As Dstl’s first line of management, the primary purpose of the Team Leader (TL) is to provide leadership to the people in their team. This has a balance of leading/ managing people and technical leadership, ensuring the development and delivery of capability to meet current and future demand.

A Team Leader may also fulfil other roles as part of their technical contribution (typically up to 50%) but not to the detriment of their line management responsibilities.

The Policy and Strategy Analysis (PSA) Team provides independent research, analysis and advice to enable high-level, senior decision-makers, primarily in MOD Head Office, to make well-informed and evidence-based decisions concerning Defence and Security policy and strategy.

The Policy & Strategy Analysis (PSA) team is one of four teams in the Strategic and Operational Analysis (SOA) Group in Dstl’s Exploration Division. The Group uses a combination of operational research, strategy and policy analysis, and systems thinking skills, to identify and understand complex defence and security problems.

In this role you will:

• Develop & sustain capability (people, relationships, infrastructure, knowledge, licences to practice) to provide technical/scientific contribution to current and future projects across Dstl through effective use of the Team's resources/expertise. This includes:

o Maintaining awareness of current and future demand requirements

o Understanding and using the different resource options to ensure an appropriate mix of team members

o Understanding and developing capability effectively to align with Division Capability plans

o Building resilience through succession planning, including developing future leaders

• Have direct line management of a team of ca.20 Team Members including:

o Maintaining regular contact with Project Managers to enable effective management of performance and development of team members

o Allocating staff to tasks or projects based on requirements provided by Project Managers

o Ensuring that people have the necessary skills and competencies for the tasks assigned

o Setting SMART objectives and targets

o Reviewing performance, talent management, reward and recognition

o Coaching and supporting

o Offering advice on career development

• Ensure employees have knowledge of and conform to all safety and security and resilience requirements.

• Build staff engagement and create an environment which nurtures excellence through:

o setting the direction for team, including how the team fits with strategic aims

o creating a positive and inclusive working environment that aligns with Dstl Values, champions diversity and enables employees to excel

o communicating and owning difficult messages

o challenging and addressing poor performance

o recognising and highlighting high performance

o networking with other Team Leaders and stakeholders to share good practice and ensure a coherent approach

• Implement Dstl's policies and ensure compliance with the Management System

• Provide individual technical/professional contribution as agreed with Line Manager

Recommending:

o Allocation of employees to all leadership roles on projects (PM, PTA, LTR)

Appointment of Capability Advisers to a programme

Role Dimensions

• Direct Line Management of 10-15 Team Members
• Partnership working with Project Managers
• Could have some budgetary responsibilities

We are looking for someone who has:

• The ability to quickly develop good working relationships with a variety of people
• Good networking skills
• Tact and diplomacy in dealing with a wide range of issues/challenges
• Persistence to see things through to a conclusion
• Passion for developing capability and people
• The ability to lead through change
• The ability to communicate coherently and sensitively, explaining complex issues in a way that is easy to understand
• Emotional Intelligence, able to understand own and others’, reactions and motivations
• Able to handle conflicting priorities, successfully delivering to changing requirements
• Able to successfully manage multiple tasks simultaneously

Essential

• Effective leadership
• Management and/or supervision of people and tasks
• Excellent communication skills
• Sufficient technical and business management expertise to understand the tools, techniques and skills required within the Team and how to develop them
• Understanding of safety, security and resilience risks in order to assess/mitigate those relating to the specific team
• Understanding the business benefits of diversity and equality and how to create an inclusive working environment
• Commercial Awareness - understanding of the commercial implications of contracts and working practices
• Able to develop networks and use these to resolve issues/challenges

Desirable

• Understanding of Dstl’s business model
• Understanding of the safety security and resilience risks of the programmes and projects that the Team support

Desirable Qualifications

• Achievement of or working towards formal business qualification (e.g. MBA, business or management-focussed degree)
• Awareness level or equivalent in Portfolio, Programme and Project Management

Essential Experience

• Experience of providing effective leadership
• Experience of managing and/or supervising people
• Experience of successfully communicating difficult/complex messages
• Successful management and delivery of work
• Supervision of others; this may include tasking or guidance

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others
• Delivering at Pace
• Changing and Improving

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

• Leadership

Benefits

Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:

• Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.

• Flexible working: Working options include alternative working patterns, compressed hours, job shares and annualised hours

• Flexible working hours: Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.

• Annual leave: A generous annual leave allowance starting at 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.

• Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid

• Learning and Development: Encouragement and support on charterships, accreditations and access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Paid memberships with 2 relevant bodies/institutions. Employees have access to Civil Service Learning.

• Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.

The information pack can be found attached to the job specification on Civil Service Jobs.

Diversity

We have a number of support networks to ensure all employees feel supported at work. These include the following:

• Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Network

• Race, Faith and Culture Network

• Parents and Carer Support Network

• Alternative Working Network

• Gender Equality Network

• New Starters Network

• Enabled Network, for people with visible and non-visible disabilities.

For further information about Dstl please check out our LinkedIn page