About the job

Job summary

Strategic Command supports the Ministry of Defence (MoD) by ensuring that joint capabilities such as medical services, intelligence training and education and information systems are developed and managed across the 5 domains of land, sea, air, space and cyber. We work in a blended workforce with a mix of military personnel from all the three-armed forces together with civil servants, contractors and locally engaged civilians – based overseas.  Strategic Command is led by the Commander, General Sir James Hockenhull with the Headquarters based in Northwood, with the Command represented across numerous sites across the UK.

The People Team supports the organisation by enabling its people to be the best that they can be.  We are continuously reviewing and enhancing the services we provide to ensure the delivery of high-quality services for our customers.  This role sits within the People Directorate and includes, oversight and leadership of the HR Business Partnering Team and you will report directly to the Deputy Director, Human Resources for UKStratCom. You and your team will be deployed to partner with Directors, Deputy Directors and Workforce Advisors across UKStratCom to partner in the implementation of people strategies within your business area.

You will be responsible for forging productive relationships with senior leadership teams, enabling the translation of business priorities and strategy into a coherent people agenda with targeted interventions.  Working alongside your business area you will deliver tailored HR interventions to drive improvements in effective leadership, people management, organisational design and development, change management and workforce strategy.

Key to this role is the need to be a credible HR professional with the ability to establish quality relationships with the expectation that you have completed and achieved your Chartered MCIPD (or have an equivalent HR qualification), and actively demonstrate Continuous Professional Development.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities.  Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions. 

Job description

• Strategic Partnering, supporting leaders to drive people strategies that enable the business to deliver their objectives.
• Problem Solving, providing strategic input on HR topics to help leaders develop effective people solutions.
• Connecting, helping the organisation to draw on appropriate Centres of Expertise and Shared Services support.
• Coaching, coaching leaders to manage people issues and to drive the people agenda effectively.
• HR leadership, play a key role in leading and developing the HR profession and the HR Business Partnering team.
• Provide support and challenge to the UKStratCom Operating Model Review, including the review of the HR Business operations area across the Command.
• Leadership of the UKStratCom HR Business Partnering Team in delivery of partnering support and advice to UKStratCom's HQ and the Deputy Director HR.
• Proactively contributing to the MoD wide HRBP Team Leaders Group, shaping our purposes and priorities, celebrating success and volunteering to lead on cross cutting value added activities.
• Leading on the development and delivery of specific HR projects, such the National Living Wage, apprenticeships and resourcing strategies.

Person specification

• Excellent communication and networking skills with the ability to persuade and influence others, establishing collaborative relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to work effectively across a range of tasks under pressure.
• Sound judgement and the ability to think strategically and creatively, recognising where improvements can be made and implementing them.
• Ability to find solutions to often complex problems and sensitive issues.
• Support and lead on strategic workforce planning, including talent management, succession planning and resourcing strategies.
• Partnering the business through the analysis and insights of the People Survey results, ensuring appropriate response and action plans are in place.
• Supporting leaders through regular coaching style conversations.

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 and Experience.

Expected Timeline

Advert Closing Date: 5th January 2024

Shortlist/Sifting: 10th January 2024

Panel Interviews: 23rd January 2024

Assessment

If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to attend a panel interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.

Interview

The interview will include;

• A 5 minute presentation (without visuals)
• Questions based on the following Civil Service Success Profiles
• Behaviours: Leadership, Working Together, Making Effective Decisions, Seeing the Big Picture.

Shortlisted candidates will be given full details in advance of the interview.

Application Process

Application:

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process advertised via the advertisement listed for this role.  This should be completed no later than 23:55 Friday 5th January 24 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last 2 years.
• A Statement of Suitability (no longer than 1250 words) outlining your motivations for the role and explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience as evidence for your suitability, with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

Failure to submit both of these requirements will mean the panel only have limited information on which to assess your application against the criteria in the person specification.

As part of the online application process, you will be asked a number of diversity related questions.  If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the characteristics, you will have the option to select “prefer not to say”.  All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel.

The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.  See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.

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

• Leadership
• Working Together 
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Bigger Picture

Shortlist

You will receive an acknowledgement if your application through the online process. 

The panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit with the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the Person Specification section.  Failure to address any or all of these may affect your applications.

The timeline outlined in this pack indicates the date by which decisions are expected to be made, and all longlisted and shortlisted candidates will be advised of the outcome as soon as possible thereafter.

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

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.