Appointment details

Dreadnought Alliance Leadership Board - Independent Chair

Summary
About the appointment
Person specification
Application and selection process
Additional information for candidates
Attachments

Summary

Organisation: Dreadnought Alliance Leadership Board
Sponsor department: Ministry of Defence
Location: Various
Sectors: Defence
Skills: Business, Commercial, Major Projects, Procurement
Number of vacancies: 1
Time commitment: 4 day(s) per month
Remuneration: £1,500 per day
Length of term: 5 years. There may be a possibility of re-appointment, subject to a satisfactory annual appraisal of performance assessed by Chief of Defence Nuclear and at Ministerial discretion.
Application deadline: 11:59pm on 27 March 2024

Share this page

The following links open in a new tab

Timeline for this appointment

Opening date

15 February 2024
Application deadline

11:59pm on 27 March 2024
Sifting date

5 April 2024
Interviews expected to end on

30 April 2024

Timeline dates are only an estimate and can change

About the appointment

Introduction

A note from Madelaine McTernan – Chief Defence Nuclear (CDN), Ministry of Defence

Thank you for expressing interest in the role of Dreadnought Alliance Leadership Board Independent Chair.

The UK’s independent nuclear deterrent is essential to our nation’s security. Since 1969, the Royal Navy has maintained the Continuous At Sea Deterrent (CASD) with at least one nuclear-armed submarine on patrol at all times.

Dreadnought is a programme of national importance; it will deliver four new and highly digital submarines to replace the Royal Navy’s Vanguard class in the 2030’s to maintain and sustain CASD.

Working as part of and within the Defence Nuclear Enterprise, the build programme is being delivered through a joint MOD and industry Alliance established in 2018 between the MoD, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce. With a total budget of £41Bn (including £10Bn contingency) it is also one of the largest Government-funded capital investment programmes.

I am looking for an exceptional senior leader to drive the Alliance over the next 5 years. You’ll chair the Alliance Leadership Board (ALB) and attend the Alliance Owners Council (AOC) in your capacity as chair of the ALB. Your role will be to maintain productive and constructive relationships and cohere effort through all the parties in the Alliance to deliver the build programme to schedule, ensure rigorous cost control and be vigilant to both near and long-term risk. In this role you’ll need to build credibility quickly with a wide range of industry, military and government stakeholders. You’ll drive a complex, highly sensitive, high-profile programme and you’ll need to be able to think laterally when evaluating options and impacts.

If you’re interested in being part of Defence’s highest priority and to deliver one of the most complex machines the UK will build and operate, then this is the job for you.

Madelaine McTernan CB

Appointment description

The Independent Chair will:

• Provide leadership to and deliver an effective Alliance to drive performance of the submarine build programme

• Be accountable to Chief Defence Nuclear and report to the Alliance Owners Council (AOC)

• Chair meetings of the Alliance Leadership Board (ALB) - scrutinising decision-making to ensure alignment with the Alliance Principles, Vision, Mission and Ambition

• Produce an Annual Report of the effectiveness of the Alliance submitted to the core members: BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and the Ministry of Defence

• Act as a leading interlocutor between the Alliance and the senior leaders of all three parties to deliver on a best for programme basis

• Promote collegiate and collaborative working and facilitate optimum decisions and actions on strategic issues and risks

• Assure the performance of the Alliance against its objectives set out in the Dreadnought Alliance Agreement.

• Maintain a coherent approach with the wider submarine acquisition portfolio, highlighting challenges as necessary.

Organisation description

As key responsibilities, you will, on behalf of CDN and in support of the CEO of the Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) and Senior Responsible Owner (SRO) of the Dreadnought programme:

Leadership of the Alliance

• Chair the ALB and facilitate collegiate discussion and resolution on key programmatic issues

• Ensure decisions made by the ALB are ‘Best for the Dreadnought Programme’ - recognising ‘Every Day Counts’

• Ensure the scope of ALB discussions embraces strategic issues – both near and long term that might impact on programme success and delivery to schedule

• Ensure the programme learns from experience (LFE) both internally and externally and seeks to embed continuous improvement and best practise

• Escalate issues outside the direct control of the Alliance for action/resolution

Continued development of an effective Alliance

• Provide advice and maintain strategic direction within the Alliance and support the Alliance Managing Director (AMD) on the continued development of the Alliance

• Shape the culture of the Alliance and help to embed the Alliance principles across the entire enterprise (including the extensive Supply Chain)

• Represent the Alliance and its values to senior external stakeholders

• Coach the Alliance leadership team and act as a sounding board/mentor for the AMD

Assuring Performance of the Alliance

• Constructively challenge the AMD and Alliance partners at the ALB to validate and test the recommendations they make

• Attend Enterprise-wide meetings with senior level representatives of each of the three parties as appropriate, especially where improvement is required and obtain buy-in

• Assure and drive compliance with the Dreadnought Alliance Agreement (DAA)

Board composition

Chairperson – to be recruited

Dreadnought Alliance Managing Director – Alex McMillan

Managing Director, BAE Submarines – Steve Timms

Director of Submarine Acquisition – Dr Timothy Sheldon

President Submarines, Rolls-Royce Defence – Steve Carlier

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Strong track record as a business leader, preferably with experience as a Chair or CEO of a major organisation.

• Industrial delivery leadership experience ideally within complex, regulated environments where timely delivery is the absolute imperative.

• A proven ability to innovate and drive improvements across a complex and diverse industrial supply chain.

• Experience driving operational and cultural transformation across major organisations.

• Leadership experience across organisations forging collaborative relationships that drive best for programme outcomes.

Application and selection process

How to apply

Russell Reynolds Associates have been retained to support this recruitment process.

To apply for this role, please submit your full application by email to responses@russellreynolds.com. All applications will be acknowledged.

All applications must include the following:

Please quote the role title and reference number: 2312-005L in the subject heading of the email.
A Curriculum Vitae setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements tailored to the person specification. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps.

3. A Supporting Statement (2 pages A4 maximum) explaining your motivation for applying for this role. Provide evidence and outline how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience are suitable with particular reference to the criteria in the person specification.

4. Diversity Information Form: To assist with monitoring the recruitment process, candidates are asked to complete the following information form available here

The form includes an invitation to share the following types of information:

Diversity Monitoring Information: Any data collected in this section will be reported in an anonymous and aggregate format and will not be seen by anyone assessing your application. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer. See the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy for more information.
Declaration of Interests: Candidates are also invited to declare any interests that may be relevant to this appointment. The information in this section will be made available to the panel if you are called for interview.

For any further enquiries about the role or application process, or if you require an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process to make the process accessible to you, please email the Russell Reynolds Associates team at responses@russellreynolds.com.

Overview of the application process

The assessment process

The Approving Authority are responsible and accountable to Parliament for the public appointments made within their department. As a result, they must be consulted at every stage of the appointments process.
An Advisory Assessment Panel (“Panel”) is appointed by Approving Authority to assist them in their decision making. The role of the Panel is to decide, objectively, which candidates meet the eligibility criteria for the role.
At the shortlisting meeting the Panel will assess applications against the eligibility criteria and decide which candidates should be recommended for interview. The Approving Authority will then be consulted on the Panel’s recommended shortlist.
Once the shortlist has been agreed by Approving Authority, you will be advised (by e-mail) whether you have been shortlisted. Those shortlisted will be invited to an interview.
The Panel will meet again to interview candidates and determine who is appointable to the role. The names of all appointable candidates are provided to the Approving Authority. It is then for the Approving Authority to determine merit and decide who should be appointed. In some circumstances, the Approving Authority may choose not to appoint any candidates and re-run the competition.
The Panel’s recommendations will be provided to the Approving Authority in a report which details the assessment method used and the outcome of each interview. They will then be asked to agree on the candidate(s) who should be appointed.
Once the decision on the appointment has been made, interviewed candidates will be advised of the outcome of their application. Successful candidates will be issued with their Terms and Conditions and a letter of appointment should they agree to take up the position.

Advisory Assessment Panel (AAP)

Panel Chair:

• Madelaine McTernan CB, Chief Defence Nuclear

Other Panel Members:

• Admiral Sir Ben Key KCB CBE ADC, First Sea Lord

• Charles Woodburn, BAE Systems Chief Executive Officer

• Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce Group President

• John Manzoni, Chairman of the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) Board, Chairman of the SSE Board and Diageo Board Non-Executive Director

Advisory Assessment Panels (AAP) are chosen by the Approving Authority to assist them in their decision-making. These include a departmental official and an independent member. For competitions

recruiting non-executive members of a board (apart from the Chair), the panel will usually include a representative from the public body concerned. AAP’s perform a number of functions, including agreeing an assessment strategy with the Approving Authority, undertaking sifting, carrying out interviews in line with the advertised criteria and deciding objectively who meets the published selection criteria for the role before recommending to the Approving Authority which candidates they find appointable. It is then for the Approving Authority to decide who to appoint to the role.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible for consideration, the candidate will need to be a sole UK National

In general, you should have the right to work in the UK to be eligible to apply for a public appointment.

There are a small number of specialist roles that are not open to non-British citizens. Any nationality requirements will be specified in the vacancy details.

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards.

You cannot be considered for a public appointment if:

you are disqualified from acting as a company director (under the Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986);
have an unspent conviction on your criminal record;
your estate has been sequestrated in Scotland or you enter into a debt arrangement programme under Part 1 of the Debt Arrangement and Attachment (Scotland) Act 2002 (asp 17) as the debtor or have, under Scots law, granted a trust deed for creditors.

When you apply, you should declare if:

you are, or have been, bankrupt or you have made an arrangement with a creditor at any point, including the dates of this.
you are subject to a current police investigation.

You must inform the sponsor department if, during the application process, your circumstances change in respect of any of the above points.

When you apply you should also declare any relevant interests, highlighting any that you think may call into question your ability to properly discharge the responsibilities of the role you are applying for. You should also declare any other matters which may mean you may not be able to meet the requirements of the Code of Conduct of Board Members (see Outside interests and reputational issues section below)

If you need further advice, please contact Russell Reynolds at responses@russellreynolds.com.

Security clearance

The successful candidate will be required to undertake Baseline Personnel Security Standard checks in line with the Civil Service guidelines. Additional Security Clearance may also be required for certain roles. This will be specified in the vacancy details. Further information on National Security Vetting can be found on the Gov.uk website here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united- kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting- clearance-levels.

The level of clearance required for this role is SC.

Additional information for candidates

Equality and diversity

The Ministry of Defence value and welcome diversity. The appointment will be governed by the Principle of Public Appointment based on merit with independent assessment and transparency of process. Successful candidate will need to demonstrate that they meet the criteria for this appointment.

We encourage applications from talented individuals from all backgrounds and experience across the whole of the United Kingdom. Boards of public bodies/Advisory Committees are most effective when they reflect the diversity of views of the society they serve and this is an important part of the Government’s levelling up agenda. We collect data about applicants’ characteristics and backgrounds, including information about people’s educational and professional backgrounds, so that we can make sure we are attracting a broad range of people to these roles and that our selection processes are fair for everyone. Without this information, it makes it difficult to see if our outreach is working, if the application process is having an unfair impact on certain groups and whether changes are making a positive difference.

Disability confident

We are a member of the Government’s Disability Confident scheme. We use the Disability Confident scheme symbol, along with other like-minded employers, to show our commitment to good practice in employing people with a disability. The scheme helps recruit and retain disabled people.

As part of implementing the scheme, we guarantee an interview for anyone with a disability whose application meets the essential criteria for the role, set out in the advert, and who has asked that their application is considered under the scheme. Indicating that you wish your application to be considered under the scheme will in no way prejudice your application. By ‘minimum criteria,’ we mean that you must provide evidence which demonstrates that you meet the level of competence required under each of the essential criteria, as set out in the job-advert.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to select if you would like your application considered under this scheme.

Reasonable adjustments

Government departments are committed to making reasonable adjustments to make sure applicants with disabilities, physical or mental health conditions, or other needs are not substantially disadvantaged when applying for public appointments. This can include changing the recruitment process to enable people who wish to apply to do so.

Some examples of common changes are:

ensuring that application forms are available in different or accessible formats;
making adaptations to interview locations;
allowing candidates to present their skills and experience in a different way;
giving additional detailed information on the selection / interview process in advance to allow candidates time to prepare themselves;
allowing support workers, for example sign language interpreters;
making provision for support animals to attend.

When you apply you will have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments to the application process.

Principles of public life

The Seven Principles of Public Life (also known as the Nolan Principles) apply to anyone who works as a public office-holder.

1. Selflessness

Holders of public office should act solely in terms of the public interest.

2. Integrity

Holders of public office must avoid placing themselves under any obligation to people or organisations that might try inappropriately to influence them in their work. They should not act or take decisions in order to gain financial or other material benefits for themselves, their family, or their friends. They must declare and resolve any interests and relationships.

3. Objectivity

Holders of public office must act and take decisions impartially, fairly and on merit, using the best evidence and without discrimination or bias.

4. Accountability

Holders of public office are accountable to the public for their decisions and actions and must submit themselves to the scrutiny necessary to ensure this.

5. Openness

Holders of public office should act and take decisions in an open and transparent manner. Information should not be withheld from the public unless there are clear and lawful reasons for so doing.

6. Honesty

Holders of public office should be truthful.

7. Leadership

Holders of public office should exhibit these principles in their own behaviour and treat others with respect. They should actively promote and robustly support the principles and challenge poor behaviour wherever it occurs.

Code of conduct for board members

The Government expects all holders of public office to work to the highest personal and professional standards. In support of this, all non-executive board members of UK public bodies must abide by the principles set out in the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. The Code sets out the standards expected from those who serve on the boards of UK public bodies and will form part of your terms and conditions of appointment.

Management of outside interests and consideration of reputational issues

Holders of public office are expected to adhere and uphold the Seven Principles of Public Life and the Code of Conduct for Board Members of Public Bodies. Before you apply you should consider carefully:

any outside interests that you may have, such as shares you may hold in a company providing services to government;
any possible reputational issues arising from your past actions or public statements that you have made;
and/or - any political roles you hold or political campaigns you have supported;

which may call into question your ability to do the role you are applying for.

You will need to answer relevant questions in relation to these points when making an application. Many conflicts of interest can be satisfactorily resolved and declaring a potential conflict does not prevent you from being interviewed. If you are shortlisted for an interview, the panel will discuss any potential conflicts with you during that interview, including any proposals you may have to mitigate them and record that in their advice to ministers. Alongside your own declaration, we will conduct appropriate checks, as part of which we will consider anything in the public domain related to your conduct or professional capacity. This may include searches of previous public statements and social media, blogs or any other publicly available information. The successful candidate(s) may be required to give up any conflicting interests and their other business and financial interests may be published in line with organisational policies.

Details of declared political activity will be published when the appointment is announced, as required by the Governance Code (political activity is not a bar to appointment, but must be declared).

Status of appointment

As this is an office holder appointment, you will not become a member of the Civil Service. You will not be subject to the provisions of employment law.

Appointment and tenure of office

Appointments are for the term set out in this advert, with the possibility of re-appointment for a further term, at the discretion of the Approving Authority. Any re-appointment is subject to satisfactory annual appraisals of performance during the first term in the post. If re- appointed, the total time served in post will not exceed more than two terms or serve in any one post for more than ten years.

Remuneration, allowances and abatement

Remuneration for this role is treated as employment income and will be subject to tax and National Insurance contributions, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid. The Remuneration for this role is £1.5k per day, negotiable depending on experience.

You can claim reimbursement for reasonable travel and subsistence costs which are properly and necessarily incurred on official business, in line with the travel and subsistence policy and rates for the organisation to which you are applying. However these payments are taxable as earnings and will be subject to tax and national insurance, both of which will be deducted at source under PAYE before you are paid.

Pension and redundancy

This is an office holder appointment and does not attract any benefits under any Civil Service Pension Scheme. You will not be eligible for redundancy pay as you are not an employee. No other arrangements have been made for compensation upon the end of your term of appointment because an office holder who is appointed for a limited duration would have no expectation of serving beyond that period.

Application feedback

We will notify you of the status of your application. We regret that we are only able to offer detailed feedback to candidates who have been unsuccessful at the interview stage.

How to complain

We aim to process all applications as quickly as possible and to treat all applicants with courtesy. If you feel that you have a complaint about the way in which your application has been handled, please contact in the first instance Defence Business Service (DBS) Civilian Personnel Public Appointments Team DBSCivPers- ResPublicAppts@mod.gov.uk . If you are not completely satisfied with the response, please contact the MOD Public Appointments Team at DSOP-PublicAppointments@mod.gov.uk .

We will acknowledge your complaint upon receipt and aim to provide a response within 15 working days.

Data protection

The Cabinet Office will use your data in line with our privacy policy.

The Ministry of Defence privacy policy can be found here

Russel Reynolds privacy policy can be found here: Privacy Policy | Russell Reynolds Associates

Contact details

Location - Hybrid working with travel to Alliance locations as and when required including MOD Main Building, BAES Barrow in Furness, Rolls Royce Raynesway & SDA Bristol.