Strategic Command - Portfolio Analyst - #1719920

Northwood HQ, Greater London

Job Summary

Do you want an exciting role sitting at the heart of the organisation that delivers over 50 programmes across Defence?

UK Strategic Command (UKStratCom) is one of Defence’s four Commands. We support the MOD by making sure that joint capabilities such as medical services, training and education, intelligence and information systems are developed and managed across all five of the land, sea, air, space and cyber domains. We also manage overseas joint operations. The UKStratCom Headquarters’ staff provide the necessary strategy, planning, oversight, governance and assurance support to the Commander.

The UKStratCom Portfolio Office supports the Headquarters’ senior management team to discharge their responsibilities to the MOD’s Head Office by optimally coordinating the approval and delivery of the programmes and projects in the UKStratCom Portfolio.

The Performance Team is responsible for a collection of programmes and projects that support the delivery of UKStratCom’s objectives. Analysts in the team provide insight, information and support to seniors through a range of information sources and engagement with customers, to strengthen our portfolio governance and enable effective performance management across the portfolio. This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job Description

• Conducting quarterly reviews and analysis of Projects and Programmes assigned to you, collaborating and delivering at pace with other analysts, identifying and summarising common themes and trends.
• Contribute to the delivery of quarterly Portfolio Progress Group meeting to ensure it provides maximum benefit to the senior leadership team by sharing key Performance data, highlighting shortfalls, reviewing a range of critical Programmes through SRO Deep Dives, and chasing actions.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders by collaborating with Programme teams to provide advice and guidance on a multitude of topics.
• Taking responsibility for your performance to ensure it meets the required standards and understanding how your work contributes to MOD meeting its strategic objectives and priorities. Contribute to team planning activities to prioritise workload and achieve timely outputs.
• Develop and mature dependencies across the portfolio by developing a Dependencies Map, understanding the inter-relationships between programmes, where they rely on, or are relied on, by other projects, programmes, or organisations. Where programmes falter, ensure that the dependencies mapped against them are considered, and the impacts of delay/failure understood.
• Conducting quarterly reviews and analysis of Projects and Programmes assigned to you, collaborating and delivering at pace with other analysts, identifying and summarising common themes and trends.
• Contribute to the delivery of quarterly Portfolio Progress Group meeting to ensure it provides maximum benefit to the senior leadership team by sharing key Performance data, highlighting shortfalls, reviewing a range of critical Programmes through SRO Deep Dives, and chasing actions.
• Develop and maintain effective working relationships with stakeholders by collaborating with Programme teams to provide advice and guidance on a multitude of topics.
• Taking responsibility for your performance to ensure it meets the required standards and understanding how your work contributes to MOD meeting its strategic objectives and priorities. Contribute to team planning activities to prioritise workload and achieve timely outputs.
• Develop and mature dependencies across the portfolio by developing a Dependencies Map, understanding the inter-relationships between programmes, where they rely on, or are relied on, by other projects, programmes, or organisations. Where programmes falter, ensure that the dependencies mapped against them are considered, and the impacts of delay/failure understood.
  
  

Person specification

Project Delivery: The ideal candidate would have some experience of Project, Programme and Portfolio management (P3M), in particular in relation to Dependencies Management, but we encourage applications from candidates who show drive and passion for this area of project work.

Stakeholder Engagement: You will have experience of successful engagement and collaboration skills, allowing you to build and maintain effective relationships with both internal and external partners.

Analysis: You will be able to assimilate large quantities of information from a range of sources and manipulate data to provide insightful conclusions and recommendations, and be confident in presenting these to an audience at senior level.

ICT: You will be proficient in Microsoft Office packages such as Excel, PowerPoint, Word, Outlook.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
  
  

Alongside your salary of £36,530, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,582 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Role

This role offers excellent development prospects within the UKStratCom Portfolio Office and to firmly establish a career anchor within the Project Delivery profession. Working for the MOD includes:

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• Flexible Working arrangements
• 25 days’ paid annual leave, rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service, in addition to public holidays
• Enhanced parental leave
  
  

The Northwood Site Offers

• Onsite Gym / Parking / Nursery / Café
• Cycle to work scheme access
• Shuttle bus link to Met line
  
  

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this 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.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

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 however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. 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.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

Selection process details

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

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability. (500 words).

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV and/or Statement of suitability and the following:

• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
  
  

At Interview, You Will Be Assessed Against The Following

• Working Together
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
  
  

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.

• Please do not request extra time on the test - the test is not timed and this will put your application on hold*
  
  

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.

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.

Sifting will take place shortly after the closing date for applications, with interviews following soon after. Interviews will take place virtually via Teams/Skype or in person at Northwood HQ.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is 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: [email protected] .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to 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.

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

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

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

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.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).

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.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : Daniel Sage
• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: [email protected].