Army - Approvals and Scrutiny Manager

Job description

Job summary

This post sits within Task Force RAPSTONE, based at Army Headquarters in Andover. RAPSTONE delivers transformative capability change through rapid and innovative project delivery, addressing critical capability shortfalls and supporting the Chief of the General Staff's (CGS) intent to triple the Army's fighting power by 2030.

RAPSTONE works at pace to turn urgent operational needs into frontline capability, delivering solutions such as tactical uncrewed systems, counter-UAS technology, electronic warfare, dispersed sensing and mobility platforms. The team works closely with frontline users, industry and Defence partners to deliver modern capability quickly and effectively.

This role focuses on approvals, scrutiny and governance across the RAPSTONE portfolio. Working closely with the Senior Responsible Owner (SRO), project teams, Army HQ staff and corporate functions, you will provide assurance, challenge and decision support to ensure business cases, investment submissions and rapid delivery approaches are robust, proportionate and ready for senior decision-making.

This is a unique opportunity to join a high-performing team at the forefront of Army modernisation, offering exposure to senior leaders, strategic decision-making and innovative capability development.

The post is 37 hours per week.

Job description

Task Force RAPSTONE accelerates the Army's ability to identify, develop and field modern capability against urgent operational needs. Operating across warfare development, rapid acquisition and frontline delivery, RAPSTONE is a key driver of Army modernisation.

As part of a lean, collaborative and high-performing team, you will work alongside military personnel, civil servants, industry partners and senior Defence leaders to support capability decisions that directly impact the Army.

This role sits at the heart of RAPSTONE's approvals and governance activity. You will provide scrutiny, assurance and decision support for business cases, investment submissions and rapid delivery proposals, ensuring they are robust, proportionate and ready for senior decision-making.

Working with Senior Responsible Owners, project teams, finance colleagues and assurance bodies, you will review risks, affordability and deliverability, coordinate governance processes, and translate complex information into clear, decision-ready advice.

This is a unique opportunity to contribute to a fast-paced, mission-focused organisation tackling some of Defence's most pressing capability challenges. RAPSTONE values initiative, collaboration and continuous improvement, embracing modern ways of working and the effective use of digital tools and emerging technologies.

Key responsibilities:

• Business Case Development and scrutiny
  • Provide rigorous, proportionate scrutiny of outline and full business cases, testing strategic alignment, value for money, deliverability, realism of timelines and the adequacy of risk identification and mitigation

• Governance and approvals management
  • Lead the coordination of approvals across the full P3M lifecycle, acting as the single point of control to ensure submissions are coherent, compliant, and ready for senior decision. Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in approval timelines, recommending and implementing improvements that support rapid capability delivery without weakening governance or control.

• Approvals assurance and delegated authority control
  • Provide independent scrutiny of business cases and investment submissions, ensuring compliance with policy, strategic intent, delegated authorities, and governance requirements prior to consideration by senior boards and committees.

• Delivery acceleration
  • Lead efforts to identify and remove obstacles within approvals, scrutiny and governance processes that could delay capability delivery. Working across stakeholders, develop and implement proportionate, risk-based solutions that improve efficiency, accelerate decision-making and enable the delivery of operational capability at pace while remaining compliant with Defence policy and governance requirements.

• Communications and stakeholder management
  • Identify and manage stakeholder relationships, highlighting the need for senior-level support. Communicate the outcomes of independent assurance activities to relevant stakeholders.

• Guidance
  • Provide direction and guidance on development to the team and more broadly across the departmental profession. Where applicable, ensure adherence to P3M best practice and recognised frameworks (e.g. PRINCE2/MSP where applicable), promoting consistency in governance, controls, templates, and reporting across the portfolio.

• Resource management
  • Scrutinise the use of accelerated or non standard approaches, ensuring deviations from standard process are justified, proportionate, documented, and formally approved, balancing urgency with legal, financial, and reputational safeguards.

• Risks and issues oversight
  • Review and challenge programme and project risk registers, identify cross portfolio dependencies, and escalate systemic or strategic risks to senior leadership with clear analysis and recommendations.

• Audit Readiness
  • Maintain clear audit trails, approvals trackers, and decision logs, ensuring documentation, assurance evidence, and governance records are accurate, traceable, and audit-ready.

• Leadership and objectives
• • Cascade vision and translate it into delivery objectives for the team. Assist in leading the programme to deliver the business case benefits and outcomes.
    

The successful applicant will be supported to maintain or further develop relevant professional accreditation or qualifications aligned to governance, project delivery, assurance, or investment appraisal.

Person specification

Essential skills required:

• Proven experience leading projects and working within governance, assurance, approvals, or scrutiny functions.
• Demonstrable experience reviewing and challenging business cases or investment submissions, including assessment of strategic fit, value for money, affordability, deliverability, risk, and principles aligned to the HM Treasury Green Book or equivalent frameworks.
• Experience managing or supporting formal approval processes, including submissions to boards or committees and maintaining governance records and audit trails.
• Strong analytical skills, with the ability to scrutinise complex information, challenge assumptions, and assess affordability, realism, and deliverability.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with experience providing concise, decision-ready advice to senior leaders.
• Sound judgement and confidence to provide constructive challenge in complex or time-critical environments.
• Proficient in project management tools and software.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage multiple submissions, deadlines, priorities, and stakeholder requirements simultaneously.

Desirable skills:

• PRINCE2 Foundation and Practitioner, and APM Project Fundamentals and Project Management Qualification (PMQ).
• Equivalent industry experience in digital transformation, project management, or related fields is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with government procurement projects, infrastructure, business change, or IT projects is advantageous.

Behaviours

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

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

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of 61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes 17,854 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).

The Army prides itself on being a supportive employer and where possible encourages flexible working, helping you to maintain a great work/life balance.

Other benefits for Army civil servants include:

- 25 days paid annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years service
- Highly competitive pension scheme
- Personal and professional development of skills
- Alternative working patterns for many roles
- Access to the Employee Assistance Programme (EAP), a free service that assists you with achieving a productive, healthy environment that is conducive to a healthy lifestyle.
- Enhanced parental and adoption leave
- 6 days special leave per year which can be used for volunteering activities
- Learning and Development

We believe that everyone has the potential to make a difference and you will be supported to help you learn and advance in your career. This includes working towards membership of a professional body and/or undertaking a modern apprenticeship as part of your role.

A modern apprenticeship is a combined package of work and training. Through the schemes available you will gain a professional qualification, practical experience, and the broader skills required to develop in your current role and pave the way for your future career.

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 and Experience.

At the application stage, you will be assessed against the following criteria, listed in priority order:

• Personal Statement - 750 words demonstrating your relevant skills and experience in line with the essential criteria.
• CV
• Behaviours
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Communicating & Influencing
  • Seeing the Bigger Picture

Where a large number of applications are received, an initial sift may be conducted against the Personal Statement only. The remaining evidence submitted at the application stage will be assessed only if you are successful at this initial sift.

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following criteria, listed in priority order:

• Experience-based question(s) will be asked.
• Behaviours
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Changing & Improving
  • Leadership
  • Making Effective Decisions

Application sifting will be scheduled to take place within 7 days of the application closing date. Interview dates are to be confirmed and will be held in person. We endeavour to keep to these time frames, but these are subject to change around business needs.

Further information:

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 criteria.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window) .

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

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 criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants
Job contact :

• Name : Martha Shaw
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application.If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: [email protected].

Attachments Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB) ARMY Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 273kB) Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB) Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)