Navy Command - Spearfish Upgrade Programme Manager

Job summary

At Navy Command, we lead, support, and sustain the Royal Navy across every theatre of operations. We coordinate the people, platforms, and missions that keep the Fleet ready for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s opportunities. Together, we uphold centuries of naval tradition while driving innovation that ensures the Royal Navy’s readiness to protect our nation and secure our future.

As the authority for the Royal Navy’s nuclear submarine capability, the Submarine Directorate oversees one of the most complex and critical elements of UK defence. Covering everything from in‑service management to long‑term fleet modernisation, the directorate ensures the Submarine Flotilla remains safe, reliable, and ready to meet national security requirements.

You'll be based at HMNB Portsmouth, one of the oldest and busiest naval bases in the world. It is home to the Royal Navy’s aircraft carriers (HMS Queen Elizabeth and HMS Prince of Wales) alongside destroyers, frigates, and specialist squadrons. As a vibrant hub of maritime power and innovation, Portsmouth sustains the Fleet and supports thousands of personnel.

This position is a Reserved Post within the Civil Service, for which only sole UK nationals are eligible. Under the Civil Service Nationality Rules, UK nationals include British citizens, British subjects with the right of abode in the United Kingdom, and British Overseas Territories citizens.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The primary purpose of the Spearfish Upgrade Programme Manager role is to lead the day-to-day management, integration and control of programme activity on behalf of the Programme Director. The postholder will translate strategic intent into clear delivery priorities, provide leadership to the PMO and wider delivery partners, and ensure the programme is positioned to meet Ministry of Defence approvals, assurance and scrutiny requirements.

What you'll be doing:

• Lead and integrate day-to-day programme management activity on behalf of the Programme Director, ensuring delivery activity is controlled, prioritised and aligned to agreed SFU outcomes.
• Translate Programme Director intent into clear delivery objectives, priorities and controls for the SFU team, PMO and delivery partners.
• Drive business case production and approvals activity, ensuring evidence, affordability, benefits, risks, dependencies and specialist inputs are coherent and able to withstand MOD and Government scrutiny.
• Maintain effective programme and project governance, reporting, assurance and decision-making arrangements to enable senior decisions and support delivery of business case benefits and outcomes.
• Shape and manage internal and external stakeholder relationships across Navy Command, delivery agents, users, assurance bodies, approvals authorities and industry partners.
• Lead the management of strategic risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies and DLOD/user integration activity, ensuring effective control, escalation and cross-enterprise coherence.
• Provide leadership and direction to the PMO and programme management function, embedding proportionate P3M standards, continuous improvement and effective ways of working.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you must show you meet the following essential criteria:

• Experience leading or managing complex government, Defence or major change programmes, with the ability to maintain delivery in a high-scrutiny environment.
• Experience operating within formal governance, approvals, assurance and business case environments, including the ability to support senior decision-making.
• Strong programme controls capability, including risk, issue, dependency, benefits, reporting and assurance management.
• Experience managing senior stakeholder relationships across organisational boundaries, including users, sponsors, delivery partners and industry.
• Experience providing leadership to teams or functions, including developing effective ways of working across multi-disciplinary or matrix delivery environments.

Desirable:

• Working knowledge and understanding of operational maritime support delivery, preferably within Royal Navy, Ministry of Defence Delivery Agents, Industry or Naval Base environments.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service.
• Personal & professional development
• Alternative working patterns for many roles
• Access to confidential, professional support service
• Discount schemes.
• Bicycle/season ticket loans.
• Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
• Special paid leave to volunteer up to 6 days per year.

In Navy Command we believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you’ll be supported through your learning journey and your career. This can include working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking an apprenticeship as part of your role.

You’ll have access to a variety of qualifications pathways ranging from GCSE/A-Level equivalent all the way up to master’s degree, depending on your role, your previous skills and your experience. Some qualifications even include “on-the-job” training which means minimal disruption to your working day but maximum impact.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements 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 suppor