Navy Command - Team Plymouth Defence Growth Deal Lead

At Navy Command, we lead, support, and sustain the Royal Navy across every theatre of operations. We coordinate the people, platforms, and missions that keep the Fleet ready for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we uphold centuries of naval tradition while driving innovation that ensures the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect our nation and secure our future.

As the authority for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine capability, the Submarine Directorate oversees one of the most complex and critical elements of UK defence. Covering everything from in‑service management to long‑term fleet modernisation, the directorate ensures the Submarine Flotilla remains safe, reliable, and ready to meet national security requirements.

You'll be based at HMNB Devonport, the largest naval base in Western Europe and a powerhouse of Royal Navy capability. It is home to amphibious ships, survey squadrons, submarines, and two-thirds of the frigate force. With its unique nuclear refitting facility, Devonport ensures the Fleet remains ready to support operations worldwide.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Team Plymouth is a partnership between Babcock, the Royal Navy and Plymouth City Council, working across the city with private sector partners, the Ministry of Defence and national Government. It will deliver the workforce, infrastructure and wider business ecosystem required to drive inclusive, sustainable long-term growth and defence capability for the nation.

What you'll be doing:

• The Team Plymouth MoD Defence Growth Deal Lead provides strategic leadership, governance oversight and delivery direction for the Defence Growth Deal programme within the wider Team Plymouth portfolio, ensuring alignment with Team Plymouth priorities, broader MoD objectives and wider Government growth ambitions.
• The role is responsible for maintaining the Defence Growth Deal programme’s strategic coherence with the Team Plymouth portfolio and wider vision, providing leadership, senior stakeholder engagement and assurance that sufficient resource, governance and focus are in place to deliver agreed outcomes for Plymouth in a fast-paced and evolving environment.
• As part of an integrated delivery team, the Team Plymouth MoD Defence Growth Deal Lead works with, and where required deputises for, the MoD Partnership Director / Programme Lead to define, plan, oversee and deliver the Defence Growth Deal programme effectively within the wider Team Plymouth
• Line management responsibility for 1 x MoD Technical Lead, with delivery exercised through a wider matrix of civilian and military colleagues as required to support Team Plymouth and Defence Growth Deal outcomes.
• Building consensus around a shared Team Plymouth vision and clear sense of purpose among key stakeholders.
• Representing the MoD Partnership Director / Programme Lead, where appropriate, in pursuit of Team Plymouth and Defence Growth Deal outcomes.
• Acting as a key link between MoD, Team Plymouth partners and wider stakeholders to support engagement, information flow and improved operational outcomes
• Providing strategic insight, advice and clear communication to support senior leaders and informed decision-making on Defence Growth Deal priorities.

Degree-level qualification (Level 6 or equivalent experience) in a relevant discipline such as leadership, business, policy, programme delivery or a related field.

Open to UK nationals only.

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

Selection process

As part of Defence Reform, Navy Command continues to review and evolve its Target Operating Model to support more agile ways of working. In this context, the role and responsibilities of this role may develop over time to reflect changing business priorities and opportunities.

At Sift, you will be assessed against the following;

• Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history and qualification details.
• Candidates will be required to provide a personal statement. This should be a maximum of 500 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential requirements for the role.

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following success profiles:

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

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.