About the job

Job summary

Do you want to play a key role in shaping Royal Navy (RN) doctrine and frontline tactics?

Ongoing events in the Southern Red Sea have highlighted the crucial role of the Royal Navy in international efforts to protect shipping and maintain the flow of global trade. This vacancy presents a unique opportunity for you to take on a leadership role in the team that develops the battle-winning tactics relied upon by the front line.

The Operational Advantage Centre's (OAC) Modelling and Simulation Team (M&S) are experts in maritime systems, contributing to the success of Royal Navy operations by supporting the assessment and development of doctrine and tactics through modelling and simulation, systems understanding, and specialist IT support.

As the Chief Analyst, you will be an expert in Operational Analysis (OA) and will lead a diverse group of Ministry of Defence and Defence Science and Technology (Dstl) scientists and engineers, supplemented by industry secondees and working closely with military personnel. Your creativity and resourcefulness will be essential in guiding your team to deliver assured advice when it is most needed. With the team's ambition to grow, you will play a pivotal role in shaping an exciting future.

This challenging and rewarding opportunity demands both leadership skills and deep technical knowledge. If you're seeking to work at the cutting edge of analysis and apply your skills to some of the most interesting and complex challenges facing the front line, this position is perfect for you.

The position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The Modelling and Simulation (M&S) Chief Analyst is accountable to Head of Operational Analysis and is one of three Chief Analysts that make up the OA leadership team. Each Chief Analyst is an expert in OA and a respected expert in their area of specialism. Between them they are responsible for shaping and delivering OA to the front line.

The M&S Chief Analyst is the OAC’s principal expert in the use of modelling and simulation, and one the most senior modelling and simulation specialists in the RN. They provide, information and evidence to support warfare decision making in the Operate pillar of the Royal Navy, primarily in the development of tactics and doctrine but with scope for direct operational support as appropriate.

The M&S Chief Analyst currently has responsibility for the internal local area network and the team that administers and develops it. They are also the OA lead for data and digital technologies, responsible for ensuring that our analysis evolves to remains at the cutting edge. It is planned that much of this responsibility will be transferred to a dedicated Digital lead over the coming 24 months but the M&S Chief Analyst will still play a key role, driving forward the safe and responsible adoption of artificial intelligence as part of our tool set.

Whether technical or people management, leadership is at the heart of this role. The M&S Chief Analyst responsible for all aspects of capability development and delivery within their area, along with some financial responsibilities.

Specifically, the M&S Chief Analyst:

1. Exercises leadership of the M&S Team and be accountable for the safe and secure conduct of the team’s activities.
   
2. Provides scientifically rigorous analysis to operators and decision makers.
   
3. Defines and maintains a programme of work which, within resource constraints, delivers an OA service to OAC warfare areas to underpin their tactical development needs including trials analysis, modelling and simulation, artificial intelligence, event reconstruction, effects analysis, wargaming etc.
4. Oversees the provision of advanced information technology required by the OA team to enable a range of analytical outputs to support the front line. This includes the specific responsibility for the administration, maintenance, development, and support of the OA local area networks as well as relevant cloud services provided by Navy Digital.
5. Provides technical assurance and oversight of OA and Science & Technology conducted within and for the OAC to maintain and enhance the scientific standards of the analysis outputs.
6. As an intelligent customer ensures effectiveness and value for money in the external OAC Tactical Development and OA tasks.
7. Ensures continuous improvement and evolution of OAC to take advantage of technological advances and adapt to threat/environment changes.
8. Manages relationships with key partner organisations within and outside the Ministry of Defence (MOD), including but not limited to: Dstl, Defence Science and Technology, Navy Digital, Navy Develop, Air and Space Warfare Centre, Land Warfare Centre, Defence Digital, Defence Artificial Intelligence Centre, NATO and 5-eyes Partner analysis centres, other government, industry, and academia.
9. Ensures value for MOD by minimising duplication between the RN and other areas in the field of scientific analysis of operations.
10. Influences UK/Allied programmes of work to achieve RN analysis objectives.
11. Line manages OAC Civilian Staff in the M&S team (~six).

The role offers the opportunity to work directly alongside the RN frontline, both ashore and potentially deploying for short periods on RN or Allied platforms. This often involves travel to five-eyes partner nations (AUS, CAN, NZ, UK & USA) and NATO.

Person specification

We are looking for an expert and leader in Operational Analysis who is comfortable with ambiguity and shifting priorities, and can drive teams through to delivery.

You will be able to work within dynamic military/civilian teams and be able to operate autonomously with appropriate direction and mentorship.

You will also be able to link tactical requirements to technical capabilities and be able to clearly articulate this information to a range of civilian and military personnel.

Most importantly, you will be able to lead team members and continuously grow and develop them to be highly skilled and expert OAs.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• A 1st/ 2nd class Honours degree in a scientific or engineering subject (or equivalent)
• Wide experience conducting Operational Analysis and with using a range of OA methods and tools.
• Expert knowledge and demonstrable experience and track record in modelling and simulation, including model development, and model verification and validation.
• Proficient in computer programming in one or more language and associated best practise, including version control.
• Experience in the application of scientific and/or analytical techniques to solving real world problems.
• Demonstrable experience and track record in technical leadership, and in leading high skilled technical teams.
  
• Very high level of IT literacy – including specialist analytical packages.

Desirable:

• Post graduate qualification in a Scientific or Engineering discipline is highly desirable.
• Experience of managing others as a line manager, project manager or military leader.
• Expert in above water or under water modelling and simulation
• Wide knowledge and experience of the MOD and Defence environment
  
• Knowledge and experience of MOD Research and Development structures and processes.
  
• Knowledge of finance/accountancy and project management principles in MOD
• Experience of trials conduct/trials management
• Experience in a deployed and/or front-line command military environment
• Experience of information technology system management
• Experience of network design and management including cloud services.
• Experience in the use of AI/Machine learning inc reinforcement learning
• Membership and/or accreditation with a professional scientific, engineering, or other relevant institution

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,670, Ministry of Defence contributes £15,570 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 will require applicants to attend one interview. The interview will cover Civil Service Behaviours and Experience but will also consist of an opening presentation covering a short technical assessment that will be supplied two weeks prior to your interview.

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

• Changing and Improving

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

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

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 (1000 words).

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 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.