About the job

Job summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence.

Here you’ll find a community to belong to – whether that’s alongside project teams with a shared vision or as part of an employee network of like-minded individuals. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

Discover more about our work:

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of around 27%, to help make work work for you.

Nationality, visas and vetting: For security reasons this role is open to sole UK nationals only. A ‘sole UK national’ refers to an individual who holds citizenship solely in the UK, without dual citizenship or nationality from another country. We’re unable to offer visa sponsorship.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you’ve been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained, or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.

Job description

Are you passionate about Project Management? Are you seeking a challenging and rewarding career working on once-in-a-lifetime projects? If so, this could be the perfect position for you! We at the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) are seeking an experienced Project Manager to join our Submarine Acquisition Portfolio (SAP) Team in Barrow-in-Furness.

The SAP team are responsible for Submarine Build Capability on our Barrow site, managing the successful delivery of a wide number of high value projects and procurements that are critical in enabling the delivery of the Submarine Programmes. We control a diverse range of areas, including; the overhead costs for the site, Portfolio Risk, Investments, Resource planning and the Integrated Schedule for all Programmes.

This exciting opportunity will see you prioritising a fluctuating workload and analysing data to make informed decisions and recommendations that enable and support delivery of the UK’s Submarine Programme. You will be supported by your manager and wider team to achieve your career goals and aspirations with mentoring available to fulfil your potential and funding for industry-recognised qualifications.

It is expected that you will attend the site approximately three days per week, according to business need. Occasional travel to our Abbey Wood site may be required, for which your expenses will be paid for. Due to the secure nature of the position, this post is reserved for sole UK nationals only.

At the SDA, we champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

What you'll be doing

• Deliver agreed outcomes within associated sub-portfolios or complex projects.
• Responsible for supporting an open, honest, no blame culture. Actively discussing failures and shortfalls positively and drawing through LFE and enacting mitigations and engaging with PM Function to mitigate wider occurrence.
• Accountable for the delivery of their projects and supporting project documentation and requirements within the performance/cost/time envelope for a sub-portfolio or complex project. This includes ensuring the most cost-effective means of delivery whilst mitigating risk.
• Agree with the Customer: the objective, requirements and the means of acceptance in line with the MoD's Operating Model and Defence Lines of Development
• Drive the timely establishment of contracts with Commercial Officers to enable the required contractual contribution from industry. Deliver project requirements, sustain and leverage value through the monitoring and management of contract performance against commitments (product and services) and meet our own obligations under the contract.
• Accountable for ensuring that the wider financial (and resource) profiles are adhered to.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Experience in leading and managing in a complex project environment.
• Experience in stakeholder engagement and building positive working relationships.
• Ability to identify project improvements or change.

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Stakeholder Management – Practitioner
• Controlling a Project – Practitioner
• Making Effective Decisions – CSBC 4
• Leadership - CSBC 4

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,700, Ministry of Defence contributes £15,309 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

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift - We will check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift - Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills

Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.

1. Interview - If you're invited to interview, you'll be assessed against the Sift categories listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert.

Offering at a lower level
If you’re not successful at interview, we may offer you a role at a lower level if this is a match for your skills and experience. If this applies to your application, you’ll be scored against criteria for the lower-level role and offers will be made in merit order. If you accept this position, you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities to develop your career as part of our team.

Security

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

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.