Benefits Manager, UK Space Command

Are you a Project Delivery, Business Change, Strategy, Economic or Evaluation professional, with a passion for benefits management looking to develop your skills in a new role? We may have the perfect opportunity for you!

UK Space Command, is the Defence lead for space operations, space workforce, and space capability. A Joint Command staffed by personnel from the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, Civil Service, contractors and alongside our allies and partners, we are at the forefront of activity to make space safe, secure, and sustainable for all generations.

Key to realising our ambitions is effective benefits management practices which enables the identification and management of benefits being realised from the portfolio and whilst ensuring the best available use of resources.

The Benefits Lead will be responsible for embedding a robust and consistent approach to benefits management, ensuring our choices in change initiatives help deliver our contribution to the Defence Space Strategy, and working collaboratively with teams to help identify, measure and track the impact of these activities.

This role offers the opportunity to build on your existing Benefits Management knowledge and expertise, champion the use of good practice methodology, and provide expert advice in an exciting yet encouraging environment!

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

We operate a hybrid working environment and the expectation is that you will spend a minimum of 60% of your working time in an office or out on official business. Initially, you will be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourself with the site, the team and
the position you will be working on in more detail. 

As Benefits Manager your role will work with the Portfolio and Programme Teams to proactively identify, quantify, and track the realisation of benefits used to justify investment in the project/programme. You will also ensure a ‘fit for purpose’ approach to benefits measurement and realisation is used to provide assurance that the benefits identified can be achieved. Day to day your role will encompass:

• Defining and drafting the Space Command Benefits Management Strategy taking into account the wider organisation methodology championing it across our community.
• Establishing and maintaining the Portfolio Benefits Realisation Plan including change control, and the mechanism for the tracking and reporting of benefits through the project lifecycle and into realisation.
• Coordinating Benefits Mapping activities including mapping benefits, applying your experience to provide challenge and ensure assumptions and dependencies are robust.
• Supporting project and programme managers in preparing and updating the benefits elements of investment cases.
• Working with programme teams and wider portfolio office team members to ensure benefits are identified, understood, owned and maximised.
• Preparing and delivering Portfolio Benefits reviews and reporting.
• Undertaking training and development as part of your continued professional development journey
  role. 

As our benefits management lead you will therefore require credibility and professional expertise to help build benefits maturity across the organisation. We are looking for a colleague who can:

Professional Skills and Experience

Essential

• Project Delivery: demonstrate experience of working within complex, multi-disciplinary project, programme, portfolio and/or change environments that use agile and waterfall delivery methods.
  
• Project Delivery: Knowledge and application of portfolio, programme and project methodologies (e.g. MOP, MSP, PRinCE 2, Agile).
  
• Benefits Management: demonstrate expertise, experience and practical application of the principles and practices of Benefits Management, including the tools and techniques that underpin these.

Desirable

• APMG Managing Benefits or equivalent experience
• A recognised PD qualification including, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP), or APM Project Fundamentals, Management of Portfolios.
• Knowledge and experience of the Defence and/or Space. 

Personal Attributes & Skills

• Have the ability to operate independently and effectively in an environment of ambiguity and uncertainty.
• Have excellent communication skills – honest, concise, clear and solution focused, whilst choosing appropriate styles to maximise understanding and impact.
• Confident user of the Microsoft Office IT and data analysis/project/visualisation/presentation tools (such as Excel, Project and PowerPoint). 
• Have the ability to adapt to changing circumstances and adverse situations whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance.

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

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Project Delivery Capability Framework – 18 Benefits Management
• Project Delivery Capability Framework – 13 Stakeholder Engagement

• Learning and development tailored to your role. MOD offers support and development in your career, including apprenticeships, that you can undertake as part of this role. An apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training allowing you to gain professional knowledge, practical experience and wider skills required for this job and your future career. Successful candidates can discuss their development options with their manager when in post. 
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• Onsite Gym / Parking / Café
• Cycle to work scheme access
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service. 
• In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The Queen’s birthday
• Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave

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.

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Job contact :

• Name : Rachel Spicer
• Email : rachel.spicer845@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk