Army - Command Group Business Co-Ordinator

York: Imphal Barracks - YO10 4HD

Job Summary

The Ministry of Defence employs over 50,000 Civil Servants. Within that, the Army Top Level Budget (TLB) employs around 7,000 MOD Civil Servants located at over 300 locations. Ours is a diverse workforce, with roles ranging from trainers, human resources, teachers, and psychologists to storekeepers, financiers, project and programme managers, and policy secretariat staff. There are many different functions and professions delivering key outputs for the Army. As such using data to aid understanding of our workforce is vital.

1st (United Kingdom) Division (1 (UK) Div) is the UK’s light and airborne division. Rapidly deployable and optimised for complex terrain. Our purpose is to fight and win battles on land.

Working within the Division Headquarters (HQ), our civilian staff deliver crucial outputs and play a meaningful part of the team. When you see our service personnel being reported on in the media whilst out on operations around the world, providing support and help to others overseas and at home, or out training so they can be the best at what they do, you will have immense pride knowing you played some part in making it happen.

1 (UK) Div HQ is looking for an outgoing and motivated individual, with strong inter-personal skills and an eye for detail, to be part of an innovative and high-performing team with a focus on providing out-standing customer service.

The vacant post is a full-time position and advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job Description

The Staff Officer Grade 3 (SO3) Command Group (Comd Gp) Coordinator reports to the Div HQ’s Executive Officer (XO), (an OF3/Major rank), to assist with the support to the senior leaders of the Command with particular focus on co-ordination and preparation of briefing material/programmes and co-ordination of inward/outward visit programmes. The position holder will also act as the line manager for the PA to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 (UK) Div.

The Main Responsibilities Are:

• Draft briefing material in appropriate formats (eg. MS Word, MS PowerPoint, etc).
• Seek and analyse data from Defence systems and appropriate desk officers, subject matter experts and others in the Division and across the wider Army and MoD.
• Produce reports and documentation for assigned tasks/topics, with options and recommendations where appropriate.
• Co-ordinate briefing programmes including attendance of briefers, facilities, IT/external communications requirements, presentations and hard copy materials.
• Co-ordinate inward VIP/senior visits to the HQ overseeing all appropriate administrative arrangements (including itinerary, transport, accommodation, hospitality etc).
• Co-ordinate outward visits by Comd Gp principals including itinerary, collation/drafting of any required briefing material and overseeing administrative arrangements (transport, accommodation etc).
• Manage IT, external communications, presentations and distribution of hard copy material during meetings.
• Attend meetings to produce and distribute records of decisions, requests for information (RFI) and actions ensuring RFIs and actions are tracked to conclusion.
• Maintain an activity/task tracker for Comd Gp principals, hastening overdue outputs and brief principals on activity/task progress.
• Co-ordinate activity, meetings and commitments across Comd Gp principals (and in liaison with the GOC’s office when necessary).
• Deputise for XO in their absence and assume role of XO in the home base when the Div HQ is deployed on operations.
  
  

The Staff Officer Grade 3 (SO3) Command Group (Comd Gp) Coordinator reports to the Div HQ’s Executive Officer (XO), (an OF3/Major rank), to assist with the support to the senior leaders of the Command with particular focus on co-ordination and preparation of briefing material/programmes and co-ordination of inward/outward visit programmes. The position holder will also act as the line manager for the PA to the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 1 (UK) Div.

The Main Responsibilities Are:

• Draft briefing material in appropriate formats (eg. MS Word, MS PowerPoint, etc).
• Seek and analyse data from Defence systems and appropriate desk officers, subject matter experts and others in the Division and across the wider Army and MoD.
• Produce reports and documentation for assigned tasks/topics, with options and recommendations where appropriate.
• Co-ordinate briefing programmes including attendance of briefers, facilities, IT/external communications requirements, presentations and hard copy materials.
• Co-ordinate inward VIP/senior visits to the HQ overseeing all appropriate administrative arrangements (including itinerary, transport, accommodation, hospitality etc).
• Co-ordinate outward visits by Comd Gp principals including itinerary, collation/drafting of any required briefing material and overseeing administrative arrangements (transport, accommodation etc).
• Manage IT, external communications, presentations and distribution of hard copy material during meetings.
• Attend meetings to produce and distribute records of decisions, requests for information (RFI) and actions ensuring RFIs and actions are tracked to conclusion.
• Maintain an activity/task tracker for Comd Gp principals, hastening overdue outputs and brief principals on activity/task progress.
• Co-ordinate activity, meetings and commitments across Comd Gp principals (and in liaison with the GOC’s office when necessary).
• Deputise for XO in their absence and assume role of XO in the home base when the Div HQ is deployed on operations.
  
  

Person specification

The ideal candidate will be well organised and will possess strong communication skills in both written and verbal form. They will be able to quickly build good working relationships with a variety of partners, both internal and external to the organisation and be able to provide support to a wide range of people of different backgrounds.  They will have good Information Technology skills, including basic Microsoft Office 365, and have excellent time management skills.

They will use initiative to prioritise work with minimal direction whilst maintaining an excellent attention to detail. 

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

Alongside your salary of £29,580, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,569 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 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 home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this 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.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

At Application You Be Asked To Complete a Civil Service Judgement Test. If You Pass This You Will Be Asked To Complete The Following:

• CV
• Personal Statement of maximum of 500 words to demonstrate suitability for the role by providing evidence of skills in making effective decisions, communicating (written and verbal), organising, time management, building relationships with customers and Information Technology.
  
  

At Interview You Will Be Assessed Against 4 Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date.

Interview dates are to be confirmed. These will be held in person. We endeavour to stick to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: [email protected] .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to 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.

Candidates will be required to complete an online Civil Service Judgement test.

The Civil Service Judgement Test is not bankable and therefore must be taken on every vacancy where it is applied.

Should you be invited to complete the online tests, please allow sufficient time to complete the tests and the remainder of the full application form; only candidates who are successful at the test stage will be invited to complete the remainder of the application by clicking ‘Submit Application’. Your application must be completed by 23:55 on the closing date of the vacancy. Late submissions cannot be accepted. The tests are not timed, as they work by giving you harder questions if you answer the previous question correctly, and easier if you get it wrong. You should allow up to an hour for each test, and each test must be completed before you will be invited to complete the second part of your application. Internet access will be required for the duration of the test. Please refer to the attached Candidate Guidance for further information.

Candidates That Reach The Minimum Required Pass Mark Will Have Their Results Saved As a Banked Score Against The Following Tests:

• New Civil Service Verbal Test
• New Civil Service Numerical Test
  
  

When a candidate has a banked score they’re not asked to re-take the same test providing it is set at the same level. Scores will be banked for a 6 month period from the date of test completion. If a candidate is invited to take the same test against multiple vacancies, the banked score will be recognised against all vacancies and all active applications will progress.

CSJT scores cannot be banked as each test is generated from the behaviours required for a specific role which will vary between recruitment campaigns.

If you require any particular arrangements (for example due to a disability or health problem) to be made in order for you to complete the online test you MUST contact the DBS Enquiry Centre on 0800 345 7772 BEFORE accessing the online test.

Opening times Mon -Friday 0800- 1600 hrs.

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 : Oliver Roebuck
• Email : [email protected]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]
  
  

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: [email protected].