Armed Forces Commissioner Director

Job summary

The Director will be the pivotal senior civil servant responsible for establishing and leading the new Armed Forces Commissioner’s office, ensuring it delivers its expanded statutory remit. The Director will provide operational leadership across assessments, investigations, reporting and corporate functions, and will discharge the Commissioner’s statutory responsibilities when required, ensuring independence, rigour and continuity.

The Director will guide the organisation through a significant period of transformation as the Service Complaints Ombudsman for the Armed Forces (SCOAF) transitions into the broader AFC structure, encompassing welfare issues affecting both Service personnel and their families. The Director will build the AFC’s credibility from day one, drive organisational design and culture, and ensure high quality investigations and evidence based reports that influence Defence policy and parliamentary scrutiny. The Director’s role in translating strategic priorities into operational plans ensures alignment across the organisation, preventing mission drift and enhancing delivery focus.

A central part of the role, in partnership with the permanent Commissioner once appointed, is building strong relationships across Defence, Government, Parliament and the charitable sector, enabling the AFC to secure cooperation, shape outcomes and deliver tangible improvements to Service life. The Director’s extensive engagement with Defence and external stakeholders facilitates early identification of emerging issues and opportunities, enabling proactive rather than reactive responses.

The Director will also ensure strong financial and workforce management, supported by effective governance, delivering value for money while maintaining the AFC’s independence and effectiveness.

Job description

Leadership

• Serving as the most senior civil servant within the Armed Forces Commissioner’s office (AFC), providing pivotal leadership during a period of significant organisational transformation and heightened political scrutiny. Discharging the Commissioner’s statutory and legislative responsibilities, including exercising the full powers of the Commissioner in their absence, ensuring continuity of authority and decision-making at the highest level.

Investigations Oversight and Reporting

• Overseeing the entire investigative function covering Service Complaints and General Service Welfare, ensuring adherence to AFC performance standards through regular auditing. Signing off outcomes of high-risk investigations, thematic reports, and annual reports, maintaining the integrity and quality of AFC outputs.

Stakeholder Engagement and Collaboration

• Supporting the Commissioner in managing relationships and engagement with internal and external stakeholders, including the Ministry of Defence, Government departments, Ombudsman bodies, regulators, and other external organisations. Fostering cross-sector collaboration and embedding lessons learned to drive continuous operational improvement.

Resource and Transition Management

• Acting as Senior Responsible Officer for all AFC resources—people, budget, systems, and estate—ensuring their effective and efficient deployment in line with MOD governance and value-for-money expectations. Leading strategic resourcing decisions during the transition from SCOAF to AFC, maintaining service continuity, managing workforce change, and building new operational capabilities.

Information Stewardship and Advisory Role

• Safeguarding sensitive information and investigative resources, ensuring statutory powers and access to MOD systems and premises are used appropriately. Acting as the principal adviser to the Commissioner, providing authoritative advice on the operation of the complaints system, emerging welfare trends, and strategic issues affecting the Armed Forces community.

Person specification

• Senior-level experience in grievance resolution, regulatory, or similar environments, with a strong understanding of statutory and investigative processes.
• Proven track record of leading change and setting strategic priorities in large, complex organisations.
• High integrity and influence, with the ability to build and maintain strong relationships with Ministers, senior officials, and external stakeholders.
• Authoritative and empathetic communication skills, capable of engaging effectively at ministerial level and sensitively supporting individuals affected by trauma or loss.
• Excellent interpersonal skills and media awareness, including experience with live media engagement and acting as an organisational spokesperson.

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a strong field of candidates when there is a need to distinguish between candidates. This will be as a second sift, after the essential criteria has been considered:

• Proven independence, impartiality, and ability to operate effectively under parliamentary, media, and public scrutiny.
• Knowledge of the Armed Forces operating model and complaints procedures.
• Legal or legislative experience.
• Experience delivering value for money, operational excellence, and managing budgets.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £135,000, Ministry of Defence contributes £39,109 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%

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

Application

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process accessed via the Civil Service Jobs portal. This should be completed no later than 23:55 Monday 19 October 2026 and will involve providing the two documents which are weighted equally:

• A CV (no more than 2 pages) setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.​
• A Personal Statement (no more than 2 pages) providing tangible examples that clearly evidence how you meet the essential criteria for the role.​

External candidates who join the MOD and are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.​

For further information about the role and full application process, please refer to the candidate pack attached below. If you wish to receive any material in a different format for accessibility, then please contact [email removed].

Polly Miller-Perki