Locations: The role is based in Army Headquarters Andover, with regular travel to London and occasional travel to other MOD sites. There is an expectation that a minimum of 60% of working time will be spent in the office. All work-related travel and subsistence costs will be reimbursed except when travelling to your base location in line with departmental policy.
Advertised working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time
Job summary
The Head of Policy and Secretariat represents the Permanent Under Secretary’s (PUS) policy and civilian adviser interests within the Army, as well as supporting the Army’s Director Resources in representing the PUS’s interests as Accounting Officer.
Sitting at the centre of the Army, they are the day-to-day lead interface between the Army, Ministers, PUS’s office and Military Strategic Headquarters and the Department of State machinery and business. They ensure Army policy, Parliamentary, Ministerial, Freedom of Information and wider correspondence activity is handled with pace, accuracy and sound judgement. Requiring strong political awareness, excellent judgement and the ability to translate complex Army issues into clear, evidence-based advice for senior decision-makers this role is critical to Army activity.
The post holder also provides an important source of counsel and challenge to the senior leaders across the Army on the conduct of Army and Departmental business from a policy and secretariat perspective. This includes standing attendance at senior boards including the Army Board, Executive Committee of the Army Board, the Army Performance and Risk Committee and the Army Employment Appeals Board.
A key leadership role, heading one of the Department’s largest and busiest secretariat functions, overseeing a high-volume portfolio of Parliamentary Questions, Ministerial correspondence, Freedom of Information requests and wider casework, often under statutory deadlines and public, Parliamentary and reputational scrutiny. The successful candidate will need to grip complex operational delivery, prioritise effectively under pressure, build resilience across the team and ensure that requirements are met within finite capacity.
Job description
- Leading the Army’s response to high profile and high-volume Parliamentary Questions, Ministerial Correspondence, Freedom of Information requests and correspondence handling for Army Command within statutory, Departmental and Government targets.
- Providing advice to Ministers and Other Government Departments (including No. 10) about all aspects of the Army and its contribution to the delivery of Government policies and MOD plans.
- Providing evidence-based policy advice to the Land Operations Command, aligned with wider Army, MOD and Government priorities.
- Advising the Army leadership, Executive Committee of the Army Board and its sub committees regarding Ministerial, Parliamentary, presentational and reputational handling.
- Representing Ministerial and Accounting Officer perspectives as an executive member of the Army Employment Appeals Board.
- Leadership, management and development of the Policy and Secretariat team, including the Army Historical Branch (c25 FTE).
- Functional leadership of the Policy, Strategy and Parliamentary Profession in the Army, setting standards for policy advice, secretariat delivery, professional development and resilience across the community.
- Manage a budget of c£50k for the commissioning of legal advice (both from Government Legal Department and outside Counsel).
Person specification
- Exceptional policy capability, with a proven ability to provide clear, evidence-based and politically aware advice on complex and sensitive issues.
- Strong written communication skills, with the ability to produce clear, well-structured submissions on complex issues and to mentor junior team members to develop the same capability.
- Excellent senior leadership capability, with the ability to motivate, develop and inspire a high-performing team operating under sustained pressure in complex and demanding environments.
- Strong judgement, resilience and grip, with the ability to prioritise competing priorities in a high-volume and fast-moving environment.
- Highly effective communication and influencing skills, with the confidence and credibility to engage, advise and challenge colleagues at very senior levels, including Ministers, senior military officers and senior civil servants.
- A clear understanding of how central Government operates, including the relationships between Ministers, the Permanent Secretary, senior officials, Parliament, and Departmental delivery bodies.
Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a strong field of candidates when there is a need to distinguish between candidates. This will be as a second sift, after the essential criteria has been considered:
- Understanding of how the Ministry of Defence operates.
- Experience of Parliamentary Business, Freedom of Information, Ministerial correspondence, media handling or other high-profile casework environments
- Experience of leading improvement, prioritisation or recovery activity in a high-pressure operational policy, secretariat or corporate services function.
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