Candidates should note that the permanent duty station for the post is HA6 3HP. The jHub office and main location of work is currently located in White City W12 7RZ.
Job Summary
The role of a jHub Innovation Project Manager is to run and deliver innovation projects alongside UK Defence users. This is an opportunity to work at the cutting edge of UK Defence innovation alongside industry, academia, partner nations and sometimes wider Gov to accelerate game-changing new technologies, processes or ideas into the hands of end-users. We work in a dynamic, fast-paced environment where new ideas and innovative approaches are encouraged, and significant autonomy and pro-activity are expected of all staff.
About JHub
jHub is the innovation team for Cyber and Specialist Operations Command. We are a small, friendly team of Military and Civil Servants that are seeking to accelerate innovation to enhance UK Defence's strategic advantage.
We focus on mature solutions and dual use technologies, acting as a broker to find world-class technology and talent and connecting them to UK Defence end-users. By funding and rapidly developing innovation projects, we seek to test, evaluate and develop viable exploitation pathways within the organisation.
This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job Description
Do you want to make a difference in Defence? Are you passionate about new technologies and the development of new ideas?
This opportunity will enable you to build relationships with end-users and partners across Cyber and Specialist Operations Command and wider UK MOD to source and solve innovation problems and opportunities. You will be able to unpick specific challenges that users face and devise, plan and deliver projects to assess if new technologies and processes can provide the solutions. If projects are successful, you will work collaboratively to develop the path to sustainable capabilities, if unsuccessful you will translate this into meaningful insights for Defence.
You will be responsible for project delivery and governance and will need to be comfortable liaising with experts across a range of fields including operational, finance, commercial, cyber security, specific technology areas and more.
An Innovation Project Manager will typically lead 3 to 4 projects simultaneously and will actively manage budgets, stakeholders and resources for their projects.
The jHub project portfolio is widespread and includes medical innovation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, support to operations, force protection techniques and other areas in line with Cyber and Specialist Operations Command’s core objectives. The successful candidate will run projects in any of these areas and will be comfortable gaining an understanding of new technical subjects. You will often work with significant autonomy and be expected to identify problems and match these up with the best possible solutions industry or academia has to offer, at pace, whilst ensuring creative options are considered.
Whilst we do not mandate any specific prior technical or military knowledge, and would welcome applications from outside of Defence, a high degree of maturity, adaptability and resilience is critical for the role.
Significant UK, and occasional international, travel is required. There may be scope to line manage small teams depending on the scale of the project.
Do you want to make a difference in Defence? Are you passionate about new technologies and the development of new ideas?
This opportunity will enable you to build relationships with end-users and partners across Cyber and Specialist Operations Command and wider UK MOD to source and solve innovation problems and opportunities. You will be able to unpick specific challenges that users face and devise, plan and deliver projects to assess if new technologies and processes can provide the solutions. If projects are successful, you will work collaboratively to develop the path to sustainable capabilities, if unsuccessful you will translate this into meaningful insights for Defence.
You will be responsible for project delivery and governance and will need to be comfortable liaising with experts across a range of fields including operational, finance, commercial, cyber security, specific technology areas and more.
An Innovation Project Manager will typically lead 3 to 4 projects simultaneously and will actively manage budgets, stakeholders and resources for their projects.
The jHub project portfolio is widespread and includes medical innovation, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance capabilities, support to operations, force protection techniques and other areas in line with Cyber and Specialist Operations Command’s core objectives. The successful candidate will run projects in any of these areas and will be comfortable gaining an understanding of new technical subjects. You will often work with significant autonomy and be expected to identify problems and match these up with the best possible solutions industry or academia has to offer, at pace, whilst ensuring creative options are considered.
Whilst we do not mandate any specific prior technical or military knowledge, and would welcome applications from outside of Defence, a high degree of maturity, adaptability and resilience is critical for the role.
Significant UK, and occasional international, travel is required. There may be scope to line manage small teams depending on the scale of the project.
Person specification
You should be a strategic problem solver with the ability to translate vision into actionable plans. Have a high level of resilience and adaptability in a dynamic environment with the ability to inspire and motivate teams. You will have strong organisational and prioritisation skills and will have excellent communication skills, being able to actively listen and influence your audience.
Identify Innovation Opportunities: Lead on collection of problem statements from across Cyber and Specialist Operations Command and discover innovative solutions from industry. Your networking and research skills will be excellent and you will have a passion for working with UK Defence.
Effective Project Management : Create, design and lead innovation projects to deliver and measure the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints. Identify and track risks and dependencies. Be able to problem solve, selecting and adapting methodologies for delivery, excellent prioritisation and project management skills. The role requires an understanding of strategy and processes and you must be able to articulate how projects address key challenges for UK Defence.
Communication: Your written and verbal communication skills will be excellent and will be able to deliver clear and well-structured argument for change. You must be comfortable engaging a diverse range of stakeholders including senior leaders, and be able to write papers, presentations and briefings suitable for a variety of audiences.
Accurately manage project budgets and resource: Track delivery within budget and provide timely forecasts. Manage all project resources effectively to achieve goals. You will be responsible for your project budget and finances (usually around £200k-£1M)
Ensure benefits and lessons realisation: Ensure project benefits & lessons are identified, understood, measured and recorded accurately.
Commitment to personal development: The jHub values innovation excellence and all staff are encouraged to further their own personal development through training, inspiration or advice and sharing opportunities with your colleagues where possible.
Essential Experience
- Experience of successfully managing projects in a complex environment.
- You will have excellent communication skills and the ability to evidence where they have used these skills to cohere projects and influence stakeholders.
- You will have a passion for innovation and complex problem solving.
- You will be able to think strategically across technical and professional disciplines, understanding the legal, commercial and technical implications of different options and seeking new ways to accelerate innovation into UK Defence.
- You will be driven and committed to the advancement of your own (and your team’s) professional development
- You will have the organisational skills required to ensure that you can deliver projects and tasks on time and to budget.
- Association for Project Management (APM Registered Project Professional), Agile Project Management qualification or equivalent.
Qualifications
Please list your project management qualifications. E.g. Association for Project Management (APM Registered Project Professional), SCRUM, Agile Project Management qualification or equivalent.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Leadership
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
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%
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 as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
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
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your behaviours.
Candidates will be required to provide a CV to include job history, qualifications and previous skills and experience.
At sift you will be assessed against the following behaviours:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
If a large number of applications are received, sifting will be assessed initially against applicants' CV. You will then be assessed against the other criteria if you have met the minimum score.
At interview you will be assessed against the following behaviours
- Leadership
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Bigger Picture
- Delivering at Pace
Behaviours are assessed individually with a 250 word statement. The application form will indicate which behaviour is being assessed We are looking for evidence using the Situation , Task Action, Result (STAR) Methodology.
It is highly recommended that you focus by providing one example for each behaviour.
If your written application is successful you will be invited to a face to face / or virtual MS Teams Interview.
Please Note: Sifting will be undertaken within 10 working days of the advert closing. Interviews will likely take place within 10 working days of the sift.
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.
There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.
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. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It 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.
The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.
The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.
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 : Martin Smith
- Email : martin.smith466@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk
Further information
Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.
