Stakeholder Support Co-ordinator

We are seeking a bright and motivated individual to coordinate the support and assistance we provide to our defence sector and Ministry of Defence stakeholders and to help us in our wider engagement activity.  This is a good opportunity to learn about public procurement and the defence industry as well as develop a suite of transferable skills and experience which will be of value in your future career.

The Stakeholder Support Co-ordinator will manage our Stakeholder Support Helpdesk handling queries from stakeholders, seek and implement improvements in how we support these stakeholders and plan and manage stakeholder engagement meetings.

About the SSRO

The Single Source Regulations Office (SSRO) is an executive non-departmental public body, sponsored by the Ministry of Defence (MOD). We play a key role in the regulation of single source, or non-competitive defence contracts. The MOD spends significant amounts on single source defence contracts (approximately £8.6 billion in 2017/2018) and these contracts typically represent more than 50% of new defence contracts each year. It is vital that single source contracts efficiently deliver the goods, works and services the UK government needs for defence purposes.

The Defence Reform Act 2014 created a regulatory framework for single source defence contracts. The framework places controls on the prices of qualifying contracts and requires greater transparency on the part of defence contractors. The SSRO is at the heart of the regulatory framework, supporting its operation.

When undertaking our statutory functions, we have two aims which your work will contribute to. The first is to ensure that good value for money is obtained for the UK taxpayer in MOD expenditure on qualifying defence contracts (QDCs). The regime has the potential to deliver significant savings, which can be reinvested elsewhere in defence.

The SSRO’s second aim is to ensure that single source suppliers are paid a fair and reasonable price under QDCs. The regime can help to foster a more efficient and productive defence industry, incentivised to control costs by innovating and so becoming better able to compete for exports, thus contributing to greater UK economic prosperity.

Meeting these aims is a significant challenge. It requires a motivated team with the right blend of skills and experience, and a positive attitude to get the job done. By working for the SSRO you will be an important part of a dynamic organisation. Our staff have a range of professional skills, and include accountants, bankers, analysts, economists, researchers and military experts.

What will I be doing?

• Managing the SSRO’s Stakeholder Support Helpdesk, handling queries from stakeholders and ensuring responses are prepared and approved appropriately, and then issued to ensure response targets are met. We currently receive around 300 queries each year with peaks around key reporting deadlines.
• Analysing responses to identify key themes and areas where the SSRO’s support and other activities could be improved.
• Recording helpdesk response times and the reasons for any delays.
• Producing stakeholder management information for the SSRO’s Executive Committee made up of Directors and Heads of Function.
• Managing new contract notifications submitted by email and clarifying notification queries with the Ministry of Defence.
• Explaining reporting obligations and use of the SSRO’s Defence Contracts and Reporting System (DefCARS) web-based reporting system to defence companies in a clear and understandable way so that they can submit their reports on time.
• Monitor issues stakeholders encounter in accessing the SSRO’s DefCARS system escalating if necessary so that they are resolved in a timely manner.
• Liaising with the DefCARS system developer to resolve bugs or software issues identified through stakeholder queries.
• Co-ordinating and assisting with onboarding defence contractors and stakeholder training on the DefCARS system.
• Planning and managing stakeholder engagement meetings (workshops, Operational Working Group, Reporting & IT sub-group) – includes issuing invites, tracking responses, developing agendas, meeting arrangements, preparing slide packs and taking notes of meetings to circulate to attendees.
• Arranging meetings with individual defence companies ensuring that these meetings meet their specific stakeholder needs.
• Maintaining the documentation of key support processes and continually seeking opportunities to streamline and improve these processes.
• Managing stakeholder records and ensuring these are regularly refreshed and kept up to date.
• Assisting in preparing stakeholder engagement material including briefing documents for meetings, website announcements and draft correspondence.
•  Providing support to other SSRO work as required and promote the SSRO’s values.

What skills do I need to be effective in this role?

Essential

• A proactive attitude and approach to building relationships with stakeholders and delivering key tasks.
• Excellent verbal communication skills and able to be the key interface between many stakeholders and the SSRO.
• Good written skills with an excellent eye for detail and able to successfully present complex information and data in a clear and easy-to-understand format.
• A team player with good inter-personal skills, able to work effectively and flexibly across teams and collaboratively with all levels of staff.
• Sound analytical / research skills, with the ability to synthesise findings from a wide range of sources including financial data.
• Highly organised being able to keep track of multiple queries which will be at different stages of resolution ensuring that a clear audit trail of all responses is maintained.
• Good problem-solving skills which enable the resolution of queries in a timely manner but also to identify how processes and procedures can be improved.
• The ability to interpret complex rules and regulations and to recommend sensible and pragmatic solutions in line with the SSRO’s duties and objectives.
• Ability to work to deadlines and to respond flexibly and positively to changing circumstances.
• High level of IT literacy.
• Education to degree level, or equivalent vocational/professional qualification.

Desirable

One or more of the following would be helpful in undertaking this role but they are by no means essential:

• Experience of successfully managing stakeholder relationships in a government, technology, or regulated industry context, and including managing expectations and conflicting needs and demands.
• Knowledge of the defence sector, defence procurement policy and the key players / relationships.
• IT service management and project management certification.

Security clearance

In line with the nature of work at the SSRO you will be required to undergo government security clearance. Details of this process can be discussed at interview. This role is not a retained one and is therefore open to foreign nationals.