About the job

Job summary

As SRO, you will provide strategic leadership and take ultimate authority and personal accountability for the delivery of one of Defence’s most important People transformation Programmes: Armed Forces Recruiting Programme (AFRP). With overall responsibility for AFRP, this role will deliver a tri-Service recruiting operating model that will transform recruitment in the Armed Forces. It will deliver a new digital backbone, enhance the candidate experience, modernise the existing recruiting infrastructure and apply the latest recruitment approaches from industry.

As the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) for this critical Defence People transformation programme, you will be responsible for leading the implementation of a first-generation outsourced Tri-Service Recruiting model and the associated business change activities. This includes business case development, requirements development, the establishment of appropriate governance and assurance, competitive dialogue, stakeholder management, monitoring progress, managing risks and issues, ensuring the business readiness for change and realisation of benefits.

You will be accountable to the Chief of Defence People, as the People Portfolio Owner, for the successful delivery of AFRP outcomes, with direct delivery management responsibility for a team of 78 and additional oversight of two External contracts.

Job description

Leadership

• Leading the whole force programme team to provide direction and promote an energised culture focused on collaborative working.
• Act as the champion for the programme, and Project Delivery function more broadly, and take ultimate authority and personal accountability for its delivery.
• Provide clear leadership and strategic direction to the Programme Director/Sponsor Group throughout the life of the programme.
• Delegate responsibilities and agree clear limits and performance criteria with the Programme Director. Be a visible, engaged, active leader who create an open and honest culture.
• Promote AFRP as a positive place to work and champion a diverse and inclusive workplace.

Benefits Management

• Oversee the successful implementation of the Business Case Benefits and Outcomes.
• Ensure that transition plans optimise benefit realisation and establish a through life monitoring process to assure sustainability and to enable benefits realisation in the longer-term.

Governance

• Establish appropriate, robust and efficient governance to ensure that the programme is governed responsibility
• Embed programme governance within existing corporate reporting procedures including the Government Major Projects Portfolio.

Resource Management

• Responsible for securing the resources necessary to deliver programme outcomes.

Business Case

• As the owner of the Business Case, ensure that appropriate assurance of the anticipated time, cost, performance and benefits parameters are validated and that appropriate mechanisms are in place to ensure the successful delivery of outcomes within approved business case limits.

Stakeholder Management

• Cultivate and manage a range of relationships and key strategic alliances with internal/external stakeholders
• Lead senior stakeholders in regularly reviewing the continuing relevance and performance of the programme based on a clear understanding of cost, risk and contribution to Defence’s People strategy, Defence Command Plan 23 and the Integrated Review Refresh 23.
• Influence and manages the operating environment into which the programme outcomes will be delivered and build effective relationships with key industry partners and Single Service Principal Personnel Officers.
• Effective leadership and oversight of all Defence Lines of Development and interdependencies.
• Owning key stakeholder relationships, leading and delivering both internal and external communications, strengthening further the trends in the employee engagement survey and increasing positive feedback from external stakeholders.

Reviews & Assurance

• Ensure an appropriate level and frequency of assurance reviews are established and adhered to.
• Monitor and control progress of the project at a strategic level.

Business Change & Implementation

• Ensure the strategic direction of the project remains aligned with any changes in political or business priorities.
• Ensure that any changes to the agreed project benefits are flagged appropriately and the business case is updated accordingly.
• Ensure successful transition into business-as-usual activities and that appropriate business champions are in place to embed new processes and procedures necessary to support transformation.

Risks & Issues Management

• Accountable for the management of strategic risks and issues in the operating environment and is aware of all high-level risks and issues affecting the programme.
• Ensure appropriate mitigation plans are developed and followed through.
• Be accountable for Secure by Design principles and sign off of residual risk portfolio.

Person specification

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• An accredited Project Delivery Professional, at practitioner level, or able to demonstrate evidence of operating at that level. You will have a proven track record of leading multiple complex projects, programmes or portfolios and support Board-Level investment decisions.
• Excellent Leadership skills - An ability to create and present a compelling vision and set clear direction, that motivates and inspires others to work towards a common goal with the ability to manage people through change. You will also need to be able to build and lead diverse high-performing teams in a matrixed environment.
• Proven experience of senior stakeholder management in a political, pressured environment with evidence of building credible and respected relationships, especially at board level. You will also need to demonstrate how you are able to influence a wide variety of stakeholders at all senior levels, gaining credibility to command the trust and confidence of senior officials.
• Sound Judgement - The ability to deliver at pace against a backdrop of uncertainty and continual change. Comfortable making decisions and setting direction without having the full picture; applying knowledge and experience to reduce ambiguity.
• A strong understanding of building functional and professional organisational capability.
• Should hold the relevant Professional Qualification (MSP, APMP, Prince 2 and/or Agile) or equivalent and a good understanding of project delivery methodologies and techniques.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than 23:55 on Sunday 21st January 2024 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal:

• A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
• A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role. 

Both documents are weighted equally in their scoring, so it's important to consider this when uploading your application. Failure to submit both documents will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification. 

For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk.

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.