UK Ministry of Defence
CSM - Secretariat and Board Manager
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Bristol, London
Job Summary
Are you ready to support one of the most ambitious transformation programmes in Defence? Corporate Services underpin the daily operations of 250,000 people across Defence. From payroll to procurement, these services are critical to mission success. MOD is modernising HR, Finance, and Commercial services through policy, process, organisational, data, and systems transformation, aligned with the Government Shared Services Strategy. More information on the Shared Services agenda can be found through this link: A Shared Services Strategy for Government - GOV.UK.
Our Ambition Is To:
- Enhance user experience through simplified processes, intuitive systems, and responsive support.
- Enable data-driven decision-making using Oracle ERP, HCM, and EPM technologies, integrated analytics, and AI.
- Improve productivity and efficiency by automating transactions, optimising shared service centres, and reducing costs for reinvestment into frontline Defence.
The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Secretariat and Board Manager to support the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) Programme, a top strategic priority for Defence.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Due to the nature of the role, part time and job share arrangements may be considered, subject to the requirement that full-time hours are fully covered (or business needs are met).
Job Description
The Secretariat and Board Manager runs the full secretariat across all Corporate Services Modernisation governance fora. The role organises and services the boards, commissions and quality assures papers, drafts minutes, logs decisions and actions, and coordinates with senior stakeholders ahead of each board, ensuring CSM governance operates effectively and that decisions are recorded and followed up.
The role reports to the Head of Governance and operates the secretariat within the governance framework that the Head of Governance owns. It delivers the secretariat element of the governance and secretariat accountability that the CSM business plan places with the Deputy Director and PMO Director. The Head of Governance assures this function and approves governance minutes and actions.
Key Responsibilities
Secretariat Delivery
- Provide the full secretariat function for all CSM governance, including the Sponsor Group, Portfolio Board, Business Design Authority and Technical Design Authority. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3; GovS 002 section 4.3)
- Commission and collate papers, organise agendas, draft minutes, log decisions and ensure actions are followed up. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)
- Quality assure board papers ahead of meetings, ensuring they are fit for purpose and submitted on time. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)
Board Coordination
- Coordinate with senior stakeholders, including Senior Officials' offices, ahead of each board to ensure effective delivery of corporate governance. (Project Support Officer 3)
- Maintain board schedules, forward agendas and the cycle of meetings across the governance calendar. (Project Support Officer 3)
Records, Decisions and Actions
- Maintain accurate decision logs and action trackers, ensuring decisions are recorded and actions resolved without needing intervention from outside the team. (GovS 002 section 4.3)
- Maintain the governance record as an auditable evidence base, submitting minutes and actions to the Head of Governance for approval. (GovS 002 section 7.8)
Continuous Improvement of Board Operation
- Work with senior stakeholders to develop and continuously improve how boards are run and managed, providing constructive challenge. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)
- Build a portfolio-level view of governance, understanding dependencies between the various fora and communicating risks, issues and opportunities effectively and at pace. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)
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Flexible Governance Support
- Work flexibly across the governance function, providing ad hoc support in a changing environment, such as supporting the risk management practice or performance reporting processes. (Project Support Officer 3)
Boundaries
The role operates the secretariat but does not own the following, which sit with the Head of Governance:
- The governance management framework, board operating rhythms, terms of reference and decision rights: designed and owned by the Head of Governance. This role operates the boards within that framework.
- Approval of governance minutes and actions: the Head of Governance assures the secretariat and approves its outputs. This role drafts and maintains them.
Person Specification
Essential
- Experience providing a full governance and secretariat function for senior boards in complex stakeholder environments.
- A proven track record of delivering high-profile governance work to the highest standards in ambiguous environments with competing priorities, adapting outputs to business need.
- Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to work to challenging deadlines and manage escalated issues in a timely manner.
- Proficiency in Microsoft products, including Power BI.
Desirable
- A formal project or programme management qualification.
- Experience in a large-scale, complex organisation comparable to the MOD, ideally in the Defence sector.
- Experience of working within a business operations or corporate services environment.
Technical Competencies
Proficiency scale: A = Awareness, W = Working, P = Practitioner, E = Expert. Levels reflect the Governance and Reporting Manager 3 profile, with Stakeholder engagement uplifted from the Project Delivery Capability Framework baseline of Awareness to Working to reflect this role's coordination with Senior Officials' offices ahead of every board.
| Competency | PDCF role family | Required Level |
|---|---|---|
| Governance | Governance and Reporting Manager 3 | P |
| Stakeholder engagement (uplifted: senior office coordination) | Governance and Reporting Manager 3 | W |
| Frameworks and methodologies | Governance and Reporting Manager 3 | W |
| Risk and issue management | Governance and Reporting Manager 3 | A |
| Knowledge management | Project Support Officer 3 | P |
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Additional Benefits
Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
- 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%
FTA
The CSM portfolio is recruiting to two-year FTAs, with the possibility of extension subject to business requirements and approvals.
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If you are a permanent MOD civil servant and are successful in securing an advertised Fixed-Term Appointment (FTA), it may be possible to agree a Temporary Transfer, subject to the agreement of your current MOD business area. Where a Temporary Transfer is agreed and the post is at a higher grade, any promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer.
Existing Civil Servants from outside MOD and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant, including arrangements regarding grade on return
Hybrid Working
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.
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
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