VALOUR Field Officer - South West (West)

Role overview

The Office for Veterans’ Affairs (OVA) in the Ministry of Defence leads coordination for the Veterans Strategy, which aims to reshape how government and wider society supports people who have served in the Armed Forces. In May 2025, the government launched VALOUR, a UK-wide, government-led veteran support programme backed by £50 million. The initiative is designed to make it easier for ex-Service personnel to access help in health, housing and employment.

This role sits within a fast-moving team supporting VALOUR and is expected to attract ministerial and media interest. It offers the chance to contribute directly to improving services and outcomes for veterans and their families.

The post is based around Taunton, Plymouth or Exeter, with coverage across Devon, Torbay and Cornwall. It also involves significant travel across the region and occasional travel elsewhere in the UK. Travel and subsistence will be reimbursed for work-related journeys, except travel to the base location, in line with departmental policy.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

What the role involves

As a VALOUR Field Officer, you will play a central role in partnership building and stakeholder engagement across your area. You will connect local, regional and national services, helping to improve and shape support for the Armed Forces community through stronger coordination and better use of data and insight.

You will act as a key link between Defence and local communities on veterans’ affairs, while also serving as a subject matter expert for Defence colleagues on local activity, stakeholders and system performance in your patch. The role also supports better alignment between national, devolved and local approaches, with the aim of delivering more consistent support under the Armed Forces Covenant.

Main duties

• Build and sustain productive relationships with regional and local organisations that support the Armed Forces community.
• Create and support sub-regional networks and forums that bring relevant stakeholders together and keep communication channels clear.
• Spot opportunities to advance agreed strategic priorities and help turn them into joint action through local government-led partnerships.
• Contribute to improvements in the VALOUR system by increasing understanding of the veteran support landscape at regional and local level and by sharing good practice across partnerships.
• Raise awareness of statutory services and initiatives, and help shape regional strategies that improve outcomes for the Armed Forces community.
• Support collective performance by using evidence and insight to influence policy and delivery locally and regionally.
• Be prepared for the role to change in response to priorities across the Armed Forces support landscape.
• Undertake additional tasks and activities as needed to support VALOUR, VALOUR HQ and wider OVA objectives.

Person specification

We are looking for someone with strong relationship-building skills, the confidence to work independently, and the ability to operate effectively in complex environments. You should be comfortable engaging with a broad range of stakeholders, presenting to varied audiences, and adapting to changing circumstances.

Essential criteria

• Well-developed interpersonal skills and experience managing relationships with stakeholders across different sectors and seniority levels.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to present confidently in public.
• Experience of stakeholder engagement, collaborative working, and supporting or developing forums, with the ability to adjust to changing situations.
• Confidence working remotely, taking initiative, and working in a self-directed way.
• Proven ability to plan, organise and prioritise workload effectively.
• Ability to handle complex operating environments and solve problems effectively.
• Understanding of the Armed Forces Covenant, the realities of military service, and the transition into civilian life.
• Willingness to travel frequently, mainly locally and regionally, and sometimes elsewhere in the UK.

Desirable criteria

• A full UK driving licence.
• Experience working within the Armed Forces community support landscape.
• Knowledge of, or experience with, local government structures.
• Awareness of local services that support the Armed Forces community.

Licences

A full UK driving licence and/or willingness to travel frequently is required, with travel expected mainly across the local and regional area and sometimes across the UK.

Assessment behaviours

Your application and selection process will assess the following Civil Service behaviours: Communicating and Influencing, Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions, Working Together, and Changing and Improving. The application form specifically asks for evidence of Communicating and Influencing and Seeing the Big Picture.

Benefits and conditions

• Salary of £37,720, plus an employer pension contribution of £10,927.
• Access to a Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme with an employer contribution rate of 28.97%.
• Learning and development tailored to the role.
• Flexible working options.
• An inclusive workplace culture that supports diversity.

Working arrangements

Where business needs allow, some flexibility may be possible through a hybrid arrangement combining office and home working. Office-based staff are expected to spend at least 60% of their working time in the office, subject to site capacity and any workplace adjustments. Time spent at other locations for official work, or in another MOD workplace, also counts towards this requirement. Candidates can ask the vacancy holder for more information about working arrangements.

The post does not include relocation expenses. External recruits who are new to the Civil Service will serve a six-month probation period. The department is also reviewing pay-related allowances, which may affect any allowances linked to this post.

Additional information

If you move to MOD from another employer, you will no longer be able to access childcare vouchers, including when moving between government departments. You may still be eligible for other government schemes such as Tax-Free Childcare.

The Ministry of Defence maintains a smoke-free working environment. Smoking and the use of tobacco products are not permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment, although some exemptions apply under local guidance.

MOD may contact applicants for a voluntary, anonymous recruitment satisfaction survey. Any optional follow-up information shared for service improvement may involve personal data, which will be handled in line with the MOD Privacy Policy Notice and UK GDPR.

Artificial intelligence may be used to support an application, but all examples and statements must be truthful, accurate and drawn directly from the applicant’s own experience. Applications may be withdrawn if plagiarism is identified, including the use of AI-generated or other people’s material as if it were your own.