Tomlinson House, Norcross, Blackpool, Lancashire, FY5 3WP, Centurion Building, Gosport, PO13 9XA
Job Summary
Are you a dedicated person who is passionate about making a difference?
Would you like to work for the Ministry of Defence?
Defence Business Services (DBS) is one of the largest shared service organisations in Europe that provides a wide range of corporate services, to over 1.2 million end users, including serving and past military and families, as well as MoD civil servants and industry. DBS delivers large scale administration and smaller specialist services to enable the wider MOD to focus on its core aims, maintaining the UK’s Defence and Security. Services include Human Resources, Pay, Veterans, Finance and Procurement.
* Our Vision - To support UK defence customers with outstanding service every time.
* Our Mission – Together we will proudly support Defence, continuously improving and delivering flexible, timely, sustainable and value for money services that underpin the whole force and enhance operational capability.
DBS is committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues. We are building an inclusive culture and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society.
We want to maximise the potential of everyone who chooses to work for us through opportunities to develop your skills and experience. We also offer a range of flexible working patterns and support to make a fulfilling career accessible to you and offer a Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%. Where your role permits, we support a blended working approach alternatively known as hybrid working.
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.
DBS has recently undertaken a review of its operational locations in the North West and have consolidated all activities in Norcross,Blackpool. A further move, to a new Government Hub at Talbot Gateway in Blackpool, is scheduled to take place in 2027.
Come and join the DBS community today!
https://youtu.be/gUw0ToaRGgk
Job Description
The Veterans Services Operations Support Team provides a range of services which assist War Pensions (WPS) and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes (AFCS) Teams, Leaders and Senior Managers within the Veterans Services area of AFVS, this largely concerns the production, distribution, analysis and presentation of flightpaths, weekly and monthly statistics relating to AFCS and WPS claims and appeals, clearances and holdings against agreed KPIs and targets. This is a management role and you will manage a small team consisting of an EO and AO.
This team provides data-based evidence and insight across compensation Operations regarding long-term future workforce trends, medium and short-term workforce plans and the experience and dynamics of our workforce today. These outputs ensure our people plans, policies and processes are data driven and evidence based, employing expert forecasting, workforce planning, and people analytics using qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
Role Requirements
The technical aspect of the role will require the successful candidate to demonstrate a high level of competence with the following tools or have the digital proficiency and willingness to undertake training in these areas:
* MS Excel: including the generation of graphs, tables, pivot charts, pivot tables, complex formulas, VBA and be comfortable manipulating data to generate various ‘what if’ scenarios to forecast the impact of changeable workloads and resources.
* SQL: Working understanding of how to maintain and interrogate existing databases, upon which a number of WPS-specific statistics rely, including the running of queries and the importing of data into existing tables.
* Familiarity with SharePoint and its associated ways of working is also assumed.
You will be responsible for overseeing and managing the production and distribution of weekly and monthly WPS and AFCS statistics, updating flightpaths and facilitating weekly performance calls with SLT and ELT. You will assist the Senior Leaders to forecast and plan resource-requirements based on historical actuals and emerging trends
You will report directly to the senior management team, working to deliver predominantly existing key outputs and deliverables in a dynamic environment, where the necessity to forecast the outcome of differing and specific scenarios at short-notice is often a priority.
You should have a strong teamwork ethos, have the ability to deliver at pace, be flexible and adaptable in your approach where you can demonstrate strong team-working ethics and motivate yourself to achieve target-driven goals. You should be able to drive continuous improvement and have the ability to adapt to change including moving to overlay requirements across new computer systems (e.g. Compendia Touch and Compose) brought about by transformation.
The Veterans Services Operations Support Team provides a range of services which assist War Pensions (WPS) and Armed Forces Compensation Schemes (AFCS) Teams, Leaders and Senior Managers within the Veterans Services area of AFVS, this largely concerns the production, distribution, analysis and presentation of flightpaths, weekly and monthly statistics relating to AFCS and WPS claims and appeals, clearances and holdings against agreed KPIs and targets. This is a management role and you will manage a small team consisting of an EO and AO.
This team provides data-based evidence and insight across compensation Operations regarding long-term future workforce trends, medium and short-term workforce plans and the experience and dynamics of our workforce today. These outputs ensure our people plans, policies and processes are data driven and evidence based, employing expert forecasting, workforce planning, and people analytics using qualitative and quantitative research techniques.
The Technical Aspect Of The Role Will Require The Successful Candidate To Demonstrate a High Level Of Competence With The Following Tools Or Have The Digital Proficiency And Willingness To Undertake Training In These Areas:
* MS Excel: including the generation of graphs, tables, pivot charts, pivot tables, complex formulas, VBA and be comfortable manipulating data to generate various ‘what if’ scenarios to forecast the impact of changeable workloads and resources.
* SQL: Working understanding of how to maintain and interrogate existing databases, upon which a number of WPS-specific statistics rely, including the running of queries and the importing of data into existing tables.
* Familiarity with SharePoint and its associated ways of working is also assumed.
You will be responsible for overseeing and managing the production and distribution of weekly and monthly WPS and AFCS statistics, updating flightpaths and facilitating weekly performance calls with SLT and ELT. You will assist the Senior Leaders to forecast and plan resource-requirements based on historical actuals and emerging trends
You will report directly to the senior management team, working to deliver predominantly existing key outputs and deliverables in a dynamic environment, where the necessity to forecast the outcome of differing and specific scenarios at short-notice is often a priority.
You should have a strong teamwork ethos, have the ability to deliver at pace, be flexible and adaptable in your approach where you can demonstrate strong team-working ethics and motivate yourself to achieve target-driven goals. You should be able to drive continuous improvement and have the ability to adapt to change including moving to overlay requirements across new computer systems (e.g. Compendia Touch and Compose) brought about by transformation.
Person specification
We’re interested in people who have that unique mix of technical skills and soft skills. Who are comfortable working independently, but also know when to engage and collaborate with others.
Our Ideal Candidate Has:
* Analytical and problem-solving skills
* Understanding of SQL and query-crafting
* Skills and experience managing sensitive data and information
* Experience using software for data visualisation
* Proven IT experience
* Effective communication and stakeholder management skill
* Desirably, an interest in how digital products and services are developed
* Be the focal point for receiving and answering ad-hoc statistical queries from AFVS UK Senior Managers.
* Confidence to report weekly/monthly/FYTD/RYTD statistics to Veterans Services Command Leaders and Senior Managers, determining and analysing emerging trends to assist with resource- and capacity-planning.
* Contribute to regular reviews of team activity with the aim of identifying improvements and new ways of working to deliver best in class.
* Undertake mandatory training courses as appropriate, to maintain required standards.
* Provide flexible support to other members of the Team.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Seeing the Big Picture
* Leadership
* Managing a Quality Service
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
* Seeing the Big Picture
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.
* An environment with flexible working options Monday-Friday
* 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years' service (pro rata). In addition to 8 public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for the King's birthday
* Hybrid working, where role permits
* An opportunity to be considered for Reward & Recognition
* Family friendly policies including parental leave and adoption leave
* Learning and development tailored to your role
* Professional and personal development of skills
* A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
* Minimum of 15 days special leave in a rolling 12 month period for volunteer reserve commitments
* Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days per year
* A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
Allowances
This post does not offer relocation expenses.
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.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Employment Hours
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.
Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.
Applications Will Be Sifted On All Success Profile Elements, But In The Event Of a High Number Of Applications, An Initial Sift Will Be Conducted On The Following Success Profile Elements:
Primary: Career - Personal Statement
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
Behaviours:
* Seeing the Big Picture
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.
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 Personal Statement in no more than 750 words detailing the following:
Please provide information of how you meet the criteria set out in the job description. You may wish to further include examples of how you have tackled similar tasks or demonstrated the skills outlined in the job advert.
Behaviours:
At interview you will be assessed against the following:
* Leadership
* Managing a Quality Service
* Working Together
* Delivering at Pace
In The Rare Case Where Individuals Have Exact Matching Scores, The Order Of Merit Will Be Determined Based On The Behaviour Scores At Interview In The Following Order:
* Behaviour - Managing a Quality Service
* Behaviour - Delivering at Pace
* Behaviour - Working Together
* Behaviour - Leadership
If Candidate Scores Are Still Exact, The Merit Order Will Then Be Determined On The Sift Score In The Following Order:
* Career - Personal Statement
* Career - CV
* Behaviour - Seeing the Big Picture
We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn’t always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months.
Application sifting to take place late May
Interviews are currently taking place via the following method: MS Teams
Interviews will be conducted early June
A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews.
We endeavour to stick to these dates, 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: DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk
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 Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
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.
The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and 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.
To assist with your application please find attached -
DBS Candidate Information Guide - Working for Defence Business Services - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
(26) UK Ministry of Defence: Life, LinkedIn
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
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.
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 : Georgina Apperley
* Email : georgina.apperley100@mod.gov.uk
* Telephone : 03001574586
Recruitment team
* Email : DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk
Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@MOD.gov.uk in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/ #J-18808-Ljbffr