Defence Digital Service Owner

Defence Digital ensures our Armed Forces remain among the most technologically advanced in the world. We do this by putting innovative and effective technology into the hands of over 200,000 users, from the boardroom to the front line.

We lead on cutting-edge data science, automation, and cybersecurity at scale. Our mission goes beyond the battlefield by leading humanitarian efforts and driving digital innovation that impacts lives across the globe.

Defence Digital forms part of Strategic Command which manages the MOD’s joint capabilities for the Army, RAF, and Royal Navy.

Watch to find out more about what we do.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

Are you ready to shape the future of the MOD’s digital services? Join the Digital Identity for Defence (DIfD) Programme and play a crucial role in ensuring secure access to services while protecting against adversaries. This unified programme is the backbone of Defence’s digital infrastructure, enhancing data management and boosting cyber-resilience.

As part of a multi-disciplinary team of 50, with a budget of £50m, you’ll follow scaled agile framework (SAFe) to deliver live services across Defence Digital (DD). This role offers a unique opportunity to apply your digital technology expertise and make a significant impact on the MOD’s mission-critical operations.

In this role, you will take ownership of a diverse portfolio and be responsible for ensuring the quality of service. You will oversee end-to-end services, manage multiple products and channels, and evaluate their effectiveness to drive continuous improvement and success.

As a Service Owner, you will have the exciting opportunity to:

• Participate in the governance of the service, including acting as a point of escalation for the delivery teams.  Ensure the necessary business processes are followed.
• Own the budget and allocate funding to areas of the service based on your decisions about priorities.
• Responsible for the successful operation and continuous improvement of the service and communicate the benefits and performance of your service.
• Line management of 6-9 members of staff.  Be a role model for team members in self-development and agile working.
• Communicate the service vision and strategy and progress towards outcomes both internally to the team and externally to stakeholders.
• Provide information needed to enable users to make the most of the service at different parts of its life cycle.

More detail about the Service Owner role in a government department will be found here:

Service owner - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (ddat-capability-framework.service.gov.uk)

Person specification

We are looking for an ambitious, motivated, and confident leader with a strong customer-centric approach. You will be capable of understanding and anticipating customer needs and issues and articulating them clearly and concisely to drive effective solutions. Passionate about maintaining high standards, you’ll ensure quality is always a priority by guiding teams to adopt and implement best practices. Additionally, you will play an active role in the product management community, fostering collaboration, sharing knowledge, and supporting its growth and development.

Please ensure that your CV and application, meet the below essential criteria:

• Proven ability to think strategically and an active approach to problem solving.
• Demonstrate an advanced understanding of design, technology, and data principles.
• Possess exceptional collaboration, influencing and stakeholder management skills.
• Proven experience in finance, including budget management, and navigating commercial frameworks within a complex business environment.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Financial Ownership
• Strategic Ownership
• User Focus

Benefits