Defence Digital Programme Delivery Manager

Location

Abbey Wood, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, BS34 8JH and MOD Corsham, Westwells Road, Corsham, SN13 9NR (Please note that there will be regular travel to MOD Main Building, London, MOD Corsham and Abbey Wood).

About the job

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.

We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cybersecurity at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD's joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!

Job description

As a Programme Manager, you play a crucial role in ensuring the integrated and assured delivery of a complex and regulated portfolio of projects and programmes. You will be responsible for delivering complex products and services within a portfolio that delivers predictive technologies, AI, and software products. These will be managed by multiple teams, often involving high technical or political risk. We seek motivated Programme Managers who thrive in fast-paced environments and possess in-depth knowledge of Agile and other methodologies.

You should possess a strategic understanding of schedule changes, conflicts, and risks affecting portfolio performance, cost, and time constraints, as well as operational delivery. You will oversee program-level schedule analysis to escalate, report, and communicate schedule changes to key stakeholders.

Responsibilities:

1. Manage dependencies of varying complexity, potentially planning, and feeding into larger programmes and portfolios.
2. Responsible for understanding, managing, and communicating to complex stakeholder groups, balancing priorities.
3. Monitor, manage and report on programme budget, understanding and supporting the financial planning cycle where required.
4. Responsible for managing project budget and keeping within delegated limits.
5. Responsible for timely and accurate financial reporting for team including forecasts of out-turn, risk, and input to annual financial planning as required.
6. Remove blockers and manage risks, commercials, budgets, and people and be an initial escalation point for the programme.

Person specification

We are dedicated to fostering a collaborative and supportive work environment where every team member can contribute, grow, and excel together. We are looking for ambitious, motivated, and confident individuals with exceptional communication skills. Effective stakeholder and relationship management are essential as you will build a highly engaged team with a clear vision for the future.

You will cultivate strong, supportive relationships with colleagues in Defence Digital and other government departments, driving suppliers to achieve exceptional performance levels. As a skilled servant leader, you will proactively solve problems while maintaining a big-picture perspective that you can effectively communicate to the team and broader stakeholder community to help focus and motivate. You will confidently manage staff and provide direction for Crown Servants and suppliers, balancing objectives and redeploying people and resources as priorities change.

When submitting your CV, please highlight your career history and experience relevant to this role. Additionally, refer to the "Things You Need to Know" section of the advert and provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) demonstrating the essential criteria listed below:

1. Describe how you have managed competing demands and helped the stakeholders and suppliers collaborate to agree on mutual success and a positive outcome.
2. Describe your experience of overseeing suppliers and what actions you have taken to ensure they are delivering well and achieving desired outcomes.

Hybrid Working

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity. Requirements to attend other locations for official business or work in another MOD office will also count towards this level of attendance. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time. This post is working 37 hours per week. Please note that there will be regular travel to the Bristol, London and Corsham sites.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply please complete the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard, ensuring your CV highlights your relevance to the essential criteria.

All applicants will also need to provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) and it is vital that this includes evidence of the following essential criteria (which is also listed within the Person Specification). Each one will be scored 1-7 and make up part of your overall score to assess your suitability to be invited to interview.

Essential Criteria:

1. Describe how you have managed competing demands and helped the stakeholders and suppliers collaborate to agree on mutual success and a positive outcome.
2. Describe your experience of overseeing suppliers and what actions you have taken to ensure they are delivering well and achieving desired outcomes.

We'll assess you against these Behaviours and Technical Skills during the interview process:

Behaviours:

1. Leadership
2. Making Effective Decisions
3. Communicating and Influencing
4. Seeing the Bigger Picture

Technical Skills:

1. Communicating between Technical and Non-Technical
2. Agile and Lean Practices

In addition to the interview, you will be required to present for 5 minutes on a topic related to the role. The topic of the presentation will be sent to you at least 24 hours before the interview.

Please note, that if you are selected for an interview, it will be via Teams and we will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for interviews or assessments.

AI Usage in Job Applications

We encourage the use of technology to streamline the job application process. Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools can be helpful in generating ideas, improving writing style, and increasing efficiency. However, it is essential that any content submitted as part of a job application is truthful, accurate, and a genuine reflection of the applicant's qualifications and experiences. Any use of AI should be supplementary to your own knowledge and abilities. Ultimately, the application should demonstrate your unique skills and suitability for the role.

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.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

1. UK nationals
2. nationals of the Republic of Ireland
3. nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
4. 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)
5. 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)
6. individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
7. Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.