About the job

Job summary

The DEVELOP Directorate leads the development of the Royal Navy’s future warfighting capability and acts as the platform for the through-life capability for all maritime capabilities in order to achieve the optimum mix of present and future warfighting technologies for a modern, global and ready Royal Navy. 

 DEVELOP is divided into two parts, Strategic Force Development and Capability Sponsorship. 

 Strategic Force Development is responsible for developing the changing and future demands of our operational commitments as outlined within Defence Plan, Transformation Plan and Navy Command Plan by delivering a more agile and adaptable military capability.  

 Capability Sponsorship will deliver an ambitious capability portfolio, cohering all capability development programme and project activity across Navy Command. By owning the Capability Management Plan and ensure the effective prioritisation of resources to meet the Navy’s strategic priorities and outcomes. Creating a first-class project control and management functions across a diverse and complex maritime capability portfolio.  

Through the development of future concepts, DEVELOP also leads future thinking beyond these headmarks and seeks to harness DSTL research to exploit the novel, affordable, battle-winning technologies of tomorrow and houses the NavyX Team which is driving innovation throughout the Naval Service. It also leads NCHQ’s Strategic and Maritime Force Development activity, collaborating with US and NATO allies on international capability development. 

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Navy Develop has a requirement to conduct operational experimentation alongside our allies – in support of the intent of the Integrated Review, IOpC and MarOpC (e.g. interchangeable by design with our Allies) among other key driving policy directives, as well as in support of specific commitments such as NATO MUSI. The purpose of the post is lead UK generation and execution of these elements to maximise UK benefit.

1. Co-ordinate, lead and deliver a coherent programme utilising the drumbeat of international operational experimentation (MUS OPEX) opportunities / commitment to enhance and accelerate gathering of evidence across all DLODs in support of Develop lines of effort.     

     2. Lead engagement and work closely across Navy Command (e.g. Capability sponsors, NavyX, OCTO and Marworks, FGEN), the wider RN/RM and MOD, DE&S,           Dstl and industry as well as international allies, thinking innovatively to identify opportunities that can be exploited through MUS OPEX activities.  

     3. Working across organisational and national boundaries, lead RN planning and delivery of NATO and FVEY OPEX (predominately the flagship exercises                         REPMUS and DYNAMIC MESSENGER and building as both capacity and demand dictates for example, IMX, AW, BOLD QUEST).   

      4. Lead coordination of exercise/experimentation design (Operational Concept Documents) in support of UK objectives for agreement in time for key planning                    timelines.  Represent the RN and UK at key planning conferences to ensure activities are shaped to UK objectives are designed appropriately.   

      5. Instigate and drive activities to ensure comprehensive and proactive issues management.  Develop options to address complex issues and manage through to              resolution, escalating by exception if required.  Be prepared to accept risk to successful execution in order to drive challenging activity, developing new                            approaches to address newly identified challenges. 

      6.Lead, cohere and manage each activity.  Build and lead a virtual team across organisational boundaries and adapted to each activity, recognising that the                       complexity and scope of activity means one individual cannot be expert in all aspects.  Oversee and assure the quality of MUS OPEX outputs and team                         performance, aligned with key milestones, decision points and dependencies and a robust approach to risk and issues management.  Delegate challenging and             rewarding tasks within the bounds of the virtual team’s capabilities and capacity whilst remaining accountable and providing expert advice and guidance, offering           mentoring and coaching as required.  

       7. Stakeholder management. Brief on all aspects of activity, making the case for plans, detailing intent, providing briefings before and after activities at all levels of             seniority both within Navy Command and more widely e.g. MUSI, SNNR, MTWG.  Ensure DV opportunities are maximised to support RN influence objectives. 

       8. Set direction for industry involvement and chair selection panels. 

       9. Instigate a benefits management tracker to ensure maximum benefit yield from MUS OPEX and drive continuous improvement while demonstrating value.   

      10. Issue high quality Post-Exercise Reports and as appropriate outside of this cycle provide lessons, recommendations and observations. 

      11. Bid for funding.  Co-ordinate and produce MUS OPEX business cases, supporting force elements as required.  Provide advice and support when requested to                smaller / UK only OPEX BC generation. 

      12. UK Head of Delegation to NATO Maritime Unmanned Systems Initiative.  Represent the UK and shape and develop MUSI activity, policy and direction in                        support of UK aspirations – particularly in support of OPEX but more widely in collaboration with the Cap Sponsor. 

Person specification

Essential Skills   

• Strong written and verbal communication skills 
• Able to work without supervision, exercise judgement and good organisational skills, and show determination in the pursuit of objectives.   
• Able to pay attention to detail whilst also keeping an overview on the wider perspective.  
• MS Office Applications 

Desirable Skills   

• MoDnet/ Team Site awareness 
• SharePoint/ Skype meetings awareness 

 Experience: 

• Significant maritime / Defence trials experience 

• Significant international Defence engagement experience  

• Knowledge of Defence MAS enterprise and emerging and disruptive technologies. 

• Demonstrable skills across general management, including planning, recruitment, security, resource selection and health and safety. 

• Experience of leading and managing diverse and dispersed teams in a complex and pressurised environment and for large/ complex activities, preferably demonstrated in a deployed / allied environment. 

• Demonstrable experience applying Government Security requirements. 

• Attention to detail and ability to critically evaluate information gathered across multiple sources, recommending improvements as necessary. 

• Evidence of strong stakeholder engagement skills with a proven track record of engaging and managing multiple stakeholders, tailoring messages appropriately, influencing others and gaining their agreement and cooperation.  

• Experience leading / managing stakeholder working groups. 

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.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours and experience: 

Candidates will be required to complete a Statement of Suitability of no more than 750 words, providing experience relevant to the role 

Candidates will be required to provide Statements against the Behaviours of no more than 250 words per behaviour 

Applications and interviews will be sifted against the following behaviours.

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Application online, sift of application and interview if successful through sift.  

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.