Solution Director-Armed Forces Recruitment Service

At Serco, we deliver vital public services across Defence, Transport, Justice, Immigration, Healthcare and more—supporting governments and citizens worldwide. Our work shapes outcomes that matter, and our latest programme is no exception. We are proud to partner with the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) in providing critical recruitment services for the UK’s Armed Forces. This new approach will, for the first time, see the Royal Navy, the British Army, and the Royal Air Force have a joint Armed Forces Recruitment Service (AFRS). Delivered through a partnership of the MOD, Serco, and our consortium of partners, this service will provide end-to-end support from candidate attraction to assessment, onboarding, and Phase 1 training. Our team brings together best-in-class integrated technology and specialist partners to offer a holistic recruitment and skills solution for the UK Armed Forces, designed to modernise and improve the overall candidate experience. We are driven by the values of doing the right thing for our people, the MOD, His Majesty’s Government (HMG), broader society, and the candidates we source.

Serco actively encourages applications from veterans, military spouses, and reservists

We are seeking a senior leader to join us as Solution Implementation Lead—AFRS: a critical role accountable for the delivery and operationalisation of this complex, multi-partner solution. This is more than programme management: you will be the strategic anchor point for ensuring that every component of the AFRS solution is implemented effectively, integrated seamlessly, and aligned to the vision of the MOD.

You’ll act as the ‘controlling mind’ of the implementation phase—coordinating across Serco, consortium partners, technical teams, and senior MOD stakeholders. Working closely with our Transition Team, Commercial and Operational Leads, and AFRS senior leadership, you will ensure this end-to-end service is embedded successfully and is ready to deliver at scale.

What you’ll be doing

•    Leading the implementation of a complex, multi-entity solution across people, process, technology, and partnerships
•    Acting as the strategic authority on the integrity and performance of the AFRS solution during transition and early operational phases
•    Managing relationships with MOD stakeholders, consortium partners, and internal delivery teams to ensure alignment and accountability
•    Overseeing day-to-day solution integration, ensuring delivery against contractual scope, KPIs, and timeline
•    Supporting the development of systems architectures and operational workflows, including digital platforms and user experience
•    Identifying risks, and driving operational readiness across all workstreams
•    Ensuring effective handover from design to operational service, with clear governance, reporting, and performance structures

What you’ll need to bring:

•    A proven track record of leading complex solution delivery programmes, ideally within public sector, Defence, or large-scale government services
•    Experience integrating multi-partner or consortium-based solutions across operations, systems, and service lines
•    Strong commercial and strategic judgement, with the ability to manage competing priorities and deliver at pace
•    Deep understanding of transition planning, programme governance, and operational delivery in complex environments
•    Experience working with executive leadership teams and engaging stakeholders at Board or government department level
•    Familiarity with Systems Engineering, Target Operating Models, or business process engineering (preferred)
•    Excellent communication, leadership, and collaboration skills
•    A degree or equivalent qualification (essential); further qualifications in programme delivery or systems design advantageous
•    An Armed Forces background or prior experience working within military environments is highly desirable, bringing valuable insight into Defence culture, structure, and operational expectations

What we offer:

•    Competitive base salary
•    bonus potential of up to 30% and a company car or car allowance
•    25 days holiday + flexible/hybrid working
•    The opportunity to shape the delivery of a national recruitment transformation that directly supports the UK’s Armed Forces