Head of Business Operations

Lead a wealth of business functions in one of the UK’s most vital intelligence teams.

With responsibility for delivering insightful intelligence assessments on national security issues, the Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) offers a career opportunity that few organisations could match. Working with senior leaders from the Cabinet Office, the UK intelligence community and international partners, the JIO Business Unit plays a vital role in protecting our staff, our assets and our intelligence, so this is a unique chance to build relationships and opportunities with key partners.

The Business Unit has a wide range of responsibilities including HR, Finance, Commercial, Security, STRAP, IT & Tech, Information Management, Estates and Crisis Management functions. You will be at the heart of this work, as you will set the strategic direction of each of these functions, ensuring that they are all operating seamlessly on a day-to-day basis. Handling everything from workforce planning to identifying IT, security and estates investment opportunities, each day will present you with a myriad of complex challenges – so we are looking for someone who has great commercial acumen who can confidently manage a multi-million pound budget while preparing for future spending reviews!

This is a fantastic opportunity to make your mark on our team. We will expect you to both improve existing capabilities and invest in innovative new fields, so if you can see the bigger picture and clearly identify the measures that need to be put in place to enhance how we work, then you will be a natural fit in this role. We are seeking someone who is keen to get directly involved in the specificities of how we work. For example, some of our people processes are managed locally (due to the sensitive nature of the work that our staff are doing), so you will be keen to lead by example when guiding your direct reports in handling these situations. You will also be the JIO’s Business Continuity and Crisis Manager, so you will thrive with us if you can bring a proactive and flexible approach to every situation.

This is obviously a multi-layered role with many business functions reporting into you. If you therefore have experience in some of the sectors (such as estates, IT or HR) and you are willing to learn quickly about any areas that you are not so familiar with, we would welcome your application. Crucially, you will be comfortable working in a fast-paced environment, without ever dropping your high expectations and standards. As a UK national with inspirational leadership, communication, influencing and negotiation skills, you will be passionate about promoting an inclusive and diverse culture where every member of our team can excel.

This is a fantastic role, with the scope to establish yourself as a key member of the JIO and the wider Cabinet Office. With plenty of training and development opportunities, we can also offer a competitive benefits package that includes a minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, plus a generous Civil Service Pension enhanced by average employer contribution of 27%. So if you are keen to take your career to the next level, with the full support of a team who want to see you thrive, please do get in touch.

Closing date: Apply before 11:55pm on Sunday 10 March 2024.