People Strategy Advisor

On behalf of the MOD, we are looking for a People Strategy Advisor (Inside IR35) for a contract until 31/03/2027 based in London with 1-2 days office attendance .

The Ministry of Defence (MOD) is a central government department with a mission to protect our country and provide the ultimate guarantee of its security and independence , as well as helping to protect its values and interests abroad.

The MOD is one of the biggest public procurement organisations in Europe and the single largest customer for UK industry. It currently manages approximately £20 billion of spend on capital investments in equipment and infrastructure every year. Over the next decade the MOD is committed to spending over £190 billion on equipment and support. The MOD’s customers include both the armed forces and national security agencies, and it has a diverse range of requirements, including military fighting vehicles, education services, nuclear submarines and facilities management .

The MOD’s aim is to provide its armed forces with the best capabilities to enable them to protect the UK’s security and advance national interests, both now and in the long term.

To do this the MOD has an annual budget of almost £53 billion and a workforce comprising 197,000 people. of which 54,000 are civilians working for the UK MOD.

The work really matters; the MOD offers a range of engaging roles which have a direct impact on the quality of services they provide, in many locations across the UK. We support teams working in HR, Primary Health Care, Corporate Services, and many others.

The People Team Advisor provides operational leadership for workforce and people activity across the DARR Directorate, ensuring services are delivered effectively, consistently, and in line with Civil Service and MOD policies. Tthe role oversees workforce processes, maintains governance and standards, and ensures the Directorate's people needs are met.

The postholder plays a key role in delivering the Directorate's people strategy by translating strategic priorities into practical workforce initiatives , providing workforce insight, and supporting resourcing and organisational planning. Working closely with HR Business Partners and senior stakeholders, they help inform workforce decisions , manage people-related risks, and ensure effective implementation of people policies and initiatives .

Operating in a fast-paced environment, the role requires strong judgement, prioritisation skills, and a focus on continuous improvement. The People Team Advisor is also responsible for developing team capability, fostering an inclusive and high-performing culture, and supporting the successful delivery of DARR's objectives .

As a People Strategy Advisor , your main responsibilities will be:

- Supporting the delivery of the Directorate's people strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and wider HR policies and procedures.
- Working collaboratively with business areas, HR Business Partners, Finance teams and PMO colleagues to deliver workforce priorities.
- Leading and continuously improving recruitment and workforce management processes, ensuring effective onboarding, induction and offboarding arrangements.
- Providing oversight of recruitment campaigns and workforce planning activity across the Directorate.
- Building and maintaining effective relationships with senior stakeholders, including Deputy Directors and HR colleagues.
- Managing workforce management information, ensuring accurate data is maintained and used to support workforce planning, resourcing decisions and organisational reporting requirements.
- Responding to requests for workforce information, including supporting governance and information requests.
- Maintaining and developing workforce -related standard operating procedures and guidance.
- Supporting the implementation of people initiatives and business change activity.
- Ensuring appropriate controls , standards and assurance are maintained across people processes.
- Leading , coaching and developing a small team, fostering an inclusive, professional and high-performing working environment.

PLEASE NOTE: SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role, as a minimum you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks. Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance.

Essential:

- Active SC Clearance
- Previous Civil Service HR experience with a strong understanding of HR policies, procedures and workforce management practices.
- Experience supporting workforce planning, people operations or strategic people initiatives .
- Strong communication skills with the ability to explain complex and often sensitive information to stakeholders across all grades, including senior leaders .
- Proven ability to exercise sound judgement and provide professional, evidence-based advice on workforce matters.
- Working knowledge of government HR policies, learning and development frameworks, systems and processes.
- Excellent written communication skills and meticulous attention to detail.
- Demonstrable experience improving processes, increasing efficiency and embedding best practice.
- Experience supporting business change, organisational change or people change programmes.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment.
- Excellent stakeholder management skills with the ability to build effective partnerships across multiple teams and functions.
- Experience leading or managing teams and developing team capability.

Desirable:

- Associate CIPD qualification.
- Experience working within complex government, defence or public sector environments.
- Experience producing workforce reporting and management information to support strategic decision -making.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident employer, the MOD encourage applications from disabled and neurodivergent candidates . Applications from candidates who identify as having a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant

As a signatory of the Armed Forces Covenant, the MOD welcome applications from veterans, service leavers, reservists and military spouses or partners. Applications from eligible candidates who meet the essential criteria for the role will be prioritised for review. Where application volumes are high, additional role-specific and desirable criteria may be applied as part of the shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following “this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.