Military Intelligence Services Strategy Lead

Job summary

Shape the Future of Intelligence Across Defence

Are you a strategic thinker with strong stakeholder engagement and governance skills? Do you thrive in complex environments where you can influence senior decision-makers and drive organisational change?

Defence Intelligence is seeking an exceptional individual to join the Military Intelligence Services (MIS) Central Team. This is a unique opportunity to play a pivotal role in shaping the future of MIS, supporting the Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI) in delivering strategic priorities, strengthening governance, and driving the development of the MIS Operating Model.

Working from within the Director Strategy & Enterprise (DSE) pillar, you will engage with senior leaders across Defence and the Intelligence Community. You will help ensure that MIS is organised, connected and prepared to support decision making and warfighting preparedness across Defence and government.

This role is advertised at 37 hours per week

Job description

In Defence Intelligence (DI) our people solve problems, create understanding and give perspective to the diverse and complex Defence threats and challenges in a rapidly changing world. Together our civilians and military personnel inform decision making in Defence, manage complex finance programmes and develop new technology.

In DI we believe your unique experiences, view and understanding of the world could provide a vital perspective and contribution to our work. We recognise that great minds do not think alike and are striving to increase our diversity representation at all levels. As an equal opportunities employer we hire, train and promote people based on merit and inspire to create an inclusive workplace free of discrimination. We also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexi-time, job share and compressed hours.

All jobs advertised in DI are subject to fair and open competition.

About the Role

Reporting to the MIS Central Team Leader, you will play a central role in developing and implementing the Military Intelligence Services Strategy and Operating Model.

You will support senior leaders, including CDI in their role as Head of MIS, while helping to establish the structures, governance, and relationships that will underpin Defence's intelligence enterprise for years to come.

You will engage with senior military and civilian leaders across Defence, influencing decision-making and ensuring that strategic priorities translate into coherent action across the enterprise.

Why it Matters

MIS has been established to bring greater coherence, accountability, and effectiveness to Defence's intelligence enterprise. Achieving this requires more than strategy alone. It requires disciplined governance.

A central part of this role is creating and sustaining the governance drumbeat that enables MIS to function as an enterprise. You will ensure senior boards are professionally planned and delivered, papers are prepared to a high standard, decisions are accurately captured, and actions are followed through to completion.

Whilst these activities may appear procedural, they are fundamental to organisational success. Effective governance is how senior leaders make informed decisions, set priorities, manage risk, monitor progress, and drive change. It is the foundation upon which the success of MIS will be built.

We are therefore looking for someone who takes pride in getting the basics right, understands the importance of detail and rigour, and recognises that well-run governance can have a strategic impact across an organisation as large and complex as Defence.

Key Responsibilities

As the Military Intelligence Services Strategy and Governance Lead, you will:

• Deliver the secretariat function for the 3* Military Intelligence Services Governance Board and support the development and delivery of subordinate governance forums.
• Support the development, implementation and refresh of the Military Intelligence Services Strategy and Operating Model.
• Provide regular briefing and support to the Chief of Defence Intelligence in their role as Head of Military Intelligence Services.
• Monitor and report progress against strategic objectives, ensuring decisions are implemented effectively and risks are appropriately managed.
• Build and maintain a strong network of stakeholders across Defence, enabling collaboration, knowledge sharing and continuous improvement.
• Support assurance, risk management and performance reporting activities across the Military Intelligence Services.
• Line manage an HEO responsible for communications and engagement activities.
• Deputise for the MIS Central Team Leader when required.

Person specification

This role would suit a motivated individual with strong strategic judgement, governance experience, and the confidence to engage effectively with senior stakeholders. Excellent communication and influencing skills are essential, alongside the ability to build trusted relationships across Defence and the wider Intelligence Community. Candidates should be able to see the bigger picture, listen carefully to divergent views, reflect key issues clearly to senior leaders, and help identify solutions that account for competing needs. Experience in secretariat support, risk management, performance reporting, or organisational change would be advantageous. If you are interested but unsure whether you meet every requirement, we encourage you to back yourself and apply.

Essential criteria:

It is essential that successful candidates demonstrate:

• Experience of coordinating, improving, or delivering activities across teams or organisations to achieve outcomes.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and influence a range of stakeholders to achieve shared objectives.
• Ability to communicate clearly and confidently, both in writing and verbally, including preparing papers, briefings or presentations for senior audiences.
• Ability to understand complex issues, exercise sound judgement, and provide practical recommendations in a fast-paced environment.
• Experience of leading people, projects, workstreams or significant pieces of work and delivering results through others.

Desirable criteria:

It is desirable that successful candidates demonstrate:

• Knowledge or experience of working within Defence, intelligence, national security, military, or related policy environments.
• Experience supporting senior executive, director-level, or board-level decision-making through governance, assurance, risk management or performance reporting activities.
• Experience of managing, developing or mentoring staff and fostering effective team performance.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 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).

We offer a range of excellent benefits including but not limited to the following:

• All successful candidates will be eligible to join the Civil Service Pension Scheme with an average employer contribution of 28%.
• Leave entitlement – 25-day annual leave allo