About the job Job summary The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army. An exciting opportunity has become available within the Army Legal Services for a confident and experienced individual for the role of Claims and Litigation Higher Executive Officer (HEO). This role is key in assisting MOD appointed Legal Representatives in determining liability and defending cases brought against the MOD and Army. As the Claims and Litigation HEO, you will work within a team of Civil Servants and Military Officers, along with external civilian lawyers. The successful candidate will work under the civilian senior executive officer and will provide direct support to the MODs defence of litigation and other legal challenges, primarily through the disclosure process but also in respect of information requests and witness issues. This opportunity will place you at the centre of the majority of the personal injury litigation in which the Army faces. This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. Job description Responsibilities will include: Day-to-day administrative activity and will work to support the current Claims and Litigation Senior Executive Officer (SEO) There is a responsibility to provide administrative support to the Claims and Litigation lead, Directorate Army Legal Services (DALS) and Army Legal Services, in the capacity as one of two civilian focal points in relation to disclosure regarding claims brought against the Army Directly assisting in decisions made regarding litigation disclosure Responsibility for handling claims where those legally representing the Army require assistance in location of information, which directly impacts their decisions on liability. This will involve locating person specific data from Army Personnel Centre and approaching the relevant Unit/Regiment for details regarding the specified incidents listed within the claim. Liaison with departments within the Army Headquarters to obtain information will also be required, such as Field Army and Land Warfare Centre for personal holding records and mandatory training records. Sole responsibility for collation and production of such evidence to the relevant legal representatives The post holder will be responsible for ensuring relevant documents are authorised for external disclosure. This will involve assisting in the identity of the author/owner of the document and assisting them to determine if any items require redaction before external disclosure. The post holder will be familiar with relevant policy that enables advice to be given confidently, regarding sensitivities such as Operational Security and Personal Security Managing and updating the existing litigation case tracker in order to ensure fluid reporting and easily accessible information for Army Legal Services seniors at all times Ensuring that all responses from the Army are thorough and coherent Identifying and contacting potential witnesses, collaborating closely with them, including putting them in contact with the relevant legal representatives and providing any guidance required if they are unfamiliar with the processes Supporting the lead in maintaining the positive engagement between the Army and Department for Judicial Engagement Policy (DJEP),Ministry of Defence claims handlers and legal representatives in continuing to strengthen current relationships and continually seeking an improved, coherent, and streamlined approach Person specification This post will be highly visible and will need to engage with staff across the Army, Defence and beyond. The post holder will need to demonstrate they are: Experienced at working on complex issues with reputational risks in a timely and sensitive manner Well-organised and a proactive self-starter who takes responsibility for own tasks Excellent communication skills, able to engage and influence a range of different stakeholders (across all mediums) The ability to meet strict delivery deadlines by working through and with others Confident, resilient and able to provide appropriate challenge Possess an ability to prioritise and manage disparate and concurrent tasks Be conversant with the suite of O365 tools Ability to interact professionally with senior stakeholders Desirable Broad experience and understanding of Defence, the Army and its formations would be a benefit Experience of working within a legal environment would be beneficial but is not essential Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process: Making Effective Decisions Leadership Communicating and Influencing Working Together We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form: Communicating and Influencing Working Together Benefits 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. The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance. Other benefits for Army civil servants include: 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years service Highly competitive pension scheme Personal and professional development of skills Alternative working patterns for many roles Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle. Enhanced parental and adoption leave 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities Learning and Development opportunities tailored to your role Access to on-site gym Free parking 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/. We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role. A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career. 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. Things you need to know 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 complete a Civil Service Judgement Test and Civil Service Verbal 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 theyre 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. Civil Service Judgement Test 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. At application you will be asked to provide a CV including your full career history limited to 2 pages and a personal statement of no more than 500 words evidencing your skills and experience against the person specification. At application against the following behaviours - CV Personal statement Communicating and Influencing Working Together 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 interview you will be assessed against the following behaviours - Making Effective Decisions Leadership Communicating and Influencing Working Together Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed but these will be held in person at Army Headquarters Andover. We endeavour to keep to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs. 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: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3mod.gov.uk. 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. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. 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. Nationality requirements 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) 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. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information 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 : Gemma Harley Email : Gemma.harley127mod.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam3mod.gov.uk 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: infocsc.gov.uk.