UK Ministry of Defence
Director Strategy, Governance & Communications
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Job Summary
Director Strategy, Governance & Communications
The Director Strategy, Governance & Communications plays a critical role as part of the MOD strategic capability, operating within and across the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. The NAD group bring together 27,000 people focussing on delivering major programmes, projects and services that directly support and enable the military front line. In this role you will provide a critical interface with the rest of Defence, Whitehall and Industry to enable the NAD Group to be the UK’s strategic interlocutor for defence capability preparedness – to ensure the UK has the capabilities and services needed to execute defence plans and operations, while igniting economic growth.
You will lead on providing strategic organisational direction, prioritisation and stakeholder engagement, setting organisational performance, long-term reputational improvement and internal communications. The role oversees the NAD Group’s strategy, governance, communications and policy secretariat teams. Their key interlocutors are the Directors of Strategy and Communications in Department of State, Military Strategic Head Quarters and Defence Nuclear Enterprise – as well as the Director leads for industrial, international and innovation strategies in the NAD Group.
The NAD Group has a significant undertaking to deliver the Strategic Defence Review, Defence Industrial Strategy, Defence Investment Plan and Defence Reform at pace. You would play an influential role in the oversight and implementation of these departmental and ministerial priorities by creating the conditions for the rest of the NAD Group to succeed – both internally and externally. The Director Strategy, Governance & Communications operates at the heart of the NAD Group, working alongside its executive leadership – both as it designs itself for the future and operates as a single integrated organisation, within a wider Defence context. You would work closely with the NAD Chief of Staff who is responsible for the day-to-day coherence of strategic activity.
Job Description
The Director Strategy, Governance & Communications has the following areas of responsibility:
- Using wider context of global threats, the defence enterprise and departmental and Ministerial direction to set strategy, communications, and strategic engagements across Defence.
- Defining the NAD Group’s vision, high-level change agenda and strategic priorities, while aligning these to departmental strategy and the MOD’s Strategic Cycles, particularly the Strategic Planning Cycle.
- Provide leadership of the organisation’s governance framework, ensuring robust corporate oversight, effective assurance, and high-quality decision-making that enables the delivery of strategic objectives.
- Setting the strategic performance framework for the NAD Group, which measures progress against the outcomes, benefits and priorities set out in its strategy and plan.
- Oversee the NAD Group’s Strategic Centre, bringing together strategy, communications, governance, policy secretariat and performance reporting from across the entire 27,000-strong NAD Group to support decision-making and strategic engagements across Defence.
- Lead implementation and reporting of Strategic Defence Review recommendation.
- Enable the delivery of effective communications, in support of the NAD Group, their partnerships, and into wider cross-Defence campaigns, and ensure effective communications to meet business needs through the effective utilisation of communication and policy professionals.
- Support DG Corporate in the effective design, mobilisation and long-term implementation of the Strategy Directorate work in line with Defence Reform – and by optimising the interfaces with wider-Defence at Director level.
- Represent the NAD Group and DG executive team at external strategic events, to set out the NAD Group vision and future direction for partners in industry, international and innovation communities.
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Person Specification
Essential Criteria
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):
- Proven ability to translate strategic intent, policy development, and innovative thinking into tangible delivery outcomes, ensuring effective implementation at pace while adapting to shifting priorities, complex organisational change and leading teams to embrace new ways of working.
- Proven ability to quickly establish credibility and trusted relationships with senior stakeholders up to ministerial level (or equivalent), while ensuring ministerial and senior priorities are effectively implemented and providing robust evidence-based advice that leverages a strong understanding of the wider political landscape.
- Proven ability to translate insights and analysis from a complex operating environment, and the implications of government and departmental direction, into strategic priorities and tangible action.
- Demonstrable experience of managing a business area responsible for the strategic delivery of corporate services, including at least one of these policy areas: governance, communications and policy secretariat.
- Demonstrable experience of translating strategic policy and organisational vision into executable delivery plans, leading complex programmes from concept through implementation to achieve measurable outcomes in a dynamic and politically sensitive environment.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £135,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £39,109 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%
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 apply button by 23:55 on Sunday 8th November 2026.
- A copy of your 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 1200 words (font Arial, size 11), outlining how you consider your personal skills, leadership attributes, qualities and experience match the essential criteria listed above. 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.
Selection Process Details
- Shortlist: All submissions will receive an email acknowledgement 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 above to determine their shortlist.
- Assessments: If you are shortlisted for interview, you will be asked to complete an online Leadership Assessment and take part in a staff engagement exercise. These will be held virtually. These assessments are not pass/fail and are designed only to provide more insight into you as a leader and support the panel’s decision.
- 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 Patricia Gallan (Civil Service Commissioner), Nina Cope (DG Corporate), Dominic Wilson (DG Strategy).
- 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.
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Security
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
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
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.
Contact Point for Applicants
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