Deputy Director Uranium Materials Programme & Deputy Director Warhead Stockpile Management

Deputy Director Uranium Materials Programme role will be based in either AWE Aldermaston, Reading, MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol or MOD Main Building, Whitehall, London. Deputy Director Warhead Stockpile Management role will only be based in AWE Aldermaston, Reading. The nature of both roles will require frequent travel between all three locations.

The Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) currently have two interesting and challenging opportunities that play a pivotal role within the organisation. 

The Deputy Director and Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the Uranium Materials Programme is responsible for ensuring this required capability is in place to meet the needs of the Defence Nuclear Enterprise.

This includes engagement with the nuclear industry and regulators to deliver new infrastructure and production capabilities (facilities, people, material supply, processes and equipment), as well as engaging across government and with international partners.

The post holder is responsible for around 12 civil servants and ensuring the team is effectively managed and the safety baseline is maintained.

The role is accountable to the Director Infrastructure & Materials.

Deputy Director Warhead Stockpile Management leads Warhead Stockpile Management, incorporating Trident Re-entry System (TRES) Programme Manager and Chief Engineer.

This includes assurance of the safety, security and performance of the TRES warheads throughout the Nuclear Weapon life cycle; delivering the government functions that enable the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) in delivering the TRES manifests in support of the Statement of Stockpile Requirements; and leading collaboration with the US Navy and Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration through procurement programmes under the Polaris Sales Agreement, co-ordinating with Chief Strategic Systems Executive.

The post holder is responsible for around 60 civil servants.

The role is accountable to Director Warhead Delivery.

The current responsibilities for the Deputy Director and Senior Responsible Officer (SRO) for the Uranium Materials Programme role will include: 

Sponsorship

• Ensuring that the Uranium Materials programme will succeed and delivers the required benefits. This will include identifying opportunities in the strategy and planning stage to increase confidence/reduce risk to meeting the capability requirement, initiation projects as required, supporting delivery partners, generating mandates and developing the cultural and commercial environment in which successful delivery can take place.
• Working across government to manage stakeholders effectively, including with countries that have a stake and influencing interest in the programme.

Benefits

• Provide a deep understanding of the technical requirements, material needs and of the environment within which the Uranium Materials Programme exists. This includes defence context (in terms of nuclear weapons, waste and liability management and other potential users) and the wider civil nuclear context (nuclear industrial sector, energy security and net zero strategy, nuclear fuels and reactor technologies and relevant health programmes).

Programme Insight

• Provide insight into the civil and defence enterprises to ensure programme and individual project requirements are well positioned to deliver defence needs and, where appropriate, contribute toward realising wider benefits to the UK’s security and prosperity. To support this, they will need to have good interpersonal skills and be able to engage effectively with colleagues and a wide range of stakeholder groups.
• Securing, supporting and enabling delivery partners to achieve required levels of performance safely, operating within agreed budgets and deliver to required timescales. This will require engagement across multiple functions and to establish effective relationships with industrials partners. This includes the development and endorsement of alternative approaches to delivery that will manage risk effectively and maximise the likelihood of success.
• Provide insight and support to the wider warhead portfolio, other parts of the defence nuclear enterprise and civil nuclear as required. This will include the provision of recommendations and advice to ministers to enable decisions and approvals to be obtained in support of the programme.
• Representing and deputising for Materials and Infrastructure Director where required, including oversight and reporting, interface with to regulators, representing the directorate across government.

Team Leadership

• Lead and develop the DNO sponsorship team for the programme that is there to support the SRO and manage engagement with others as required to deliver the capability to meet timescales. Ensuring the team is effectively engaged, managed, and ensuring the safety baseline is maintained.

The current responsibilities for the Deputy Director Warhead Stockpile Management role include:

• Lead the Warhead Stockpile Management team, incorporating TRES Programme Manager and Chief Engineer, ensuring the team is effectively managed and ensuring the safety baseline is maintained.
• Manage the interface with the US Navy under the 1963 Polaris Sales Agreement (PSA) on support and assurance to the in-service warhead reporting progress to Director Warhead Delivery and the Chief Strategic Systems Executive (CSSE), where required, as the PSA Project Officer. Enable and challenge required working arrangements to establish effective working relationships, information exchanges and collaborations across the Nuclear Weapons/Warhead (NW) portfolio.
• Lead the Nuclear Warhead Approving Design Authority (NWADA), responsible for the governance to ensure safety, performance and security nuclear warhead designs, throughout their lifecycles. Apply relevant policy, legislative standards and guidance to engineering activities. In this role, act as the Accreditee for the NWADA, which is under the Design Organisation of the US, as set out in the Polaris Sales Agreement (as amended for Trident) and the supporting Technical Arrangements, administered by CSSE as the UK Project Officer.
• Agree and manage contracts and service levels with AWE, the US Department of Defense (DoD), the US DoE, the NDA and other contractors, that underpin the delivery of the in-service NW portfolio. As part of the AWE Programme Performance Management System (PPMS), act as the Pillar Account Manager (PAM) for the relevant areas of responsibility.
• Drive AWE delivery of agreed warhead underpinning technologies in line with wider portfolio requirements. Delivering projects that mature technology, system and nuclear readiness levels to reduce technical risks to NW designs and their through-life management.
• Responsible for managing the support provision for providing programme integration with His Majesty’s Naval Base (HMNB) Clyde, as part of the in-service life cycle of NW, as well as assurance with the US under the 1963 PSA on the interface with the Trident strategic weapon system.

The successful candidate must be able to demonstrate their experience and skills against the following essential criteria:

• Experience in making difficult decisions using sound judgement, evidence and knowledge to provide accurate, expert and professional advice and the ability to defend this to, and challenge, senior stakeholders.
• Experience of leading major projects/programmes as a Project Director or Senior Responsible Owner with the ability to integrate and deliver complex technologically challenging projects, requiring a high degree of systems engineering and integration. The post holder is expected to undertake MPLA qualification upon taking up the post (if not already qualified).
• Excellent leadership capability, with clear evidence of motivating high-performing teams, and working with stakeholders across boundaries at senior levels, including the ability to successfully drive change within an organisation.
• Working as part of a team to deliver a complex programme and the overall benefits and outputs.
• Excellent communication skills, ensuring maximum insights can be drawn from complex data at the most senior levels.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a strong field of candidates when there is a need to distinguish between candidates. This will be as a second sift, after the essential criteria has been considered:

• An understanding of nuclear weapons design and delivery.
• Experience of working in a regulated environment or industry.

• 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 average employer contribution of 27%

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration
is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them
to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through
building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above.
This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions.
Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and
conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your
personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any
absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you
to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Open to UK nationals only.

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

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Job contact :

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : People-CivHR-SCSCandidateSupport@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : People-CivHR-SCSRecruitment@mod.gov.uk