SDA Project Manager

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent (CASD), and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence. At least one of four nuclear-armed submarines, supported by smaller attack submarines, is on patrol at all times: 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

At the SDA, we strive to Support, Deliver and Aspire and put our values at the heart of our recruitment process. We believe that everyone should feel comfortable to be themselves and be supported to do their best work. As part of a diverse and inclusive workforce, our team will find a community to belong to. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and different perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

The primary delivery location for this position is MOD Abbey Wood (South) Stoke Gifford, Bristol BS34 8JH or Devonshire Dock Complex, Bridge Road, Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria, LA14 1AF.

Please note, due to the level of security, this role is reserved for UK nationals only.

Hybrid and flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application.

This role is an integral part of the SSNA (Submersible Ship Nuclear AUKUS) Project Delivery (PD) team. They will report to the SSNA Project Manager 3 and work closely with Leaders to ensure the SSNA UK Programme of Record is successfully planned, executed and delivered.

They will support the management of the delivery of the programme's current phase to Time, Cost and Performance. Responsible for supporting project management activities including; project budgets, schedules, risks, issues, opportunities and the reporting of progress towards.

Job Purpose

• To deliver simple projects or elements of semi-complex projects using basic principles, tools and techniques to deliver a project.
• To lead these elements, developing business cases and project management plans or support in the development of these artefacts for control accounts of larger project delivery.
• Support the Project Management & Project Controls Management Programme Leads in creation of information to support in project planning, execution and delivery.
• Act as a key point of contact for internal team and successfully manage external stakeholders.

Roles & Responsibilities

• To act as co-ordinator of the SSNA programme Presentation material suite and supplementary reports ensuring all data remains topical on a regular basis.
• To support the management of the SSNA programme Governance and Management Information Reporting.
• To ensure appropriate SSNA Governance and Management Information Control is in place and is effective.
• To ensure corporate & reporting Drumbeats are being followed.
• To maintain Action Trackers.
• To conduct Secretariat duties for nominated Governance.
• To contribute towards the Statement of Requirement (SoR) for the SSNA Build Phase.

Specifically:

• Control of SSNA Project Delivery SharePoint site.
• Support the control of SSNA Governance and Management Information Reporting & associated action trackers
• Support the management team deployment of Standars of Excellence through secretariat of weekly and daily stand up meetings

Assurance

• Implement effective assurance activities to provide confidence in the quality and content of Governance and MI supplied by the SPA and Industry Partners (IPs).
• Facilitate forums and groups to drive Governance and MI focus and to support informed decision-making.

Strategy & Processes

• Establish alignment of processes across IPs & SPA for process and control to ensure consistency.
• Maintain drumbeat for governance and reporting
• Maintain SPA SSNA documents in Business Management System (ensuring new and updated document versions contain relevant digital signatures).

Integration

• Manage Governance and Management Information to ensure consistency and to maintain the integrity and accuracy of the whole programme view of risk & opportunity.
• Work with colleagues across the project controls functions to ensure coherency of analysis, interpretation, and key messages.

Analysis

• Develop awareness of SPA SSNA Project Delivery team monthly outputs and understand purpose of outputs such as CPR/VAR and learn to interpret data.

Data

• Support identification and capture of ‘inter-programme’ dependencies and work with others to ensure inter-programme dependencies are recorded, and appropriate ‘give’ / ‘get’ milestones are in the schedule.
• Ensure Governance and MI are aligned to data structures.
• Establish common approach (including data quality metrics) that enable delivery of high-quality baseline artefacts.
• Liaise with other teams to ensure delivery of timely data.
• Drive continuous improvement on Governance and MI quality and integrity.

As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process, or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.

If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by the SDA Recruitment Team. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team via the Help link.

5 GCSE grades 9-4 or equivalent, including English Language & Maths

Evidence of the Qualification/Licence/Membership will be required at interview.

All qualifications/licences/memberships declared must be held at point of application and be in date.

Open to UK nationals only.

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

At Sift, you will be assessed against the following;

Experience:

Personal Statement - This should be a maximum of 1000 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential and desirable requirements for the role. Candidates will be required to provide job history and qualification details.

Behaviours:

• Changing and Improving (CSBC3)
• Developing Self and Others (CSBC3)
• Managing a Quality Service (CSBC3)

Technical Competencies:

• Stakeholder management (Supervised Practitioner)
• Project Risk (Supervised Practitioner)

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following;

Experience:

Personal Statement/ Experience - The panel will ask questions about your personal statement. Exploring your Past Experiences, Key Achievements or Qualifications.

Behaviours:

• Working Together (CSBC3)
• Delivering at Pace (CSBC3)

Technical Competencies:

• Stakeholder management (Supervised Practitioner)
• Project Risk (Supervised Practitioner)

Please refer to the Civil Service Behaviours here and the Technical Skills Framework and Success Profile documents attached.

Interviews will be conducted on MS Teams.

The sift will be completed within 10 working days of the vacancy closing date. Interviews will be held on a date to be confirmed.

Requests to work flexibly and/or part time will be considered, taking into account business needs. Please note the salary will be pro-rata where part time hours are undertaken.

All employees joining Ministry of Defence who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

To be considered for this role, qualifications and/or memberships detailed must be held in full, prior to submitting your application.

This post does not offer any assistance with Relocation Allowances.

The post does NOT offer relocation expenses (move of home, excess fares or temporary transfer). Non-Standard move applicants will be eligible for the full package, subject to eligibility.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

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.

Please note the Civil Service Nationality Rules will also need to be met. The Civil Service Nationality Rules operate independently and in addition to the UK Immigration Rules and must be met before an individual can take up employment in the Civil Service. The Civil Service Nationality Rules do not apply to UK, Irish and Commonwealth nationals, or to those who are eligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme but do apply to all other nationalities- including EU/EEA nationals who are ineligible to apply to the EU Settlement Scheme.

This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative. Making the Civil Service a Great Place to Work for Veterans - GOV.UK

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.

If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact DBSFPCP-SRMResourcingSDA@mod.gov.uk

SDA Reward Offer - Working for SDA - Submarine Delivery Agency - GOV.UK

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.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

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