporting to achieve timely assessments and assurance (via the Infrastructure and Projects Authority (IPA)) of the programme prior to key decision points and at biannual reviews by the Defence Major Programmes Portfolio (DMPP) team.

Represent the Commando Force programme in stakeholder engagement at senior management level within NCHQ and across the MOD and wider Government community.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate evidence of personal delivery in the following areas:

• Complex programme management and delivery
• Business Case delivery
• Senior Programme Management & Leadership
• Risk, Issue & Opportunity management within a programme management role
• Senior stakeholder management and influence within a complex and high-profile programme management role
• Management and handling of sensitive and/or classified information

The successful candidate will ideally hold relevant professional qualifications and be a member of a relevant professional body – e.g. APM.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Candidates will need to provide a Job History and Statement of Suitability (750 words). 

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

Individuals are advised to tailor their Personal Statement to provide evidence of personal delivery in the following areas:

• Complex programme management and delivery
• Business Case delivery
• Programme Management & Leadership
• Risk, Issue & Opportunity management within a programme management role
• Senior stakeholder management and influence within a complex and high profile programme management role
• Management and handling of sensitive and/or classified information

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

Technical skills to be assessed at interview:

• P3M12 Risk, Opportunity, and Issue Management

See MOD P3M Framework document at the end of the advert

The initial sift will take place within two weeks of the advert closing date, and interviews will follow as soon as practicable.  Interviews will take place in person at HMS Excellent, Whale Island, Portsmouth.

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.