UK Ministry of Defence
Deputy Director Strategic Partnering
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London MoD Main Building with regular travel to MOD Bristol, Abbeywood.
Job Summary
The Deputy Director for Strategic Partnering operates within the Options Development area of the Plans & Portfolio Directorate, which forms part of the National Armaments Director Group.
Options Development acts as a front door into the National Armaments Director Group, working across the Ministry of Defence, Front Line Commands, industry, academia and international partners to understand demand, shape problems and connect decision-makers with the expertise they need. We are building a genuinely collaborative, One Defence approach - one that reduces duplication, improves coherence and helps Defence focus its effort on what matters most.
This role is about people and partnerships. You will lead strategic engagement across Defence, build trusted relationships at the most senior levels, and create the conditions for diverse teams to come together and solve complex challenges. You will help shape priorities, enable better decisions and ensure that commissioned activity remains aligned to Defence's strategic objectives.
Just as importantly, you will help build the organisation itself. We want Options Development to be a place where accountability, collaboration, adaptability and continuous improvement are more than values on a page. We are creating a Directorate that is scalable, data-led and constantly learning - empowering our people to challenge constructively, innovate confidently and deliver outcomes that make a tangible difference. We are looking for an inclusive and authentic leader who is comfortable working through complexity, building trust across organisational boundaries and turning ideas into action. Someone who takes ownership of outcomes, who values partnership over hierarchy, and who is motivated by enabling others to succeed.
This is a unique opportunity to shape a new organisation, influence decisions at the heart of Defence, and help build the relationships, systems and ways of working that will underpin Defence's future success. If that excites you, we would be delighted to hear from you.
Job Description
The Deputy Director Strategic Partnering has the following areas of responsibility:
- Lead strategic engagement for NA-Plans& Portfolios with a wide range of stakeholders across Defence and wider HMG, building strong relationships for the NAD Group; influencing Departmental thinking, and co-creating Defence problem statements that enable the NAD Group to deliver upon strategic intent.
- Provide strategic oversight of the NAD Group Front Door, ensuring all new commissions and requests are effectively triaged, prioritised and aligned to Defence priorities, available resources and affordability constraints.
- Direct the development and deployment of flexible, cross-functional delivery teams, bringing together expertise from across Commands, International, Industrial, Science & Technology, Digital and other specialist areas including OGDs to address complex and emerging Defence challenges.
- Influence decision-making at the most senior levels, working with Department of State, Military Strategic Headquarters (MSHQ), Defence Nuclear Enterprise, Front Line Commands and corporate functions to build collaborative and effective strategic relationships that embody the One Defence ways of working.
- Lead on emerging strategic delivery asks on the NADG, developing pragmatic and efficient ways forward while working in partnership with NAD Strategy and wider Corporate to ensure plans are aligned to NAD Strategy and the NAD Group Area Plan.
- Lead organisational performance and continuous improvement within ODD, strengthening business operations, governance and process ownership through data-driven insight, innovative ways of working and the adoption of digital tools to improve efficiency and effectiveness.
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Person specification
To Be Successful With Your Application, You’ll Need To Be Able To Demonstrate The Following 5 Essential Criteria (please Reference Each Of These In Your Supporting Statement)
- A visible leader, with a proactive commitment to diversity and inclusion and demonstrable experience of creating and maintaining a psychologically safe and inclusive environment while driving positive outcomes
- Demonstrable evidence of confidently leading people, challenging cultures and leading change while building strong and collaborative relationships
- Command the confidence of senior leaders across Defence through exceptional stakeholder engagement and communication, building trusted networks and translating complex technical issues into compelling strategic narratives that influence decisions and deliver positive outcomes at the highest levels
- A track record of creating a culture of innovation, for example through flexible deployment models, the use of data and analytics, and driving improvement on challenging issues
- Experience of working across Policy/Strategy and delivery boundaries while leveraging a sound understanding of Defence and national security
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £93,600, Ministry of Defence contributes £27,115 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%
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
How To Apply
This is an external competition and we welcome applications from candidates in both the public or private sector. To apply for this post, you will need to submit the following documents, via the following link provided by 23:55 on Friday 4th September 2026.
- A copy of CV preferably in MS Word format setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps.
- A Supporting Statement of no more than 1500 words (font Arial, size 11), outlining how you consider your personal skills, leadership attributes, qualities and experience match the essential criteria set out in the attached candidate pack. Applications that exceed the word limit will not be considered. For assistance with Supporting Statements or if you experience any technical issues with submitting your application, please do reach out to the recruitment team prior to the closing deadline. Late submissions will not be considered.
AFTER YOU’VE APPLIED
Shortlist
All submissions will receive an email acknowledgement from upon application. If you do not receive confirmation of receipt of your application 3 working days post-closing date, please contact us at DESHR-SCSRecruitment@mod.gov.uk. The panel will consider the evidence you have provided against the essential criteria set out in the attached candidate pack to determine their shortlist.
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Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend a panel interview for an in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the essential criteria. Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates. The Panel will consist of Laura Farhall (Director Options Development), Michelle Pester & Katherine Carr (Joint Director Strategy), and a HR Business Partner.
Offer
We will notify all candidates of their outcome, as soon as possible after the final interview. We reserve the right to make any offer of appointment conditional upon references and satisfactory conclusion of security enquiries. In the event that you meet the requirements for the role, but you are not offered the position, we will be pleased to retain your application for a 12-month period in case another suitable role arises.
For full role and organisational context and FAQs please refer to the candidate pack provided*
Candidates who enquire interest in this vacancy may be invited to an online group session to learn more about the role. This step is dependent on hiring manager availability and will be open to both internal and external candidates alike. The date and joining details of this session will be updated here and/or emailed directly to individuals who have already enquired.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) 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.
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 : SLG Talent Acquisition Team Email : DESHR-SCSRecruitment@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : DESHR-SCSRecruitment@mod.gov.uk
Further information
In the unlikely event that you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Commission’s Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint you should, in the first instance, contact
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