CSM Programme Support Officer

Job summary

About the job

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 Programme Support Officer to support the Corporate Services Modernisation (CSM) Programme, a top strategic priority for Defence.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Role summary:

As Programme Support Officer, you will be part of the Central Programme Office, reporting to a G7 Programme Delivery Manager. You will work across the CSM Programme to support effective RAID management and integrated scheduling, helping ensure risks, issues, assumptions, dependencies, milestones and delivery interdependencies are captured, tracked, escalated and reported clearly.

You will use tools such as JIRA and Microsoft Project (MSP) to manage RAID logs and schedules, and collaborate with programme teams, delivery partners, and senior stakeholders to maintain a clear and accurate view of delivery progress and risks.

Role Responsibilities

Programme coordination and prioritisation

• Support the Programme Delivery Manager and wider Central Programme Office to coordinate programme activity, track priorities and maintain oversight of key work packages.
• Manage action trackers, follow up outstanding actions and report exceptions where delivery activity is off track or requires escalation.

RAID and dependency management

• Support the maintenance of the central RAID log for the CSM Programme, ensuring risks, issues, assumptions and dependencies are accurately recorded, assessed and updated.
• Work with project teams and delivery partners to identify, validate and escalate RAID items, ensuring appropriate owners, mitigations and resolution plans are in place.

Planning and scheduling

• Support the maintenance of integrated programme schedules, milestones and delivery roadmaps using tools such as Microsoft Project.
• Help identify cross-project dependencies, planning risks and delivery impacts, ensuring these are clearly captured and reported.

Governance and reporting

• Prepare programme-level outputs for governance forums, including updates on RAID, planning, milestones, delivery challenges, dependencies and decisions.
• Produce clear presentations, reports and briefings that enable senior stakeholders to understand progress, risks and areas requiring decision or intervention.

Stakeholder, workshop and partner engagement

• Coordinate PMO activity across programme teams, project PMOs, system integration teams and transformation delivery partners.
• Support workshops and meetings by preparing agendas, coordinating inputs, capturing records of actions and decisions, and following up agreed actions.

Tools, insight and continuous improvement

• Use tools such as JIRA, Microsoft Project and Power BI to support accurate tracking, reporting and programme-level insight.
• Support continuous improvement of RAID, scheduling and reporting processes so they are consistently applied across the programme.

Person specification

Essential Skills and Requirements

• Experience supporting RAID management and scheduling within a project, programme or portfolio environment
• Ability to produce quality presentations and professional word documents and manage coherent programme artefacts
• Proficiency in JIRA, MSP, and Microsoft Office tools
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with the ability to manage multiple activities and deadlines.
• Strong analytical and communication skills, with the ability to present RAID and scheduling information clearly and effectively.
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced and dynamic environment.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Hold a current Project Management Qualification such as: APM Project Management, PRINCE2 Practitioner, Managing Successful Programmes (MSP) Practitioner or PMI Project Management Professional
• Experience supporting RAID and scheduling functions in large programmes or complex delivery environments.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Risk and Issue Management
• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Planning
• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Scheduling

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Risk and Issue Management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes

£10,927 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%

FTA:

The CSM portfolio is recruiting to two-year FTAs, with the possibility of extension subject to business requirements and approvals.

If you are a permanent MOD civil servant and are successful in securing an advertised Fixed-Term Appointment (FTA), it may be possible to agree a Temporary Transfer, subject to the agreement of your current MOD business area. Where a Temporary Transfer is agreed and the post is at a higher grade, any promotion will be temporary, and you will return to your substantive grade at the end of the Temporary Transfer.

Existing Civil Servants from outside MOD and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply but will only be considered on a loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant, including arrangements regarding grade on return

Hybrid Working

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 supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability (750 Word count).

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV, Statement of suitability and the following:

Behaviours:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating & Influencing
• Working Together

Technical Skills:

• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Risk and Issue Management

Project delivery capability framework - Government Project Delivery

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial short sift will be conducted on statement of suitability only.

At interview, Candidates will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours :

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating & Influencing
• Working Together

Technical Skills:

• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Risk and Issue Management
• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Planning
• Project Delivery Capability Framework - Scheduling

Project delivery capability framework - Government Project Delivery

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criter