BMfS Senior Project Controls Manager

UK Ministry of Defence; Bristol; On-site; GBP 45,000; Full time

Job summary

The UK Ministry of Defence seeks a Senior Project Controls Manager to lead critical project delivery within its ambitious transformation programme. This role involves implementing robust project controls processes while managing risks and overseeing project scheduling. The ideal candidate will possess extensive experience in project management and demonstrate strong stakeholder engagement skills.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension with employer contribution

Flexible working options

Subsidised canteen

On-site gym and shops

Free parking

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in Project Controls and programme environments.
• Ability to effectively prioritize and coordinate multiple tasks.
• Demonstrated communication and influencing skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead alignment and development of project schedules and deliverables.
• Oversee project baseline management and assess changes.
• Ensure quality and validity of project controls activities.

Skills

Project Management

Stakeholder Engagement

Continuous Improvement

Change Management

Risk Management

Education

APM Practitioner Qualification or PRINCE2

Tools

Microsoft Project

Job description

MOD Abbey Wood, Filton, Bristol, BS34 8JH

Job Summary

“Support Major Programmes is an ambitious, transformation programme that will address both shortcomings in the effective delivery of Support, pan-Defence, and deliver £Bns of financial savings over the next 10 years. Driving change together with external consultants, industry, DE&S and the Front-Line commands, we will enable Defence to achieve greater agility and efficiency, achieving both value for money for the taxpayer and also operational advantage.”

BMfS is, first and foremost, a business change and process re-engineering programme. It seeks to transition Defence from legacy processes to align with leading practice across both the commercial Support sector and with allies. This in turn allows for future Defence business processes to be underpinned by COTS, cloud-enabled, evergreen IS, integrated with the Defence Digital Backbone, cyber-secure and accessible globally. The introduction of Robotic Process Automation and AI where appropriate will remove the need for human intervention in non-value-adding tasks, and the implementation of a simple, intuitive ‘Amazon-style’ interface will reduce the need for specialist training, minimise instances of human error and improve the user experience.

This role plays a critical role in supporting the successful delivery of projects within BMfS by applying robust Project Controls processes across planning, scheduling, risk, cost, and resource management. This role ensures integration and coherence across multiple projects, enabling effective control, informed decision-making, and alignment with the overall programme strategy. The post holder will provide strategic oversight and functional leadership to HEO Project Control Managers, ensuring consistency in approach and contributing to the achievement of programme objectives.

The role oversees the development and maintenance of integrated schedules, supports schedule risk analysis, and ensures that milestone tracking and interdependencies are effectively managed. In addition, the Senior Project Controls Manager will provide expert advice to senior leaders, support governance and assurance activities, and promote a culture of proactive risk and issue management. The role requires extensive experience in Project Controls and programme environments, with a strong understanding of transformational change, stakeholder engagement, and the application of best practice methodologies.

This role will have line management responsibilities.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job Description

Schedule and Deliverables Coordination

• Lead the alignment and development of schedules and deliverables across delivery projects and with delivery and/or enabling agents, ensuring consistency and integration.
  
  

Baseline Management and Change Control

• Oversee the coherence of the overall project baseline and associated activities. Scrutinize proposed changes through detailed analysis in accordance with the Baseline Change Process, and assess their potential impacts.
  
  

Project Controls Assurance

Ensure the quality, consistency, and validity of project controls activities, including:

• Development, assurance, and integration of key project artefacts.
• Schedule maintenance, progress monitoring, impact analysis, and recovery planning.
• Management of project assumptions and dependencies.
• Risk identification, analysis, and reporting.
  
  

Provide Functional Support and Drive Improvement

• Support junior Project Controls Managers and senior staff in alignment with the Programme Strategy, fostering collaboration and identifying opportunities for process enhancement and continuous improvement.
  
  

Schedule and Deliverables Coordination

• Lead the alignment and development of schedules and deliverables across delivery projects and with delivery and/or enabling agents, ensuring consistency and integration.
  
  

Baseline Management and Change Control

• Oversee the coherence of the overall project baseline and associated activities. Scrutinize proposed changes through detailed analysis in accordance with the Baseline Change Process, and assess their potential impacts.
  
  

Project Controls Assurance

Ensure the quality, consistency, and validity of project controls activities, including:

• Development, assurance, and integration of key project artefacts.
• Schedule maintenance, progress monitoring, impact analysis, and recovery planning.
• Management of project assumptions and dependencies.
• Risk identification, analysis, and reporting.
  
  

Provide Functional Support and Drive Improvement

• Support junior Project Controls Managers and senior staff in alignment with the Programme Strategy, fostering collaboration and identifying opportunities for process enhancement and continuous improvement.
  
  

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Good sound use of Project Management tooling, in particular Microsoft Project.
• Excellent communication and influencing skills, with the ability to engage and bring together stakeholders to ensure collaborative working.
• Demonstrated ability to effectively prioritise and coordinate multiple tasks and activities in a dynamic environment, ensuring deadlines are met while maintaining attention to detail and service quality.
• Ability to develop effective working relationships with a wide variety of people and operate as part of a multi discipline joint delivery team
• Proven ability to identify opportunities for continuous improvement and implement process enhancements that increase efficiency, reduce waste, and improve service delivery.
  
  

Desirable Criteria – One Of The Following

• MoR
• AGILE
• Managing Successful Programmes (MSP)
• Experience of coaching
  
  

Qualifications

Essential:

APM Practitioner Qualification or PRINCE2

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
  
  

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

Alongside your salary of £44,590, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,917 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%
• Our on-site facilities include:
• Subsidised canteen
• Gym
• Coffee bars
• Shops
• Free parking
  
  

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.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability in no moe than 250 words.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, Statement of suitability and the following:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

If there is a high volume of applications an initial sift will be conducted on the CV. During this initial sift, there will be an assessment on whether the candidate has the essential criteria required which can be found in the 'Person Specification' section.

At Interview, You Will Assessed Against The Following

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Managing a Quality Service
  
  

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 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: [e-mail] .

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.

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 : BMfS Ops MU
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

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: [e-mail].