Job description for Senior Operations Manager (Processing Manager)

Are you an experienced operations leader looking to make a real impact? If so, Defence Munitions is offering an exciting opportunity to step into a pivotal role as a Senior Operations Manager (Processing Manager).

Defence Munitions receive, store, maintain & issue a wide range of munitions that are used by the UK armed forces to train, protect, and serve anywhere in the world. Our Defence Munitions staff work closely with DE&S project teams and front-line commands to ensure our troops have the right items at the right time. We work as an important part of the wider MoD establishment that supports, procures, and supplies our troops, providing them with a range of munitions from bullets, shells, and flares up to and including and complex weapons such as high-calibre ammunition and guided or targeted weapons.

As the General Munitions Processing Manager, you will be responsible for developing and implementing both current and future strategies and policies related to General Munitions (GM) Processing. Your role will involve managing GM processing capacity to effectively meet customer demands while ensuring full compliance within regulatory and safety standards.

In addition, you will support the Senior Explosive Processing Approvals Manager by drafting and authorising munitions processing documentation. This includes providing expert advice and guidance on Safe Systems of Work (SSOW), specifically MECP 020. Your responsibilities will also cover the preparation and approval of Authority to Process documents, contractor processing approvals, and non-intrusive processing approvals.

Please note:  You will be required travel to other Defence Munition and DE&S locations in the UK. Reasonable notice will be given, with flexibility and a family friendly approach in mind. Travel and subsistence costs will be covered.

You can base yourself from any following site locations:

MOD Abbey Wood, Filton, Bristol, Avon BS34 8JH,

Defence Munitions Gosport, Gosport, Hampshire PO13 0AH,

Defence Munitions Beith, Beith, Ayrshire KA15 1JT

Defence Munitions Kineton, Kineton, Warwickshire CV47 2UD

Defence Munitions Longtown, Carlisle, Cumbria CA6 5LX

Defence Munitions Crombie, Crombie by Dunfermline, Fife KY12 8LA

Defence Munitions Plymouth, Ernesettle Lane, Plymouth PL5 2TQ

Defence Munitions Glen Douglas PO Box 1, Arrochar, Argyll and Bute, G83 7BA

What you’ll be doing 

• Identify workload peaks and troughs and analyse future capacity requirements in collaboration with the Assistant Team Leader for Munitions Processing (ATLMP) to assess potential resource impacts.
• Negotiate with customers to address technical, supply and Quality issues affecting capacity.
• Generate management information (MI) reports to support the business’s Sales and Operations Planning (S&OP) process.
• Support ATLMP and Business Operations in negotiations with commercial processing agreements.
• Coordinate with site production managers to maintain output plans and resolve any conflicts related to customer priorities.
• Analyse output performance against plan (S&OP), addressing performance issues and seeking Continuous Improvement (CI) opportunities in output efficiency & effectiveness with sites.
• Review the use of Information Systems (IS) within the General Munitions (GM) business area to identify performance and capability improvement opportunities and promote the adoption of best practices through a consistent, standardised approach.
• Monitor the effectiveness of technical training for process personnel, working collaboratively with the Assistant Team Leader for Business Operations to support the development and maintenance of a competent and qualified workforce under WOME SQEP standards.
• Responsible for Authorised Demander of Warehouse Management System (WMS accounts).

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you’ll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Experience of working in a Weapons Ordnance Munitions Explosive (WOME environment) or in a similarly relevant field.
• Experience in planning or scheduling processes.
• Management experience in a large and complex delivery-focused organisation
• Experience of Continuous Improvement and Implementing change.
• Proven expertise in stakeholder engagement and strategic relationship management.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Outlook, Word, Excel, and Teams.

To benefit your application if you are able to demonstrate the following desirable criteria:

• Full UK Driving License

Must be willing to attend and successfully pass Defence Academy:

• OME Awareness within 12months of appointment.
• OME Intermediate within 24 months of appointment.

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Stakeholder Management –Practitioner
• Service Delivery Management – Practitioner
• Making Effective Decisions – CSBC3
• Delivering at Pace – CSBC3

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,100, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,486 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday
• Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded qualifications
• Support for progression
• Huge range of discounts
• Volunteering days
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver for the defence of tomorrow. Here you’ll find a supportive, family-friendly organisation to be a part of – and if you need any assistance with your application, just let us know.

Further Information

• Civil Service Recruitment Principles: Recruitment Principles – Civil Service Commission
• Candidate Information Pack: https://bit.ly/DES-Candidate-Information-Pack
• Terms and Conditions: https://bit.ly/DES-Terms-and-Conditions
• Civil Service Code: The Code – Civil Service Commission

Any personal data that you provide during the Recruitment process will be treated in accordance with the MOD Privacy Notice which can be accessed here.

Please note as a Disability Confident Leader we want to ensure you receive any reasonable adjustments that you need throughout the recruitment process. If you do require any reasonable adjustments, you can let us know on your online application under the section ‘Please indicate and give details of any reasonable adjustments you may require during the recruitment process.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift – We will check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.
2. Sift – Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills. Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.
3. Interview – If you’re invited to interview, you’ll be assessed against the Sift categories (CV Review) listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert.

Please Note: In the event of a tied score at interview, the Order of Merit will be distinguished based on the relative importance of the assessed competencies as per the hierarchy below:

• 1st: Core Behaviour 1
• 2nd: Core Behaviour 2
• 3rd: Technical Competencies
• 4th: CV Review

In the event of a further tie using the method above, we reserve the right to utilise an additional assessment.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact department via email: DESHR-WSC-PMOCOMPLAINTS@mod.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Recruitment Complaints – Civil Service Commission

Declaration of Outside Interests.

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.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.