The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is recruiting three Programme Support Officer – Project Manager Office positions within Defence Business Services (DBS). The role offers a £46,040 salary, a two-year fixed-term appointment and flexible working options, including full-time, part-time, job share and compressed hours.
The positions are based at Abbey Wood North, Stoke Gifford, Bristol, and Tomlinson House, Norcross, Blackpool, Lancashire.
Important: This vacancy does not offer Skilled Worker visa sponsorship and is not open to applicants who require sponsorship under the UK points-based immigration system.
Job Details
- Job title: DBS – Programme Support Officer – Project Manager Office
- Employer: Ministry of Defence (MOD)
- Department: Defence Business Services (DBS)
- Reference: 481314
- Salary: £46,040 per year
- Grade: Senior Executive Officer (SEO)
- Contract: Fixed-term
- Duration: 2 years
- Vacancies: 3
- Working hours: 37 hours per week
- Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, job share, compressed hours and flexible working
- Job category: Project Delivery
- Locations: Abbey Wood North, Stoke Gifford, Bristol; Tomlinson House, Norcross, Blackpool, Lancashire
- Closing date: 11:55 pm, Thursday 5 November 2026
About the Role
Defence Business Services is a major shared-service organisation supporting more than 1.2 million end users across Defence, including serving and former military personnel, their families, MOD civil servants and industry.
Within the Project Manager Office, the successful candidate will lead and manage project activity, helping ensure projects achieve their agreed objectives within required time, cost and quality constraints.
The role involves project governance, stakeholder engagement, risk and issue management, resource planning, benefits realisation and supporting effective project decision-making.
The position is advertised as a two-year fixed-term appointment, with any extension subject to business requirements and the necessary approvals.
Key Responsibilities
As Project Manager, you will be responsible for:
- Leading projects and project teams on a day-to-day basis.
- Defining project objectives and overseeing delivery against agreed outcomes.
- Establishing appropriate project controls and delivery structures.
- Selecting suitable project delivery methodologies.
- Coordinating the development of business cases.
- Monitoring project budgets and expenditure.
- Planning and managing resources using relevant data and insights.
- Identifying, measuring and tracking expected project benefits.
- Developing and maintaining effective stakeholder relationships.
- Identifying project risks and issues and implementing appropriate mitigation.
- Escalating significant risks and issues when required.
- Supporting project governance and decision-making through effective reporting.
- Supporting appropriate project assurance arrangements.
- Managing changes to project deliverables in consultation with stakeholders.
- Working with the wider project community for guidance, coaching and professional development.
- Supporting effective individual and team performance.
Requirements / Person Specification
Essential:
- Experience of project delivery using an appropriate project delivery framework.
Desirable:
- Knowledge or experience of shared services within the public sector.
- Experience managing project risks, assumptions, issues, dependencies and opportunities (RAIDO).
- Experience in benefits management.
- Experience in stakeholder management.
Qualifications
Candidates with the following qualifications are desirable, or should be willing to work towards them:
- PRINCE2 Practitioner.
- APM Practitioner.
- Agile Project Management Practitioner.
- Government Project Delivery Accreditation – Practitioner level.
- Management of Risk Practitioner.
- Major Project and Leading Workstreams experience or accreditation.
Behaviours and Technical Skills
The selection process will assess candidates against:
Behaviours:
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
Evidence is specifically requested at application stage for:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills:
- Government Project Delivery Framework – Governance
- Government Project Delivery Framework – Risk & Issue Management
Evidence is specifically requested at application stage for:
- Government Project Delivery Framework – Risk & Issue Management
Salary & Benefits
The salary is £46,040 per year. The MOD also contributes towards membership of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
Other benefits include:
- 25 days’ paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year to 30 days after five years’ service, pro rata.
- Eight public holidays.
- Additional leave for His Majesty The King’s birthday.
- Flexible working arrangements.
- Hybrid working where the role permits.
- Family-friendly policies, including parental and adoption leave.
- Learning and development opportunities.
- Professional and personal skills development.
- Reward and recognition opportunities.
- Up to six days’ paid special leave per year for volunteering.
- A minimum of 15 days’ special leave in a rolling 12-month period for volunteer reserve commitments.
- Civil Service pension benefits.
Where business needs allow, some roles may operate under a non-contractual hybrid arrangement combining office and home working.
Office-based employees are generally expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in the office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
Working Pattern
The position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
The vacancy supports:
- Full-time working
- Part-time working
- Job sharing
- Compressed hours
- Flexible working
- Hybrid working where permitted by business requirements
The MOD has consolidated its North West operational activities at Norcross, Blackpool. A further move to the Government Hub at Talbot Gateway in Blackpool is scheduled for 2027.
Visa / Right-to-Work
Visa sponsorship is NOT available for this position.
The MOD states that it will only sponsor a Skilled Worker visa where a role has been assessed as business critical. This vacancy does not meet that category.
Applicants who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship under the points-based immigration system should not apply, as applications requiring sponsorship will be rejected and any provisional offer would be withdrawn.
Applicants must otherwise meet the relevant Civil Service nationality and right-to-work requirements.
Security Requirements
Successful applicants must complete the required pre-employment and security checks.
These include:
- A basic or equivalent criminal record check.
- Security Check (SC) requirements.
- Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks for personnel working with government assets.
Successful candidates must meet the required security standards before appointment.
Application / Selection Process
The vacancy uses the Civil Service Success Profiles framework and assesses candidates against behaviours, experience and technical skills.
Applicants will need to provide:
- CV details covering employment history, skills and experience.
- A Statement of Suitability of no more than 1,000 words.
At the initial sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV, Statement of Suitability, selected behaviours and technical skills.
The application-stage assessment includes:
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Government Project Delivery Framework – Risk & Issue Management
At interview, candidates will be assessed against:
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace
- Communicating and Influencing
- Government Project Delivery Framework – Governance
- Government Project Delivery Framework – Risk & Issue Management
Applications are expected to be sifted in early November, with interviews currently scheduled to take place via Microsoft Teams from mid to late November.
Candidates should use the official Civil Service vacancy to review the complete requirements and submit their application.
AI and Application Guidance
The MOD permits candidates to use artificial intelligence tools to support their applications, but all examples and statements must be truthful, factually accurate and based on the applicant’s own experience.
Applications may be withdrawn where plagiarism or misrepresentation is identified.
Eligibility and Nationality
The vacancy is broadly open to eligible:
- UK nationals.
- Republic of Ireland nationals.
- Commonwealth nationals with the right to work in the UK.
- Certain EU, Swiss, Norwegian, Icelandic and Liechtenstein nationals and qualifying family members with relevant EU Settlement Scheme status.
- Individuals with relevant limited or indefinite leave to remain who meet the applicable criteria.
- Turkish nationals and certain qualifying family members who have acquired the right to work in the Civil Service.
Applicants should check the Civil Service nationality requirements before applying.
Application Deadline
The closing date is 11:55 pm on Thursday 5 November 2026.
As the advert will no longer be available once the vacancy closes, applicants should save any information they need for their records.
How to Apply
Applications should be submitted through the official Civil Service Jobs vacancy for DBS – Programme Support Officer – Project Manager Office, reference 481314.
Applicants should ensure that their CV, Statement of Suitability and supporting evidence directly demonstrate the project delivery experience, behaviours and technical skills requested in the advert.
Job contact: Bill Hughes
Email: william.hughes103@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team: DBS Enhanced Recruitment Team
Email: DBS-EnhancedRecruitmentTeam@mod.gov.uk