Logistics & Operations Manager

Job summary

At Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S), we supply and maintain vital equipment and services for the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force. Together, we deliver a vast range of essential defence programmes, and strive for what's next. Because it helps keep our military at the top of their game and our nation safe – for today, and tomorrow.

DE&S has recently been integrated into the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group. The NAD Group brings together key Ministry of Defence (MOD) organisations to unite expertise across science, technology, procurement, infrastructure, and support to provide integrated capabilities faster and more efficiently for our armed forces and our allies. This is an exciting new opportunity to enable better ways of working and empower greater collaboration across Defence. For further information about the NAD Group, please visit: National Armaments Director Group - GOV.UK

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of 28.97%, to help make work for you.

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 5 years and obtain Security Check (SC) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you’ve been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained, or is obtained but with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn. Obtaining SC security clearance can be a lengthy process, and we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer made if the necessary security clearance isn’t obtained within 12 months.

Job description

We are looking for an experienced Logistics or Operations Manager who can bring transferable skills, fresh thinking and a strong understanding of how to deliver safe, efficient and effective operations. Previous Weapons, Ordinance, Munitions & Explosions (WOME) or Defence Munitions experience is not essential, as you will be provided with the specific WOME training and development required for the role.

This exciting role provides key operational leadership supporting Defence Munitions activities across Glen Douglas and Glen Mallan, with responsibility spanning both warehouse and jetty operations.

The role will lead and coordinate a broad range of operational activities, from the receipt, storage, handling and movement of materiel at Glen Douglas through to supporting jetty operations and the movement of materiel through Glen Mallan. You will bring strong operational and logistics knowledge, be able to coordinate people and resources effectively, and identify opportunities to improve how we deliver our outputs.

This is a highly regulated operational environment, so experience gained in other regulated sectors would be particularly valuable. Experience from logistics, warehousing, ports, maritime, transport, manufacturing or similar operational environments could all provide relevant transferable skills.

Above all, we are looking for an operational leader with sound judgement, strong logistics knowledge and an improvement mindset. Someone who can see opportunities, challenge established ways of working constructively and turn ideas into practical improvements. We can develop the specialist WOME knowledge; we are looking for someone who can bring the operational leadership, logistics experience and fresh thinking.

We champion flexible ways of working. Regular in-person attendance is required (this is expected to be approximately 80-100% of your working week) to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance and business need. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead the safe and compliant delivery of warehouse and jetty operations, ensuring activities are properly planned, controlled and delivered in accordance with applicable legislation, regulations and MOD requirements.
• Ensure appropriate risk assessments, Safe Systems of Work and operational controls are in place, understood and applied, with hazards identified and risks managed effectively.
• Ensure compliance with relevant health, safety, environmental, explosives, security and quality requirements, providing assurance that operations are being undertaken safely and within established controls.
• Ensure facilities, equipment and operational areas are appropriately prepared and safe for the activities being undertaken, including warehouse operations at Glen Douglas and jetty activities at Glen Mallan.
• Maintain effective governance and oversight of operational activities, ensuring appropriate records, documentation and evidence of compliance are maintained.
• Promote a strong safety and compliance culture, encouraging staff to identify hazards, report concerns and learn from experience.
• Identify opportunities to improve operational processes and controls while ensuring that proposed changes remain safe, compliant and appropriately authorised.
• Work effectively with internal teams, regulators, customers, contractors and other stakeholders to support the safe and efficient delivery of operational outputs.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Lead criterion - Experience of operating at managerial level in a large, highly regulated organisation with multi-disciplined teams.
• Demonstrable ability to identify opportunities, challenge existing ways of working and deliver practical improvements to operational performance, efficiency or effectiveness.

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Core Behaviour 1: Making Effective Decisions – CSBC 3
• Core Behaviour 2: Communicating and Influencing – CSBC 3
• Technical Competence 1: Distribution and Warehousing – Practitioner
• Technical Competence 2: Planning and Scheduling (PC Sub-Function) – Supervised Practitioner

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,100, Ministry of Defence contributes £12,775 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).

• 25 days’ annual leave +1 day a year up to 30 days, 8 bank holidays and a day off for the King’s birthday
• Flexible and hybrid working options
• Market-leading average employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Annual performance-based bonus and recognition awards
• Access to specialist training and funded qualifications
• Support for progression
• Huge range of discounts
• Volunteering days
• Enhanced parental leave schemes

Improving innovation and enriching our culture, diversity of thought is vital to our success. So whether you’re looking for a new opportunity, a next step, or a helping hand as you return from a career break, bring your experiences and help deliver