Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs
Director of Corporate Services - Marine Management Organisation (MMO)
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Bristol, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, Preston, York
Job Summary
The Marine Management Organisation (MMO) is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department for Environment, Food and Rural
Driven by government’s aim for clean, healthy, safe, productive and biologically diverse oceans and seas, MMO’s purpose is to protect and enhance our precious marine environment, and support UK economic growth by enabling sustainable marine activities and development.
We are the independent regulator for England’s seas, professionally delivering service-focussed outcomes for our customers.
We are a team of around 500 people and combine our Newcastle upon Tyne and London operations with a local presence around the English coastline in Brixham, Beverley, Harwich, Hastings, Lowestoft, North Shields, Hayle, Plymouth, Poole, Portsmouth, Preston, Scarborough, Shoreham, Whitehaven
The Director of Corporate Services provides strategic leadership and oversight for the MMO’s core enabling functions, including Finance, Human Resources, Estates, Commercial & Procurement, Corporate Governance, Business Planning, Risk & Assurance. The post-holder ensures that the MMO operates as a financially sustainable, well‑governed, transparent, and high‑performing organisation, capable of delivering its statutory marine management responsibilities.
The role is central to ensuring that the MMO has the resources, systems, culture, and organisational resilience required to deliver its strategic goals. The Director leads the development of corporate strategies, oversees statutory and regulatory compliance, and ensures that corporate services operate to the highest professional standards. The post-holder acts as a key adviser to the CEO, Executive Leadership Team (ELT), and MMO Board on financial stewardship, organisational performance, and corporate risk.
Providing strategic leadership for all Corporate Services functions, ensuring they operate as a unified, high‑performing directorate that supports MMO’s operational and regulatory delivery. Leading the development and delivery of the MMO’s financial strategy, ensuring long‑term sustainability, value for money, and compliance with Managing Public Money.
Oversee the Estates Strategy, ensuring safe, modern, and efficient workplaces across MMO’s national footprint.
Job Description
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The role holder provides visible, strategic leadership and direction across all corporate enabling functions, ensuring they work cohesively to support MMO’s mission. This role requires “vision, drive, and creativity” to shape services that “make a significant and lasting difference through their work and your ability to influence others” by providing strategic leadership for all Corporate Services functions, ensuring they operate as a unified, high‑performing directorate that supports MMO’s operational and regulatory delivery.
- Lead the development and delivery of the MMO’s financial strategy and People Strategy, ensuring long‑term sustainability, value for money, and compliance with Managing Public Money.
- Leadership of the People function, shaping the MMO people strategy, defining and shaping alignment to MMO.
- Lead the MMO’s financial planning, budgeting, forecasting, and reporting.
- Ensure compliance with HMT, Defra Group Finance, and NAO requirements.
- Oversee financial controls, audit responses, and stewardship of public funds.
- Provide strategic advice to the CEO and Board on financial risks and opportunities.
- Lead the development of the MMO Corporate Plan, Annual Report & Accounts, and business planning cycle.
- Ensure effective governance structures, including Board and Committee support.
- Oversee organisational performance reporting and corporate risk management.
- Lead the delivery of the Estates Strategy, ensuring safe, compliant, and cost‑effective workplaces.
- Act as a key member of the ELT, shaping corporate strategy and organisational direction.
- Provide cross‑cutting leadership across the MMO, ensuring alignment between corporate services and operational delivery.
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Accountabilities
The Director of Corporate Services holds full accountability for the strategic direction, operational delivery, and integrity of MMO’s corporate services teams. This includes responsibility for the performance of finance, HR, Governance and risk. The post-holder reports directly to the MMO CEO and operates with a high degree of autonomy and discretion.
- Financial stewardship of the MMO’s budget and funding.
- Oversight of estates contracts, commercial agreements, and corporate suppliers.
- Statutory reporting, including Annual Report & Accounts.
- Corporate governance, risk management, and audit response.
- Organisational performance reporting to the CEO, Board, and Defra.
- The post-holder has overall responsibility for the success and impact of Corporate services across MMO, including governance, finance, and HR.
- Accountable for ensuring that corporate services aligns with MMO’s organisational goals, enabling evidence-based decision-making and long-term value creation.
- Building and mentoring teams, fostering a culture of innovation.
- Accountable for delivery to the CEO to provide robust and credible outputs and information to support MMO funding and efficiencies – including commissions to inform Ministerial decision making.
- Accountable as SRO for corporate services for the MMO. This includes putting measures in place, and monitoring/responding to Governance/Audit and organisational capability.
- Ensuring the department uses public money legally, efficiently, and transparently.
- Embedding value-for-money principles across HR, estates, digital, procurement, and other corporate functions.
- Providing assurance to ministers, Parliament, and the public that the department is compliant, well‑run, and transparent.
- Accountable for the MMO financial budget (people and contracts) which equates to circa £6m per year. This includes acting as SRO for delivery of the grant funded projects up to £4m.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
- Senior Leadership - Proven track record of senior leadership across corporate functions (Finance, HR, Estates, Governance, Commercial), with demonstrated success in building a unified, high-performing "corporate core." Proven experience as an inspiring people leader skilled at building, mentoring, and empowering multidisciplinary teams, driving high performance, and shaping a strong people-centered culture.
- Financial Governance- Strong knowledge of public sector finance, Managing Public Money, and audit requirements. Proven capability acting as a Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), with full accountability for multi-million-pound budgets (including core operational budgets and grant-funded programmes) to ensure value for money, legal transparency, and robust advice to Ministers and Boards.
- Governance & Strategic Assurance - Extensive experience overseeing robust corporate governance, risk management, and statutory reporting cycles, including the delivery of Annual Report & Accounts, Corporate Plans, and performance frameworks. Proven ability to provide credible, evidence-based assurance to Chief Executives, Boards, and external oversight bodies in a highly regulated environment.
- Stakeholder Management- Experience operating with political sensitivity and integrity in a cross-departmental environment. Ability to act as a dynamic, enthusiastic change agent who collaborates cross-functionally with senior leadership and Directors to align corporate strategy with operational delivery. A strategic thinker with a commitment to driving the strategic aims of MMO.
- Strategic Insight- Ability to Interpret complex financial, operational, and risk information to inform long-term strategic decisions, influence policy, and shape ministerial commissions. Demonstrated experience balancing competing organisational needs to deliver resilient, cost-effective, and safe operational footprints.
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Desirable Criteria
- CCAB or equivalent professional finance qualification.
Alongside your salary of £86,000, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £24,914 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
As part of the application process, candidates are asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (no more than 1000 words) on how your relevant skills and experience meet the essential criteria. Completed applications must be submitted to CS Jobs no later than the closing date of 23:55 24th August 2026.
Sift
A sift will be conducted against the essential criteria and will assess your experience.
Applications will be assessed by the selection panel and shortlisted. (please note: feedback is not given at the shortlist stage)
Assessment
If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to take part in an Individual Leadership Assessment (ILA) advance of the final panel interview. This assessment will not result in a pass or fail decision. Rather, it is designed to support the panel’s decision making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.
Full details of the assessment process will be provided to shortlisted candidates at the earliest opportunity.
For further information regarding the assessments please visit - https://scs-assessments.co.uk/
Interview
Shortlisted candidates will be invited to attend a panel interview to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence in relation to the criteria set out in the Person Specification.
As part of the process there may be assessment of skills either by a presentation or simulated exercise with follow up questions. Full details of the requirements will be given to shortlisted candidates ahead of their interview.
SELECTION AND FEEDBACK
Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible, and will offer the opportunity to discuss feedback for all candidates who reached interview. A reserve list will be held for up to 12 months, which we may use to
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