Defence Nuclear Organisation - Enterprise Portfolio Team - Enterprise Project Delivery Centre o[...]

Overview

This role is at the heart of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), which is responsible for maintaining the UK\’s Nuclear Deterrent and submarine forces. The DNE includes Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO), Royal Navy, Strategic Command, Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE), Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) and civil industry partners. It is one of the four areas of Defence Reform, cohered by CDN, working closely with PUS, CDS and 1SL to SofS. DNE\’s annual spend is more than £10bn (circa 20% of MOD\’s total budget). Delivering the UK\’s Nuclear Deterrent demands once-in-a-generation efforts, often unprecedented, executed in parallel. A key development in the reforms was the creation of a new Enterprise Portfolio Directorate, spanning across the entirety of the DNE. This directorate identifies and manages interdependencies, improves management information, and drives professionalisation in project delivery. It aims to coordinate the multi-billion-pound portfolio effectively, address risks and seize opportunities through coherent, cross-organisational collaboration; the portfolio consists of long and extraordinarily complex programmes and constant attention is required over an extended period. The Enterprise Portfolio Team (EPT) sits within the Directorate and drives professionalisation in project delivery, ensuring decisions reflect the \”Best for Enterprise\” approach – optimising across projects, programmes and sub-portfolios to minimise risks and interpret strategic intent into action. The EPT enables, informs, challenges and assures delivery activities completed by leads across the DNE. The EPT has four core capabilities – Project Delivery Function, Project Delivery Profession, Enterprise Portfolio Office and Enterprise Analytics and Insight.

Join us and be part of an organisation that values diversity and inclusion and makes a positive impact on the world. This post is advertised at 37 hours per week. This role provides the opportunity to support Enterprise-level decision-making across DNE\’s Government Major Projects Portfolio, which spans more than 50 years of delivery. Your role will be Project Delivery (PD) Centre of Expertise Head, reporting to the Enterprise Project Delivery Deputy Director and working collaboratively within this area and across the other Enterprise Portfolio Team (EPT) capabilities.

Responsibilities

• Lead a fast-paced, impactful team that supports the DNE in delivering major projects/programmes using project delivery best practice, providing expert PD advice, and support to senior leaders.
• Shape and drive how all aspects of Project Delivery are undertaken across the Enterprise, providing inclusive leadership and leading the strategy, definition and development of enterprise PD standards, guidance and principles.
• Drive adoption and wider implementation of PD standards across the Enterprise to increase the organisation\’s ability to deliver projects, programmes and portfolios consistently and successfully.
• Cultivate and manage relationships with internal and external stakeholders and facilitate collaborative working across the DNE, with an inclusive, people-centred approach to delivery.
• Collaborate with PD professionals within DNE, wider MOD and externally to inform the Enterprise policy, standards, guidance and principles for project delivery; seek out best practices and avoid duplication of effort.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on Project, Programme and Portfolio Management and Controls, Cost, Risk, and Schedule Management.
• Set enterprise-wide guidance and principles based on MOD and wider government frameworks, ensuring alignment with best practices and professional benchmarks.
• Maintain accessible repositories for PD standards, guidance, tools, templates and critical documents; develop and manage platforms (such as SharePoint) to ensure information is accessible, shared and up to date.
• Lead and/or support events, workshops and communication activities to foster knowledge sharing and professional development; facilitate training and knowledge sharing initiatives to align with enterprise-wide and government-wide PD standards.
• Provide technical expertise, support and guidance to ensure consistent application of policies and standards across the Enterprise.
• Embed a culture of ongoing refinement by incorporating Learning from Experience (LFE) into guidance, standards and policies to foster innovation and continuous improvement.
• Ensure appropriate delegation of tasks to those you line manage, driving a culture of learning and development.
• Champion Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DE&I) across everything you do, and support the implementation of the DNE EPT strategy and associated change activities.

Qualifications and Skills

Essential Skills:

• Previous experience of project delivery / programme and portfolio management, including leading a portfolio office and aligning strategy with enterprise / programme / portfolio delivery.
• Experience of complex portfolio and sub-portfolio data analysis and insights, including reporting to senior leaders to inform decision-making.
• Strong stakeholder management with a track record of influencing senior leaders and collaborating across organisational boundaries.
• Articulate communicator; ability to simplify technical language and convey insights clearly, including data visualisation for senior stakeholders.

Desirable Qualifications:

• Advanced Microsoft 365
• Government Project Delivery Accreditation
• Data modelling certifications and qualifications

Desirable Skills:

• Knowledge and experience of Defence or applicable sector
• Experience leading project delivery or sub-function centre of expertise / functional area
• Experience delivering transformational change across multiple portfolios in complex, government or industry settings
• Experience of Defence programme and portfolio management and/or military capability programme delivery
• Experience aligned to Government Project Delivery Profession or APM frameworks
• Experience of cross-government initiatives

Additional Information

Defence Nuclear Organisation – Enterprise Portfolio Team – Enterprise Project Delivery Centre of Expertise Head

Alongside a salary of £70,540, MOD contributes £20,435 to the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Benefits include learning and development, flexible working options, inclusion and diversity, Civil Service pension contributions, 25 days annual leave rising to 30 days, on-site facilities, cycle loan, and more. Hybrid and flexible working can be considered, but regular workplace attendance is required due to security constraints. The post does not offer relocation expenses. External recruits will be subject to a six-month probation period. Travel expenses for interviews are not reimbursed. The department is reviewing pay-related allowances which could impact related benefits. Some information may be provided through attached documents.

Security: Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and meet security requirements (developed vetting). Government staff must complete baseline personnel security standard checks. This post is classed as \’Reserved\’ under Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Application notes: Candidates should apply online via Civil Service Jobs, providing CV details, qualifications and a statement of suitability (500 words) addressing the Behaviours and Technical skills. Assessments will consider Leadership, Stakeholder engagement, Frameworks and Methodologies, Knowledge Management, and other listed skills. See the attached documents and Success Profiles guidance for format and evidence requirements. Artificial intelligence usage guidance and plagiarism warnings apply.

Public sector equality and diversity: The Civil Service promotes equality of opportunity. If you require reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, contact the resourcing team.

Important: This post is Reserved; sponsorship for skilled worker visas is not available. The MOD prohibits certain outside interests; successful candidates may be required to declare outside interests to assess conflicts of interest.