Job Description

Details

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Reference number

414962

Salary

81,000
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP

Job grade

SCS Pay Band 1

Contract type

Permanent

Business area

MOD - Head Office & Corporate Services

Type of role

Estates

Operational Delivery

Security

Senior leadership

Working pattern

Full-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

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Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information

Location

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MOD Main Building in Whitehall, London




Given the operational and customer facing nature of this role, the post holder will need to spend the majority of their time in the office at MOD Main Building in Whitehall, London. There may be some opportunity for home working, but this is subject to operational and role requirements. This role also involves an out of hours on-call duty rota which is shared across the team. There may be some requirements to travel to other MOD or other Government department locations on an occasional basis.

About the job

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Job summary

The Directorate of Business Operations is a vital component of the broader People team within the Department of State, with a focus on Productivity and Place. This dynamic, high-profile, and fast-paced Directorate plays a critical role in supporting all four key areas of the Ministry of Defence: the Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters, Defence Nuclear Enterprise, and the National Armaments Director Group. It also drives long-term improvement and transformation as part of the Government's Productive and Agile State agenda. The Directorate's priorities include ensuring the safe, secure, and resilient operation of the Main Building; implementing the Main Building Strategy, including managing the pathway to Private Finance Initiative exit and succession planning; delivering change in alignment with the Plan for London and the Places for Growth initiative; advancing the MOD's Productivity Agenda; providing sponsorship and oversight for the MOD's Arm's Length Bodies and Public Appointments; and spearheading initiatives to enhance diversity and inclusion as part of the MOD's Reaffirming Our Standards commitments. Additionally, the Directorate serves as a key liaison with the Cabinet Office and other Government Departments, contributing to cross-cutting initiatives, functional improvements, and Whitehall operational resilience. It offers a vibrant, supportive, and engaging environment, providing significant opportunities for personal development, professional growth, and network building, all while delivering high-quality outcomes and exceptional service to its customers.

Job description

The current responsibilities of the role include:

Ensuring the safety, security and resilience of MOD Main Building in all circumstances on behalf of the Head of Establishment and supporting the Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters, National Armaments Director Group and Defence Nuclear Enterprise to deliver their business and operational outcomes. Being the Principal Security Advisor for the MOD Department of State, covering all aspects of protective security and ensuring that the Department of State is compliant with MOD and cross-Government security policies and standards. Leading on Health, Safety and Environment Protection for Main Building working in partnership with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the PFI Contractor. Delivering high profile infrastructure change programmes to modernise Main Building in line with Defence Reform and the Main Building Strategy. Responding to urgent operational requirements on an ad hoc basis, including in relation to out of hours events. Providing the intelligent client function for the information technology and information systems requirements of Main Building working in partnership with Defence Digital. Delivering advice and support to Department of State business areas in relation to their Data Protection responsibilities. Leading a large, multi-Functional team, drawing on strengths and continuously developing skills to deliver to a demanding schedule at pace. Being present in the office (MOD Main Building, Whitehall) for the majority of the time (limited flexible working is available) and being on call out of hours as part of a rota system.

Person specification

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

Exceptional Leadership Skills

: You will be a Proven leader, adept at inspiring and motivating diverse teams to deliver effectively under demanding circumstances. You will foster an environment where everyone feels empowered to perform at their best and thrive.

Resilience

: You will demonstrate resilience in the face of challenges, showing the ability to adapt to changing circumstances, maintain composure under pressure, and persevere with determination and optimism to achieve objectives.

Communicating and Influencing

: You will possess outstanding stakeholder management and communication skills, leveraging interpersonal and influencing abilities to drive outcomes and deliver results. You will excel at building and maintaining networks with a wide range of stakeholders across Defence and other organisations, cultivating trust to maximise collaboration and fostering a shared sense of purpose to achieve common goals.

Managing a Quality Service

: You will have a strong commitment to delivering exceptional customer service, with a clear understanding of the importance of meeting and managing customer expectations. You will be able to demonstrate how you have utilised customer insights to enhance service quality and efficiency, while effectively managing risks to ensure continuity of service..

Changing and Improving

: You will actively seek and implement changes that enhance flexibility, agility, and service quality, ensuring responsiveness to evolving customer needs. You will bring stakeholders on the journey of transformation, fostering collaboration and engagement to deliver meaningful change. Additionally, you will harness advancements in digital and technology to drive continuous improvement and innovation.

Benefits

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Alongside your salary of 81,000, Ministry of Defence contributes 23,465 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.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 employer contribution of 28.97%

Things you need to know

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Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process no later than

23:55 Sunday 10 August 2025

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.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.


External candidates who join the MOD and are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.


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.



Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.




As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting .



See our vetting charter .
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 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 .

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants

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Job contact :

Name : SCS Recruitment Team Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk
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Recruitment team

* Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk