Description
Location: MOD Corsham, Westwells Road, Corsham, SN13 9NR
Job summary
Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.
We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cybersecurity at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.
Watch our video to see what we do at Defence Digital!
Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here!
This position is full time only and advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job description
As a Senior Digital Portfolio Manager, you'll play a pivotal role in managing and coordinating a dynamic portfolio of projects. Your goal is to ensure the delivery of secure, resilient, and assured communications and information services that support the MOD and the Armed Forces.
You'll be at the forefront of ensuring successful outcomes by:
- Establishing robust governance and assurance frameworks.
- Monitoring progress and deftly managing risks and issues.
- Preparing the business for seamless change.
Responsibilities:
- Coordinate programme resources, programme planning processes including requirements management, product development, milestone definition, and financial profile.
- Monitoring complex change delivery performance through the analysis of project and programme data, analysing trends and identifying thematic issues.
- Providing control and coherence over all approvals and out-letter requirements and obligations through tracking and engagement.
- Ensure compliance with acquisition safety, quality, continual service improvement and business continuity.
- Providing programme assurance through conducting assurance reviews with the relevant deployed programme leaders.
You'll be the driving force behind service and program reporting—your expertise will make you the go-to person for keeping everything running smoothly. You'll lead and manage a diverse team of SSO staff, including Civil Servants, Military personnel, and contractors, ensuring seamless collaboration across all levels.
With a sharp eye on governance, you'll maintain oversight and orchestrate boards and meetings, making sure strategic goals stay on track. You'll also take charge of identifying, collecting, and bench-marking critical data on time, cost, and quality—transforming raw information into actionable insights. By spotting patterns and trends, you'll help shape smarter decisions and continuous improvement across the organisation.
For further information on this role and duties, please refer to the Government, Digital and Data Capability Framework: Digital portfolio manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework
Person specification
Your work will be varied, challenging, and fast-paced, and you will need to be flexible, adaptable, and able to strategically solve problems to deliver. You will be adaptable when applying your knowledge of project management tools and methodologies, capable of designing a project structure and organisation to meet the requirements of the project according to its point in the life cycle.
You will have excellent communication skills, adapting your style and quickly developing rapport to maximise both impact and understanding. Therefore, it is important that you are comfortable networking throughout the business, challenging, and influencing decision-making when required.
When submitting your CV, please highlight your career history and experience relevant to this role. Additionally, refer to the "Things You Need to Know" section of the advert and provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) demonstrating the essential criteria listed below:
- Please describe your depth of experience in successfully planning, coordinating, and supporting complex projects or programs.
- Please describe your experience of establishing effective governance processes across internal delivery and wider stakeholders for programme and service assurance.
- Please describe your experience as a leader, including your ability to build capability and develop a high-performing, motivated project team.
Do you want to hear more about this role? We would love for you to join us, and learn more from senior members of the team, at our upcoming candidate brief, being held on the date below:
- 03/09/25 @ 5pm
To confirm your attendance, please email us at ukstratcomdd-hr-talentacqdel@mod.gov.uk with your name and email address. We will then forward you a Team’s invite to be able to join on the day.
Please note that, due to the specific requirements of this role, it is offered on a full-time basis only.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Governance and Assurance
- Communicating Analysis and Insight
- Planning
Benefits
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
- Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year
- In addition to 8 public holidays per year you will also receive leave for HM The King's birthday
- Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments
- Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year
- Enhanced parental and adoption leave
- Employee Assistance Programme to support your well-being
- Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club and Gyms
- Pension contribution: 28.97%
- Please see Benefits link for more info: Civilian Discover My Benefits (mod.gov.uk)
Equality and Diversity
Our people are at the heart of everything we do at Defence Digital. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.
Professional Framework Statement
Defence Digital operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing. Within Defence Digital each profession is led by a Professional Head of Community who will lead professional development and support the Continuous Professional Development path for their group.
Learning & Development
In Defence Digital we have a strong learning and development ethos, supporting you to fulfil your potential by providing:
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- Professional and Personal Development of skills
- Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by MOD
- Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by MOD
Hybrid Working
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.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
To apply, please complete the CV template provided on the Civil Service Jobs dashboard, ensuring it clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the Person Specification. You must also submit a personal statement (maximum 1,250 words) providing evidence of how you meet these criteria.
Below is a link to a video offering helpful tips and guidance on the Civil Service Jobs application process:
Watch: How to apply on CS Jobs: Guide and Tips
At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles:
Behaviours
- Changing and Improving
- Delivering at Pace
- Working Together
Technical Skills
- Governance and Assurance
- Communicating Analysis and Insight
- Planning
Digital portfolio manager - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework
If you are invited for an interview, it will be conducted face to face at MOD Corsham, West Wells Road, Corsham, SN13 9NR. We will strive to offer as much flexibility as possible, but please note that alternative interview dates may not be available.
AI Usage in Job Applications
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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
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: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .
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.
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.
Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
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).
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).
- Name :Defence Digital Talent Acquisition Team
- Email :UKStratComDD-HR-TalentAcqDel@mod.gov.uk
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