Babcock is the UK's leading engineering support services organisation employing over 28,000 people across the world. Babcock offer a hugely diverse number of career options.

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an organisation recognised for their outstanding training performance and a desire to instruct, guide and deliver subject matter expertise. As a maritime trainer of choice Babcock has been delivering world-class support for two decades to the Royal Navy and commercial customers both in the UK and Internationally. This role offers an opportunity to work on cutting edge technology within the military environment and train the next generation through their service career.

General Description of Role:

The Head of Solution Development post will lead the technical solution development of a critical, complex bid to deliver future training services for the Royal Navy. The post holder will lead the solution development, including a multi-disciplinary team from within the Babcock Marine Training Business Unit (MTBU) and a staff from a number of partnered companies, working as an integrated bid team.

The MTBU is an intrinsic part of the Babcock Marine Sector and is responsible for delivery of training and education solutions as part of the wider sector capability. The bid involves Naval Service Training across UK establishments and aims to transform delivery through innovation in both learning methods and technologies. This aligns with the Royal Navy's Maritime Training Strategy (MTS) to provide relevant, innovative and modern training, underpinned by collaborative working.

The post will report directly to the MTBU Director of Future Business. The post holder will work closely with team colleagues and individuals within the MTBU and our partners in ensuring the best technical solution to meet our customer's needs. The post will work very closely with the Bid Manager and colleagues to ensure delivery of our win strategy activities, shaping and owning the bid technical solution as part of the final product.

The post will require a considerable amount of travel and flexibility over working location.

Main Tasks:

• Develop the winning technical solution for the bid, ensuring a coherent approach to high quality, innovative, effective and efficient outcomes across all areas of the solution.
• Lead a multi-disciplinary team, with staff from a number of companies and cultures to ensure effective collaborative working across all areas of the team.
• Work closely with the bid manager to ensure sound governance of the bid through all stages, ensuring timely completion of all tasks to time, quality and cost.
• Lead the technical engagement with the customer during competitive dialogue to ensure a thorough understanding of their requirements, offering comprehensive responses, innovative solutions, concepts and proposals to stimulate and shape Customer thinking and building a strong and trusted relationship.
• Maintain strong relationships within the MTBU and wider Company stakeholders to ensure full support to the bid technical solution.
• Establish and maintain the relationship between the bid technical team personnel and with their parent departments / companies to ensure full technical support for the bid and to maximise the use of the wider capabilities of the companies.
• Review the capabilities of the team as the customer requirement evolves, ensuring we fully utilise the capabilities of all partners and consider additional partners/suppliers where necessary.
• Ensure timely reporting and appropriate management information for bid review purposes in line with Company corporate governance.
• Any other reasonable duties from time to time which, in the Company's opinion are within the job holder's capability.
• Ensure full compliance with Company governance procedures for health, safety and environment, security, diversity, integrity, ABC and Trade Controls.
• This role will include line management of other staff employed in the delivery of contracted services.

Technical Experience and Qualifications:

Essential:

• Experienced in delivering the technical element of complex major bids in the defence environment
• Extensive experience at a senior level of responsibility in UK Armed Forces training with sound knowledge of the DSAT process.
• A strong innovator with a proven ability to develop novel solutions to complex technical challenges
• Good understanding of modern learning, including technical training and new educational approaches to develop competence and critical thinking skills
• Ability to liaise and communicate effectively with senior customers / stakeholders in developing training solutions to meet their needs
• A highly professional individual with extensive and broad based Senior Management experience

Desirable:

• Degree qualified or equivalent.
• Project Management experience
• Experience in MoD bidding and preferably with experience of the Competitive Dialogue process

Skills Profile:

• Displays a positive and confident demeanour, successfully leading diverse teams in high pressure situations and with a high level of emotional intelligence
• Able to work and lead within a structured programme management process in a bid team environment.
• Applies flexibility, imagination, innovation and creative problem solving, taking novel ideas and approaches and putting them into practice
• Comfortable working with Defence Training requirements, standards, approaches and doctrine
• Able to lead the development of transformational, deliverable new solutions
• Ability to build and maintain close-working relationships and networks at a senior level with customers, partners and industry colleagues
• Awareness of military training contracting methods
• Articulate and politically astute, with highly developed Client and End User account management skills
• Able to develop a wide network of support from key stakeholders by managing relationships
• Well-developed writing and narrative skills (able to lead a compelling bid technical solution)
• Excellent communication skills and good attention to detail
• Ability to surge effort and activity and to drive others to meet challenging timelines
• Appropriate level of gravitas
• Broad understanding of RN customer operating environment and requirements
• Senior military empathy/knowledge

Behavioural and Leadership Competency Profile:

• Leadership Performance - focusing on efficient and effective delivery and achievement of goals and targets to meet defined business aims.
• Leading Innovation and Change - Embraces change by inspiring people to identify and make changes that maximise business success. Encourages and fosters continuous improvement and sharing of best practices.
• Leading People and Teams - bringing together and working successfully with diverse groups of people to capitalise on strengths, experiences and knowledge to accomplish shared business objectives. Encouraging development as a strategy to strengthen the business.
• Leading Customer Focus - focusing on achieving high levels of customer satisfaction and service, on both external and internal customer needs and expectations. Creating an environment in which employees want to and can deliver an excellent service resulting in sustained profitability and business success.
• Leading Culture - Creating an organisational culture of high performance and excellence, by demonstrating the Babcock values and behaviours. Embracing and promoting workplace diversity by conducting business to the highest standards of honesty and integrity.

Location:

You will be supporting the delivery of professional training in the RN's principle training facility near Portsmouth.

Situated on the south coast of England, Portsmouth is a dynamic and vibrant waterfront city. From the pomp and ceremony of its proud naval and maritime heritage, to towering world-class visitor attractions, museums and galleries, unique shopping destinations, great places to eat and miles of beautiful waterfront, Portsmouth offers something for everyone. It has excellent transport links and is around an hour from London by road.

Security Clearance:

All applicants must have or be able to obtain SC security clearance

Closing Date:

27 December 2018

Company Information:

This role is within the Marine Sector of Babcock International Group. The Marine Sector delivers a wide array of complex through-life marine engineering services. Ranging from UK and international naval fleet support, commercial marine, engineering consultancy, weapons handling, equipment support, intelligence, cyber security and training delivered through unique owned and managed infrastructure to defence and civil customers across the globe.

Babcock International Group is committed to building an inclusive culture and strives to attract talent who thrive in an inclusive and flexible working environment.

If you have a disability or need any reasonable adjustments during the application and selection stages, please let us know and will respond in a way that best fit your specific needs.

We are proud to support the Armed Forces community by honouring the Armed Forces Covenant. We recognise the value that Serving Personnel, both Regular and Reserves, Veterans, Uniformed Cadet Instructors and Service Families contribute to our business and the United Kingdom. As part of the Covenant, Babcock offers Reservists and Uniformed Cadet Instructors up to two week's special paid leave to help them meet their commitments. To find out more please click here .

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Business Area:

This is a fantastic opportunity to be part of an organisation recognised for their outstanding training performance and a desire to instruct, guide and deliver subject matter expertise.

As a maritime trainer of choice Babcock has been delivering world-class support for two decades to the Royal Navy and commercial customers both in the UK and Internationally.

With more than 800,000 individual training days designed and delivered for more than 12,500 service personnel we provide an unrivalled breadth and depth of expertise in bespoke learning environments.

Our agile, adaptable and accredited training, equips people to operate and support the most complex marine platforms, logistics and equipment of today
while our immersive sea survival and safety training readies them for tomorrow.

These services are distinguished by our collaborative, customer centric approach which uses leading supply chain specialists, including Academia, to develop individual's skills and build team competences.

This role offers an opportunity to work on cutting edge technology within the military environment and train the next generation through their service career.


All applications should be made online. If you experience difficulties please click here Recruitment correspondence is normally by email so please check your email account and spam folder regularly.