CSM - Secretariat and Board Manager

Job summary

Are you ready to support one of the most ambitious transformation programmes in Defence? Corporate Services underpin the daily operations of 250,000 people across Defence. From payroll to procurement, these services are critical to mission success. MOD is modernising HR, Finance, and Commercial services through policy, process, organisational, data, and systems transformation, aligned with the Government Shared Services Strategy. More information on the Shared Services agenda can be found through this link: A Shared Services Strategy for Government - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

Our ambition is to:

• Enhance user experience through simplified processes, intuitive systems, and responsive support.

• Enable data-driven decision-making using Oracle ERP, HCM, and EPM technologies, integrated analytics, and AI.

• Improve productivity and efficiency by automating transactions, optimising shared service centres, and reducing costs for reinvestment into frontline Defence.

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is seeking a proactive and detail-oriented Secretariat and Board Manager to support the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) Programme, a top strategic priority for Defence.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Due to the nature of the role, part time and job share arrangements may be considered, subject to the requirement that full-time hours are fully covered (or business needs are met).

Job description

The Secretariat and Board Manager runs the full secretariat across all Corporate Services Modernisation governance fora. The role organises and services the boards, commissions and quality assures papers, drafts minutes, logs decisions and actions, and coordinates with senior stakeholders ahead of each board, ensuring CSM governance operates effectively and that decisions are recorded and followed up.

The role reports to the Head of Governance and operates the secretariat within the governance framework that the Head of Governance owns. It delivers the secretariat element of the governance and secretariat accountability that the CSM business plan places with the Deputy Director and PMO Director. The Head of Governance assures this function and approves governance minutes and actions.

Key responsibilities

Secretariat delivery

• Provide the full secretariat function for all CSM governance, including the Sponsor Group, Portfolio Board, Business Design Authority and Technical Design Authority. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3; GovS 002 section 4.3)
• Commission and collate papers, organise agendas, draft minutes, log decisions and ensure actions are followed up. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)
• Quality assure board papers ahead of meetings, ensuring they are fit for purpose and submitted on time. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)

Board coordination

• Coordinate with senior stakeholders, including Senior Officials' offices, ahead of each board to ensure effective delivery of corporate governance. (Project Support Officer 3)
• Maintain board schedules, forward agendas and the cycle of meetings across the governance calendar. (Project Support Officer 3)

Records, decisions and actions

• Maintain accurate decision logs and action trackers, ensuring decisions are recorded and actions resolved without needing intervention from outside the team. (GovS 002 section 4.3)
• Maintain the governance record as an auditable evidence base, submitting minutes and actions to the Head of Governance for approval. (GovS 002 section 7.8)

Continuous improvement of board operation

• Work with senior stakeholders to develop and continuously improve how boards are run and managed, providing constructive challenge. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)
• Build a portfolio-level view of governance, understanding dependencies between the various fora and communicating risks, issues and opportunities effectively and at pace. (Governance and Reporting Manager 3)

Flexible governance support

• Work flexibly across the governance function, providing ad hoc support in a changing environment, such as supporting the risk management practice or performance reporting processes. (Project Support Officer 3)

Boundaries

The role operates the secretariat but does not own the following, which sit with the Head of Governance:

• The governance management framework, board operating rhythms, terms of reference and decision rights: designed and owned by the Head of Governance. This role operates the boards within that framework.
• Approval of governance minutes and actions: the Head of Governance assures the secretariat and approves its outputs. This role drafts and maintains them.

Person specification

Essential

• Experience providing a full governance and secretariat function for senior boards in complex stakeholder environments.
• A proven track record of delivering high-profile governance work to the highest standards in ambiguous environments with competing priorities, adapting outputs to business need.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to work to challenging deadlines and manage escalated issues in a timely manner.
• Proficiency in Microsoft products, including Power BI.

Desirable

• A formal project or programme management qualification.
• Experience in a large-scale, complex organisation comparable to the MOD, ideally in the Defence sector.
• Experience of working within a business operations or corporate services environment.

Technical competencies

Proficiency scale: A = Awareness , W = Working , P = Practitioner , E = Expert. Levels reflect the Governance and Reporting Manager 3 profile, with Stakeholder engagement uplifted from the Project Delivery Capability Framework baseline of Awareness to Working to reflect this role's coordination with Senior Officials' offices ahead of every board.

Competency

PDCF role family

Required level

Governance

Governance and Reporting Manager 3

Stakeholder engagement (uplifted: senior office coordination)

Governance and Reporting Manager 3

W

Frameworks and methodologies

Governance and Reporting Manager 3

W

Risk and issue management

Governance and Reporting Manager 3

A

Knowledge management

Project Support Officer 3

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

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).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and div