Secretary to Chief Officer

Chief Officer Sovereign Base Areas & Command Secretary British Forces Cyprus Join to apply for the Chief Officer Sovereign Base Areas & Command Secretary British Forces Cyprus role at UK Ministry of Defence Chief Officer Sovereign Base Areas & Command Secretary British Forces Cyprus Join to apply for the Chief Officer Sovereign Base Areas & Command Secretary British Forces Cyprus role at UK Ministry of Defence The Chief Officer plays a The Chief Officer plays a crucial role in overseeing the civil administration of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) and is responsible to the Administrator for the delivery of high-quality civil administration of the SBAs. The SBAs are the only overseas territory administered and funded by the MOD. The Chief Officer is responsible for ensuring their good governance and for the continued effective use of the military bases located there; for the development and maintenance of on-island relationships, including with the Republic of Cyprus, local communities, and with the British High Commission in Nicosia; and for the administration of the SBA Courts (including support to a Resident Judge seconded from the UK). The Chief Officer leads a team of 16 UK Based Civilians (UKBCs) and some 360 locally engaged civilians (LECs) including police, customs & immigration and a wide range of other specialist areas. The Chief Officer is ‘double hatted’ as the Command Secretary British Forces Cyprus (BFC) responsible to the Commander British Forces (who is also the Administrator). As Command Secretary, the post-holder provides strategic direction and leadership to a team of 13 UKBCs and some 30 LECs and is responsible for: providing policy and secretariat advice to the Commander British Forces Cyprus; for business support and budget management of a BFC/SBAA annual budget of some £210M; the delivery of local civilian HR (strategic, policy, processes, transactional, and industrial relations) for some 1400 LEC workforce; Leading the SBAA Administration to deliver the full range of statutory and other civil functions that underpin the sovereignty of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) as a British Overseas Territory, including prioritising and commissioning legislation, policing and security, customs and immigration, management and function of the courts, the prison, fiscal processes, environmental protection, regulatory responsibilities, civil resilience and local administration including close oversight of the new ‘local plan’ and business licencing. As the Command Secretary British Forces Cyprus (BFC) lead the team and ensure the provision of policy and secretariat advice to the Commander British Forces Cyprus; for business support and budget management of a BFC/SBAA annual budget of some £210M; the delivery of local civilian HR processes. Building on an existing programme of modernisation across the breadth of the SBAA including infrastructure, digital, processes and skills, maintaining and building on support from relevant agencies in the UK. This includes prison reform, a new police IT system, the introduction of probation and modernised ‘place-making’ services. Establishing and maintaining strong and effective working relationships with the RoC government, Cypriot community leaders and other key senior stakeholders on island. Deliver positive outcomes for the communities and promote a positive reputation for the SBAA/BFC and the MOD to enable the effective and uninterrupted operation of the UK’s military bases and strategic assets. Lead a comprehensive risk management process to identify, mitigate and monitor the risk inherent in the complex relationships across BFC/SBAA, as well as wider continuous improvement of BFC/SBAA processes in line with best practise. Leading the SBAA Administration to deliver the full range of statutory and other civil functions that underpin the sovereignty of the Sovereign Base Areas (SBAs) as a British Overseas Territory, including prioritising and commissioning legislation, policing and security, customs and immigration, management and function of the courts, the prison, fiscal processes, environmental protection, regulatory responsibilities, civil resilience and local administration including close oversight of the new ‘local plan’ and business licencing. As the Command Secretary British Forces Cyprus (BFC) lead the team and ensure the provision of policy and secretariat advice to the Commander British Forces Cyprus; for business support and budget management of a BFC/SBAA annual budget of some £210M; the delivery of local civilian HR processes. Building on an existing programme of modernisation across the breadth of the SBAA including infrastructure, digital, processes and skills, maintaining and building on support from relevant agencies in the UK. This includes prison reform, a new police IT system, the introduction of probation and modernised ‘place-making’ services. Establishing and maintaining strong and effective working relationships with the RoC government, Cypriot community leaders and other key senior stakeholders on island. Deliver positive outcomes for the communities and promote a positive reputation for the SBAA/BFC and the MOD to enable the effective and uninterrupted operation of the UK’s military bases and strategic assets. Lead a comprehensive risk management process to identify, mitigate and monitor the risk inherent in the complex relationships across BFC/SBAA, as well as wider continuous improvement of BFC/SBAA processes in line with best practise. Extensive stakeholder management experience with the ability to engage with a diverse set of stakeholders to reach consensus. Experience of implementing policies and strategies, using an evidence-based approach to evaluate a full range of options comprehending their impacts and delivering the right solution. Candidates will require a full driving licence. Desirable Criteria May Be Used In The Event Of a Strong Field Of Candidates When There Is a Need To Distinguish Between Candidates. Programme management experience or understanding of HR processes would be of benefit. An understanding/prior experience of Home Office policy and the UK criminal justice system. Good financial management of sizeable budgets and financial programming; provision of sound financial advice and assurance to senior leaders. 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. An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the advertisement listed for this role. This should be completed no later than 23:55 Sunday 29 June 2025 and will involve providing the two documents outlined below via the Civil Service Jobs portal: A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) explaining how your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role.