HR Operations Support

Do you want to support the Royal Air Force (RAF) – the Air and Space force of the Ministry of Defence?

The RAF’s success depends on their people – the Whole Force – regular and reservist military, civil servants, and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly. Civil servants are a central part of this Whole Force, undertaking essential work and contributing to the RAF’s mission and values. The role of civil servants in Defence is more vital than ever – now and for the future.

This is an exciting opportunity for two organised and proactive individuals, with strong communication skills and an eye for detail, to play an important role in the management of the RAF’s civilian workforce (c. 4000 employees). These roles sit within the Air Civilian Workforce Management Team, whose primary responsibility is to support and maintain a skilled and efficient civilian workforce of the right size, shape and capability, for now and in the future. Air’s Civilian Workforce Management Team is an integral part of the RAF Strategic Workforce Planning and Recruitment business area, providing insightful civilian workforce advice to teams and senior leaders across the Air and Space Command.

Working in a dynamic environment, the post holders will support the delivery of a broad range of workforce activity, from recruitment, internal moves and position management through to civilian casework, apprenticeships, and talent. They will work closely with key stakeholders and colleagues across Air and Space Command, providing advice, coordinating activity and ensuring workforce processes are delivered accurately, effectively and efficiently.

These roles offer a great opportunity to gain experience across workforce management, build relationships with a wide range of stakeholders and contribute directly to the effective management of Air and Space Command's civilian workforce.

These positions are advertised at 37 hours per week, based at Headquarters Air and Space Command, RAF High Wycombe. These roles are suitable for hybrid working, blending a balance of attendance in the workplace (minimum 60% of working hours at the permanent duty station, RAF High Wycombe) and working from home as a personal choice.

On a day-to-day basis, the HR Operations Support will work in a diverse, fast-paced environment, co-ordinating and supporting a varied range of workforce activity across Air’s civilian workforce.

The successful candidates will undertake a variety of tasks, including, but not limited to:

• Delivering civilian workforce processes across areas such as recruitment, internal moves, position management and wider people activity, ensuring requests and actions are progressed accurately and effectively.
• Coordinating wider workforce initiatives and opportunities, working with colleagues and stakeholders to contribute to activity across areas such as apprenticeships and workforce development.
• Providing advice and guidance to customers and stakeholders, responding to queries and applying relevant policies, processes and guidance to resolve routine matters and progress requests.
• Reviewing and progressing workforce requests, assessing information, completing appropriate checks and actions, and escalating more complex or sensitive matters when required.
• Maintaining accurate information and records, monitoring activity, following up outstanding actions and contributing to effective governance and assurance.
• Contributing to an effective and continuously improving service, working collaboratively across the team and identifying opportunities to improve processes, guidance and ways of working.

View more about Civil Service careers at the Ministry of Defence:

Ministry of Defence Careers - Our roles are anything but uniform (Youtube)

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)

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

You will first be asked to complete one online test - the Civil Service Judgement Test (CSJT). If successful at this stage, you will proceed to be able to complete the rest of the application. This test must be completed as part of the initial stage of the application process and before the closing date. Please note this test is not timed. Guidance on the CSJT can be found here: Preparing for the Civil Service Judgement Test - GOV.UK

A 750 word statement of suitability and CV will be required for this position; this cannot be uploaded to the advert. You will submit using the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard detailing your job history and previous skills and experience.

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV, statement of suitability, and the following:

Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Applications will be sifted on all Success Profile elements, but in the event of a high number of applications, the sift will be conducted on the lead Behaviour only – Making Effective Decisions.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service

Sifting will take place within 2 weeks of the closing date and all applicants will be notified of the result through CS Jobs.

Interviews will take place in person at RAF High Wycombe, HP14 4UE at a date and time to be confirmed.

Applicants should provide specific examples of the behaviours being tested. It may be helpful to use the STAR format for answers Situation, Task, Action and Result – with the bulk of the answer in the Action area demonstrating what the applicant’s actions were and how they contributed to completion of the task. Applicants are strongly recommended to use the maximum 250 words per statement to provide the required evidence. Comprehensive coverage on Success Profiles can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles

Candidates will be required to complete an online Civil Service Judgement test.

The Civil Service Judgement Test is not bankable and therefore must be taken on every vacancy where it is applied.

Should you be invited to complete the online tests, please allow sufficient time to complete the tests and the remainder of the full application form; only candidates who are successful at the test stage will be invited to complete the remainder of the application by clicking ‘Submit Application’. Your application must be completed by 23:55 on the closing date of the vacancy. Late submissions cannot be accepted. The tests are not timed, as they work by giving you harder questions if you answer the previous question correctly, and easier if you get it wrong. You should allow up to an hour for each test, and each test must be completed before you will be invited to complete the second part of your application. Internet access will be required for the duration of the test. Please refer to the attached Candidate Guidance for further information.

Candidates that reach the minimum required pass mark will have their results saved as a banked score against the following tests:

• New Civil Service Verbal Test
• New Civil Service Numerical Test

When a candidate has a banked score they’re not asked to re-take the same test providing it is set at the same level. Scores will be banked for a 6 month period from the date of test completion. If a candidate is invited to take the same test against multiple vacancies, the banked score will be recognised against all vacancies and all active applications will progress.

CSJT scores cannot be banked as each test is generated from the behaviours required for a specific role which will vary between recruitment campaigns.

If you require any particular arrangements (for example due to a disability or health problem) to be made in order for you to complete the online test you MUST contact the DBS Enquiry Centre on 0800 345 7772 BEFORE accessing the online test.

Opening times Mon -Friday 0800- 1600 hrs.

Further information:

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.

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. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It 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.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.