Defence Business Services - DBS - Armed Forces and Veterans Services Assistant Business Manager

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.
DBS has recently undertaken a review of its operational locations in the North West, and have consolidated all activities in Norcross, Blackpool. A further move, to the new Government Hub at Talbot Gateway in Blackpool, is scheduled to take place in 2026.
Come and join the DBS community today!, The Assistant Business Manager primary role is to support both Head Armed Forces and Veterans Services and the wider AFVS business in delivering their outputs.
Responsibilities
This role sits within the Armed Forces and Veterans Services team in Defence Business Services
+ Provide professional, timely and efficient day-to-day management of the Principal’s diary, including organising internal and external meetings/calls to manage the Principal’s time effectively. Coordinate all travel required including booking accommodation and transport.
+ Reschedule/prioritise engagements as required to resolve and deconflict diary clashes and liaise with the Principal in advance to manage conflicting priorities.
+ Manage incoming emails. File and action incoming correspondence in a timely manner, preparing letters/emails on behalf of Head AFVS as required.
+ Arrange meetings (internal and external) as required including booking in visitors, securing meeting rooms and domestic arrangements, and undertaking all necessary administrative procedures. Provide briefing packs and other paperwork as required to support meetings.
+ Act as lead focal point for external visits as required including arranging booking in visitors, securing meeting rooms and domestic arrangements, and undertaking all necessary administrative procedures.
+ Support AFVS All Staff Town Halls; sourcing input, suggesting agenda / content and preparing slide-decks.
+ Preparing AFVS Newsletter content for distribution 6 times a year.
+ Additional tasks as required to support the Principal and/or the business management team, We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together, 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: Experience - Personal statement, Secondary: Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing. In this instance the remaining elements will be tested at interview.
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
Behaviours:
+ Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together, 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).

The post-holder will need to be able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team and will have a flexible approach with the ability to move between a range of long-term duties and short-term administrative tasks as required. Enthusiasm, attention to detail and excellent interpersonal skills are essential. The post holder will have:
+ Strong IT skills including Word, Excel, Outlook, One-note, share point and databases.
+ The ability to communicate clearly and to a high standard in writing and in person, with attention to spelling, grammar and inaccuracies.
+ The ability to process high volumes of work under pressure while maintaining quality output., + Communicating and Influencing
+ Working Together
+ Managing a Quality Service
+ Making Effective Decisions
+ 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 - Communicating and Influencing
2. Behaviour - Working Together
3. Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
4. Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions
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 - CV
2. Experience - Personal statement
3. Behaviour - Communicating and Influencing
4. Behaviour - Working Together

Alongside your salary of £28,300, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,198 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 additional to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The Sovereign's birthday
+ Hybrid working where role permits
+ An opportunity to be considered for Reward and 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