SDA HQ, Abbey Wood, Bristol, BS34 8JH Job Summary A note from Sir Chris Gardner KBE, CEO SDA Thank you for expressing an interest in the Head of Dreadnought Supply and Support Team role at the SDA. Procuring nuclear submarines is a national endeavour, one of the largest UK investment portfolios and of critical strategic importance. We design, build, support and dispose of a unique piece of military hardware which must take its crew to sea for months at a time, keeping them there in safety, whilst powered by a nuclear reactor. This is what makes a nuclear submarine the most complex machine that the United Kingdom makes and supports, and this means we need people with exceptional skills to successfully deliver. Reporting to my Director of Submarine Acquisition, I am looking to appoint a Head of Dreadnought Supply and Support to lead a team of circa 150 staff made up of civil servants, Royal Navy and Contractors, based at various locations around the UK and in the US. The post is based in Abbey Wood, Bristol, and is a critical role in supporting the SDA to deliver the Continuous at Sea Deterrence (CASD). This is a Senior Leadership Group role with current overall responsibility for managing delivery of all Government Furnished Equipment (GFX) to the DREADNOUGHT Programme and, with increasing importance and priority, the development and delivery of the training, logistics and supporting products (i.e. IKM solution) that are necessary to enable this class of submarines to operate once in service. Acting on behalf of Director Submarines Acquisition (DSMA) with full accountability for delivery of these critical aspects, the successful candidate will be required to work closely with other Directorates and Navy Command, and support initiatives within the SDA28 change programme. We would like to hear from successful senior leaders with expert technical, programme and project management credentials, likely to have been developed in the public sector, able to motivate and lead individuals and teams to deliver some of the most complex acquisition challenges in defence to the highest standards. We want someone who can take tough decisions, accept very significant responsibility, is adaptable and can work as part of a team to manage immense complexity. Job Description The Dreadnought Supply and Support Team (DSST) Head leads two principle areas of activity: Delivery of Transition into Service (TiS) activity including a comprehensive, modern support solution and training capability for both crew and support personnel that makes best use of the digital nature of the Dreadnought design; and Supply of government furnished materiel into the Dreadnought (DN) programme with MOD as a supplier (approximately 30% of the overall programme), including the supply of design data and components for the Strategic Weapons System and Common Missile Compartment (CMC), a joint programme with the US Department of Defence. This activity, conducted under the auspices of international agreements, is critical in terms of capability, schedule and our strategic relationship with the US. DSST Head can expect regular scrutiny of their performance at ministerial level. The ability to engage with a complex stakeholder map at the most senior levels, to inspire confidence and assurance in delivery of their key outputs, will be critical. The successful appointee will drive continuous improvement, and must bring focus, energy and professionalism to these crucial Dreadnought enablers in an environment that has regular ministerial and public interest. DSST Head is a key member of the DSMA’s leadership group, the Dreadnought Alliance governance structure, is a part of the SDA’s Senior Leadership Group (SLG), and has a responsibility to inspire people to achieve the SDA vision. This includes a commitment to broaden the diversity of the SDA workforce. The Dreadnought Supply and Support Team (DSST) Head leads two principle areas of activity: Delivery of Transition into Service (TiS) activity including a comprehensive, modern support solution and training capability for both crew and support personnel that makes best use of the digital nature of the Dreadnought design; and Supply of government furnished materiel into the Dreadnought (DN) programme with MOD as a supplier (approximately 30% of the overall programme), including the supply of design data and components for the Strategic Weapons System and Common Missile Compartment (CMC), a joint programme with the US Department of Defence. This activity, conducted under the auspices of international agreements, is critical in terms of capability, schedule and our strategic relationship with the US. DSST Head can expect regular scrutiny of their performance at ministerial level. The ability to engage with a complex stakeholder map at the most senior levels, to inspire confidence and assurance in delivery of their key outputs, will be critical. The successful appointee will drive continuous improvement, and must bring focus, energy and professionalism to these crucial Dreadnought enablers in an environment that has regular ministerial and public interest. DSST Head is a key member of the DSMA’s leadership group, the Dreadnought Alliance governance structure, is a part of the SDA’s Senior Leadership Group (SLG), and has a responsibility to inspire people to achieve the SDA vision. This includes a commitment to broaden the diversity of the SDA workforce. Person specification Please provide evidence of the following Essential Criteria in your Supporting Statement Essential Criteria Leadership and Project Delivery: Proven success in leading, aligning and delivering projects in large and complex portfolio/programmes. Significant experience in a technical discipline, particularly around large-scale manufacturing and construction. Experience of setting and managing contract delivery arrangements with a diverse, multinational supply chain. Extensive experience of working with senior stakeholders and facilitating/influencing decision making at board (or equivalent) level. Ability to determine the best means of satisfying requirements within the context of portfolio objectives and constraints i.e. developing solutions. Experience of leading teams through strategic change to improve the effectiveness and quality of team outputs. Desirable Criteria Experience of working within the Submarine Enterprise is highly desirable. Understanding of agile working The Successful Candidate Will Hold The Following Qualifications/ Memberships Chartership in engineering or project delivery. Alongside your salary of £76,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £22,017 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Learning and development tailored to your role An environment with flexible working options A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97% Selection process details This is an external competition, and we welcome applications from candidates in both the public or private sectors. To apply for this role, please submit your full application by email to DESHR-SCSRecruitmentmod.gov.uk. All applications will be acknowledged. All Applications Must Include The Following A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years. A separate Supporting Statement of no more than 2 pages in a word document providing clear evidence of how you meet the Essential Criteria laid out in the Person Specification As part of the application process, you are asked to complete a Diversity Monitoring questionnaire provided. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the characteristics, you have the option to select 'prefer not to say' but completion of the form is a mandatory part of the process, and your application will not be considered complete without it Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise. As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above. 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 developed vetting (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 developed vetting (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 : SCS Recruitment Team Email : DESHR-SCSRecruitmentmod.gov.uk Recruitment team Email : DESHR-SCSRecruitmentmod.gov.uk