Logistics Manager

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what's next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.

DE&S has recently been integrated into the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. The NAD Group brings together key Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisations to unite expertise across science, technology, procurement, infrastructure, and support to provide integrated capabilities faster and more efficiently for our armed forces and our allies. This is an exciting new opportunity to enable better ways of working and empower greater collaboration across Defence. For further information about the NAD Group, please visit: National Armaments Director Group - GOV.UK

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of 28.97%, to help make work for you.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you’ve been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained, or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.

As a Logistics Manager within Defence Munitions, you will lead the safe, secure and efficient management of weapons, explosives and associated equipment that support UK Defence operations across the globe. You will be accountable for the end-to-end management of warehouse and logistics activities, including the receipt, inspection, storage, maintenance, accounting, distribution and disposal of high-value and highly regulated inventory. This includes ensuring that military equipment and munitions are available, serviceable and ready to meet operational demands while maintaining strict compliance with safety, security, environmental and transport regulations.

You will lead teams of logistics operatives, providing clear direction, coaching and performance management to deliver operational outputs safely and effectively. The role carries responsibility for planning and executing complex logistics and processing activities, balancing customer requirements, workforce capacity, storage constraints and operational priorities to ensure delivery against demanding timescales. You will have direct responsibility for the safe operation of warehouse, explosives storage facilities, acting as a custodian for infrastructure, equipment and government assets.

A key aspect of the role is maintaining the physical and financial accountability of Defence inventory. You will ensure stock records are accurate, audit requirements are met, logistics information systems are maintained correctly, and inventory movements are processed in a timely manner. You will lead investigations into stock discrepancies, losses and anomalies, identify root causes and implement corrective actions to maintain confidence in inventory integrity.

Working within a highly regulated environment, you will be responsible for ensuring all activities are conducted in accordance with explosives safety regulations, dangerous goods legislation, quality management requirements, health and safety standards and security policies. This includes assessing operational risks, developing and implementing safe systems of work, assuring workforce competence, investigating incidents and accidents, and embedding lessons learned to drive continual improvement. The role requires sound judgement and the ability to make operational decisions that balance safety, compliance, customer requirements and business performance.

You will collaborate extensively with military units, delivery teams, engineers, supply chain specialists, customers, suppliers and senior leaders across Defence, providing authoritative advice on munitions management, logistics operations, ammunition safety and inventory governance. You may represent Defence Munitions at safety panels, project reviews and stakeholder forums, contributing specialist expertise to support future capability, operational readiness and risk management activities.

Please note that this is a 37 hour a week full-time role and carried out fully on-site 5 days a week.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead and develop teams delivering receipt, storage, maintenance and issue activities for Weapons Ordnance Munitions and Explosives (WOME).
• Manage complex logistics and warehouse operations, ensuring delivery against operational priorities and customer requirements.
• Act as the focal point for safety, security and compliance within your area of responsibility.
• Lead risk assessments and implement safe systems of work in highly regulated environments.
• Manage operational facilities, ensuring compliance with explosives, health and safety, environmental and security regulations.
• Provide expert advice to customers, stakeholders and senior managers on WOME logistics and operational activities.
• Drive continuous improvement through effective planning, problem solving and performance management.
• Lead investigations into incidents, inventory discrepancies and operational issues, ensuring lessons are identified and embedded.
• Manage the physical security and accountability of high-value Defence assets.
• Support major operational activities, including large-scale ammunition movements and replenishment operations.

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)

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

• Pre-sift - We will check your application to ensure that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
• Sift - Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills. Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.
• Interview - If you're invited to interview, you will be assessed against the following:
• CV Review
• Core Behaviour 1
• Core Behaviour 2
• Technical Competencies

Please Note: In the event of a tied score at interview, the Order of Merit will be distinguished based on the ranking of the assessed behaviours and competencies below:

• 1st: Core Behaviour 1
• 2nd: Core Behaviour 2
• 3rd: Technical Competencies
• 4th: CV Review

In the event of a further tie using the method above, we reserve the right to utilise the Lead criteria, and/or an additional assessment. Please note for this specific assessment, the Lead Criteria will be:

Leadership and management of a team in a regulated environment

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact department via email (NAD-Recruitment-Complaints@mod.gov.uk.) If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Complaints - Civil Service Commission

Offering at a lower level

If you’re not successful at interview, we may offer you a role at a lower level if this is a match for your skills and experience. If this applies to your application, you’ll be scored against criteria for the lower-level role and offers will be made in merit order. If you accept this position, you’ll be able to take advantage of opportunities to develop your career as part of our team.

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