Deputy Head MAB Afghan Inquiry Response Unit

Job summary

This role is a fantastic opportunity to be the senior civilian leading on MAB HQ’s response to the MOD-sponsored Independent Inquiry relating to Afghanistan, chaired by Lord Justice Sir Charles Haddon-Cave.

The Inquiry was announced in December 2022 to investigate and report on allegations of wrongdoing by the British Armed Forces in relation to deliberate detention operations in Afghanistan from mid-2010 to mid-2013. The Inquiry will also look at the adequacy of the MOD’s response to those concerns and assess what lessons can be learned.

MAB HQ has established a dedicated unit – the MAB Afghanistan Inquiry Response Unit (MAIRU) to co-ordinate and deliver MAB’s response to the Inquiry. This is a high-profile area with strong Ministerial, senior official and military interest in the outcome. Responding effectively is critical to ensuring public trust and maintaining MAB’s “license to operate”. It is essential we do so at pace to meet the ambitions of the Chair, whilst supporting our people.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

This role will likely require working in the office at least 4 days per week, but flexible working patterns are supported, including job share.

Job description

The successful candidate will lead the MAIRU team alongside a military counterpart. MAIRU currently consists of 38 personnel, the majority of which are military. You will have overall responsibility for:

• Leading this well-motivated and highly capable team, empowering and delivering effect through them. Developing the individuals within that team and helping them fulfil their potential.
• Overseeing and shaping MAB’s strategy regarding the Inquiry, including how to prioritise activity, co-ordinate with stakeholders, identify and mitigate risks.
• Ensuring that MAIRU has the appropriate resources, staffing and capability to succeed.
• Feeding into advice to Ministers and seniors on sensitive policy and litigation issues, ensuring that MAB HQ, Comd MAB and wider organisational views are fully reflected.
• Attend regular briefings with Ministers and PUS, where you will reflect the views of MAB.
• Feeding into MOD’s communications and Parliamentary engagement in response to a high degree of Service Personnel, Parliamentary and media interest.
• Overseeing the support provided to MOD witnesses called by the Inquiry through the MAIRU Witness Support Team, noting organisational welfare is paramount to the Comd.
• Managing relationships with a range of stakeholders across the organisation.
• Frequent briefings to military 1* and 2* personnel are also required. The successful candidate would be expected to have a broad understanding of organisational issues, requirements and motivations and how these objectives tie in with wider departmental issues.
• Attending meetings with personnel often more senior to you where you will be required to provide an organisational view, which can, at times, differ to wider departmental views.
• Policy application for MAB into the Inquiry but also understand how this fits into MAB HQ structures and processes, advising where change may be required to align with evidence coming out of the Inquiry.
• Lead on proactive strategy work, which will feed into the Inquiry and attend court hearings to understand the direction of travel of the Inquiry.
• Identifying potential areas of change that could result from the Inquiry Chair’s report and recommendations at the end of the Inquiry.
• Attending meetings and briefings with the MAB HQ Command Team and at Unit level.

As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.

This is a Fixed-term Appointment as a Deputy Head MAB Afghan Inquiry Response Unit in the Afghan Inquiry Response Unit. Your responsibilities will be as described in this job advert. The reason why you are appointed for a fixed period is due the limited nature of the Afghanistan Inquiry - this position exists only while the Inquiry is ongoing. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 31/07/2028, or when the Inquiry concludes (which may be later). You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy. This post will therefore begin on your appointment and will end on 31/07/2028. You should be aware that when your Fixed-term Appointment at MOD comes to an end, arrangements will be made in line with the FTA policy.

If you are a permanent MoD civil servant and are found successful for an advertised Fixed-term Appointment (FTA) you should move into the post under a Temporary Transfer (for up to a maximum of 23 months). At the end of the posting you will return to your previous MoD Business area. If this posting is at a higher grade, your promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer. If a Temporary Transfer cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA and Change of Work Location in the UK policy for further information.

If you are transferring to MoD from another government department (OGD) you should join the MoD on an inward loan. At the end of the loan you will return to your home (OGD) department. If a loan cannot be agreed between all parties then a transfer on an FTA contract is possible, read the FTA policy for further information.

Person specification

In order to achieve the requirements of this position, it is essential the candidate has the following skills, please pay close attention to the areas set out below, which will need to be evidenced in your application:

Essential skills:

• Previous experience of working on judicial/litigation processes
• Experience of working in a predominately military team / military headquarters.
• Policy Professional
• Experience of managing a mixed team of military and civilian personnel.
• Ability to deliver multiple, concurrent workstreams at pace and re-prioritise when needed.
• Experience of providing advice to senior military and/or civilian personnel and Ministers with the ability to provide challenge and deliver difficult messages.

Desirable Skills:

• Previous experience of working on a Statutory Inquiry.
• Previous experience of working closely with or for MAB HQ.

Behaviours

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

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

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £72,840, Ministry of Defence contributes £21,101 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 diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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