Defence Business Services - DBS AFVS Deputy Head

Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?
Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?
Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.
+ Our Vision - To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.
+ Our Mission – Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability.
DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society.
We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as 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 office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.
Come and join the DBS community today!, The Armed Forces and Veterans Services team are responsible for the delivery of payroll, pensions, welfare and compensation services to over 180,000 regular and reserve personnel and 1 million veterans and their families.
Deputy Head Armed Forces and Veterans Services is accountable directly to Head of the Armed Forces and Veterans Service team, ensuring the effective discharge of business and performance management activity in support of an organisation of 700 staff, and Contract Management advice and activity in support of the £300M Service Delivery Contract.
As the nominated Deputy for the team Deputy Head AFVS is also responsible for deputising in times of absence, representing Head AFVS at the Executive Level, and leading the team to ensure the smooth running of the organisation in delivering its operational outputs.
This post has direct line management for 2 x Grade 7's (AFVS Chief of Staff and AFVS Contract Management Assistant Head), both with small teams below them. The team is located across all DBS sites, therefore regular travel should be expected across the UK.
1. Business, Strategy, Finance and Strategic Work Force Planning
+ Strategic input into prioritisation of all key business matters involving workforce and finance. Providing accurate and timely advice up and information on critical business and resourcing issues to ensure that competing business priorities and deadlines are met.
+ Play a significant role in developing the long-term strategic view and capacity requirements ensuring AFVS are set up for success in the future.
+ Delivery of the Annual Budget Cycle for Armed Forces and Veterans Services, securing resources required for following 10-year financial cycle and oversight of In Year management of the organisations operating budget.
+ Head of Establishment for Centurion building maintaining overall responsibility for all Safety, Health and Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development (SHEP SD) of the building and its occupants. [note – this requirement will be reassigned should successful candidate not be based in Centurion building]
2. Governance and Performance Reporting
+ Ownership of AFVS performance governance, enabling data driven insights to drive informed business decision making across the organisation.
+ Drive continuous improvement across AFVS, embedding performance metrics that are measurable and value adding, focused on our customers and end users.
+ Represent AFVS in senior leadership performance boards, highlighting performance and trends, celebrating successes, escalating any concerns/issue for action
3. Contract Management
+ Management and oversight of the Contract Management Office, monitoring and assuring the performance of our Service Delivery Contractor in accordance with the obligations and milestones detailed within the Service Delivery Contract (SDC), driving continuous improvement in our SDC Contract Management Function.
+ Providing assurance on contract performance to DBS CEO and DBS COO
4. In addition to these specific portfolio responsibilities as Deputy Head AFVS you will also be responsible for:
+ Ensuring the AFVS leadership team are aligned on key priorities
+ Representing the organisation at key internal and external engagements as directed by Head AFVS.
+ Deputising Hd AFVS during times of absence overseeing smooth running of the team, resolving problems and making the most appropriate decisions in complex situations.
+ Supporting Hd AFVS across wider AFVS / DBS business as and when required., We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Leadership
+ Changing and Improving
+ Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing, When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.
Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.
Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, an initial sift will be conducted on your Primary: Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture. In this instance the remaining elements will be tested at interview.
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
Behaviours:
+ Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing, A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews. We endeavour to stick to these dates, but these are subject to change around business needs.
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: DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – we may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
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.
To assist with your application please find attached -
DBS Candidate Information Guide - Working for Defence Business Services - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
(26) UK Ministry of Defence: Life , LinkedIn
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
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
+ UK nationals
+ nationals of the Republic of Ireland
+ nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
+ 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) (opens in a new window)
+ 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)
+ individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
+ Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.

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 (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

+ Able to work independently and with minimal direction, comfortable working in an environment which can be ambiguous and continuously evolving.
+ Successfully think and act strategically applying sound judgement in an environment where demand and priorities change at very short notice.
+ Ability to analyse and interpret performance data sets, and present recommendations on actions to take.
+ Strong organisation skills and excellent attention to detail, demonstrating the ability to work accurately and meet challenging deadlines in a pressurised environment with competing demands
+ Outstanding verbal and written communication skills with the ability to build strong relationships with senior stakeholders whilst actively engaging with colleagues at all levels through expert leadership and teamwork.
+ Creative and innovative in their approach, able to come up with solutions to challenges.
Relevant work experience will also be considered as desirable:
+ Commercial awareness and supplier management skills with experience of dealing with a contracted partner.
+ Experience understanding of managing a budget, financial forecasting and workforce resource planning.
+ Experience working with, and presenting, performance data.
+ Experience of working with our UK Armed Forces.
The below qualifications will also be considered as desirable, noting if not held a commitment to obtaining them in role must be provided:
+ MOD Financial Foundation Skills Certificate
+ Government Commercial College – Contract Management Practitioner/Expert Level., + Seeing the Big Picture
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Leadership
+ Changing and Improving
+ Delivering at Pace
In the rare case where individuals have exact matching scores, the order of merit will be determined based on the behaviour scores at interview in the following order:
1. Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
2. Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing
3. Behaviour - Leadership
4. Behaviour - Changing and Improving
5. Behaviour - Delivering at Pace
If candidate scores are still exact, the merit order will then be determined on the sift score in the below order or priority:
1. Experience - Personal statement
2. Experience - CV
3. Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
4. Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing

Alongside your salary of £67,820, Ministry of Defence contributes £19,647 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
+ An environment with flexible working options Monday-Friday
+ 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years' service (pro rata). In addition to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for the King's birthday
+ Hybrid working, where role permits
+ An opportunity to be considered for Reward & Recognition- £250-£5000 per year.
+ Family friendly policies including parental leave and adoption leave
+ Learning and development tailored to your role
+ Professional and personal development of skills
+ A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
+ Minimum of 15 days special leave in a rolling 12 month period for volunteer reserve commitments
+ Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days per year
+ A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Allowances
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Employment Hours
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.