The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is central to the UK Government’s £178 billion equipment plan for the British Armed Forces, and is responsible for the procurement, in-service support and decommissioning of all UK nuclear submarines.

The nuclear submarine programme is a national endeavour and one of the largest UK investment programmes in existence, of critical strategic importance. We design and build a unique piece of military hardware which must take its crew to sea for months at a time, keeping them there in safety, sustaining them with air, food and water all the while remaining undetectable whilst powered by a nuclear reactor and housing ballistic missiles. To achieve this we need people with exceptional skills to work on the programme.

The SDA is putting in place a portfolio of submarine waterfront major infrastructure projects to provide the future facilities to support the Submarine Programme. The Head of Devonport Infrastructure leads this area and in doing so heads delivery pillars which encompass Major Infrastructure Projects to make our infrastructure capable of supporting Astute Class submarine maintenance, the capability to support the safe and responsible defueling of decommissioned submarines, and the capability to support the planned and unplanned docking of submarines in normal fleet time, as well as the routine docking of decommissioned submarines as part of their responsible disposal.

The Submarine Delivery Agency’s (SDA’s) Head of Devonport Infrastructure has responsibility for all submarine Major Infrastructure Projects at Devonport to support delivery of the Submarine deep maintenance and disposal programme. Thereby, ensuring that the SDA is able to continue to deliver the UK’s nuclear deterrent (Continuous at Sea Deterrent, CASD) and attack submarine capability (Submersible Ship Nuclear, SSN) operations.

The Head of Devonport Infrastructure is responsible for managing a £100M (annual) programme primarily to ensure the deliverability of the SDA’s Devonport Major Infrastructure Projects, creating a coherent programme, schedule, risk profile and costings extending out at least 10 years. Other responsibilities are detailed below, and include maintaining the Submarine Enterprise infrastructure modelling capability. The role will be high profile and require engagement of senior stakeholders; influencing and making decisions commensurately. It will have significant impact on achievement of MOD objectives and hold considerable strategic importance for UK defence capability.

• Ensure the deliverability of the SDA’s Devonport Major Infrastructure Projects, creating a coherent programme, schedule, risk profile and costings.
• Manage the complex stakeholder map associated with the SDA’s Devonport Infrastructure requirements.
• Create, deliver and lead the SDA’s Devonport infrastructure approvals plan and client capability.
• Develop the SDA’s Devonport infrastructure contractor capability to assure deliverability of the programme.
• Ensure coherency with the SDA’s commercial strategy – working with Head of In Service Submarines and the SDA’s Supplier Management Team.
• Create and assure the SDA’s Annual Budgeting Cycle provision with Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO).
• Ensure coherency with SDA, Navy Command, and DNO infrastructure plans.
• Contribute to SDA outputs as part of the SDA’s Senior Leadership Group.

Responsibilities

What you’ll need to succeed:

– Leadership experience managing complex, multidisciplinary organisations through delivery of capital programmes and projects in high hazard and high consequence environments and within a regulatory framework.
– An innovator with experience of delivering and embedding sustainable improvement, preferably through formal change programmes.
– Successful track record of engaging with and influencing a diverse range of stakeholders including customers, regulators and senior industry representatives with the ability to influence across organisations, suppliers and customers. Ideally, the candidate will have experience of managing outsourced delivery with strategic partners.
– Experience developing talent across organisations.
– Proven experience of commercial acumen, ideally with experience in delivering infrastructure projects.
– A proven commitment to Diversity & Inclusion.

Desirable:

Chartered Project Professional (APM Standard)
It would be highly desirable for the successful candidate to have knowledge of the Naval Nuclear Programme and Naval Reactor Plant in order to:
– make well-founded decisions, particularly on assessing nuclear infrastructure designs with the nuclear licensee;
– advise the DNO Customer and explain the implications of design changes;
– direct the team’s work;
– set contractual requirements and constructively challenge suppliers

A high degree of personal leadership is required in this role and you will be expected to display the following leadership attributes:

• Deep understanding of complex infrastructure management – defence and commercial.
• Demonstrable experience of customer and senior stakeholder engagement with an ability to understand the importance of partnering and constructive challenge.
• Substantial experience in complex contract management.
• International co-operation experience.
• Substantial experience of delivery in defence or other capital-intensive sector.
• Significant experience in acquisition and support projects covering all aspects including strategy, development, approvals, delivery, supplier performance/contract management.
• Agility to respond to pace of change in defence activity.
• Broad experience in procurement and acquisition.
• Benefits management and realisation experience.
• Experience in financial management control.
• Safety management understanding/knowledge.
• Business controls processes improvement (desirable).
• Experience in managing infrastructure.
• Change management and continuous improvement experience.
• Ability to balance the demand of competing interest groups, in particular multiple customers.