About the job

Job summary

A new and exciting opportunity has arisen within the Air Cyberspace Services Centre (Air CySC) as the Alternate Cryptographic Custodian based at RAF Waddington. The successful candidate will work alongside the COMSEC Custodian within the COMSEC Vault team to ensure the appropriate management and control of all Cryptographic material on account in support of RAF Waddington ISTAR Operations.

Additional training can/will be provided to help broaden knowledge and understanding of cryptographic services. The role will be part of Service Operations Squadron within the Unit.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

In this full-time role, you will have a strong background in customer service, be self-motivated, collaborative, dynamic and pay close attention to detail.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The Alternate Cryptographic Custodian responsibilities are summarised below:

• Responsible for assisting the COMSEC Custodian in the discharge of their duties to the Station Commander for the receipt, safe custody, distribution to authorised holders, detailed registration, accounting and final disposal of all COMSEC material held on their personnel charge at RAF Waddington.
• You are to ensure compliance with policy for the management and accountability on MJDI of Cryptographic equipment and hold responsibility for items held by you on inventory.
• To be thoroughly familiar with current COMSEC regulations relating to COMSEC material supplied to RAF Waddington.
• Ensure that sufficient stocks of Cryptographic material are maintained in order to meet the needs of the Stn, but you are only to issue the bare minimum that is required to carry out the task.
• Carry out the duty of ‘On-Call Custodian’ as per the personnel roster and act as the COMSEC Custodian when completing the duty. Allowances will be paid for this activity.
• Check and sign for COMSEC material addressed to RAF Waddington, immediately on receipt or take action of the CODES system in reconciling vouchers.
• Make prompt and accurate entries of all amendments issued to COMSEC publications and ensure that proper destruction is carried out for any residue.
• Maintain the Cryptographic listings on CODES, ensuring that each items storage location is correct on the system and cross checked against the Holders monthly check sheets.
• Maintain the Cryptographic Authorisation Database.
• Act as witness to the routine destruction of COMSEC material.
• Carry out the routine destruction of COMSEC material as authorised.
• Issue COMSEC material on loan to authorised holders and provide them with Holders Orders.
• Managing Crypto Authorisation signature certificates and database by ensuring all COMSEC users are current. They are to ensure all Crypto Authorised personnel hold current vetting clearances. Promulgate a monthly list of expired/due to lapse Crypto Authorised personnel and send to Holders or Sqn Adjutants.
• Ensure that the storage arrangements for COMSEC material accord at least with the minimum-security standards laid down in policy, and that correct handling procedures are applied to preclude loss or physical compromise. Attention is to be given to COMSEC material on loan and where possible, you are to inspect COMSEC storage facilities at deployment locations.
• Maintain current plans for the evacuation and protection of the COMSEC material, in the event of fire, disaster or other emergency in accordance with policy.
• Report immediately to the Station Commander, any suspected or actual physical compromise, loss or unauthorised destruction of COMSEC material and take initial reporting action in accordance with policy, completing any follow-up as necessary. The Station Security Officer is also to be notified.
• During any authorised absences of the COMSEC Custodian you are to assume all of the duties and responsibilities of the COMSEC Custodian.
• Assist with the distribution of Cryptographic items weighing up to 25kg.
• Be available to attend specific residential courses required to carry out your duties. These include but are not exclusive to the Crypto Custodian Course, and any future Crypto exploitation courses such as LKMS.
•  Any additional tasks as directed by OC Air CySC / OC Service Operations.

Person specification

An employee may be required to carry out other duties within the scope of the grade and within the limits of their skill, competence, and training.

The following experience and qualifications are required for this role:

Essential

• Ability to organise and prioritise work in the face of competing demands.
• Attention to Detail.

Desirable

Whilst there will be opportunities to learn in the role, prior knowledge or training in the following areas are beneficial:

• Previous experience with cryptographic services within the MOD.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £28,300, Ministry of Defence contributes £7,641 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Things you need to know

• Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check.
• People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection Process Details

• The vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess Behaviours and Experience.
• This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
• The selection process will be broken down into a CV highlighting why your career history makes you suitable for this role and setting out how you meet the essential criteria.

At application, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours/Technical Skills: 

• Leadership 
• Making Effective Decisions 
• Delivering At Pace
• Communicating And Influencing 

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours/Technical Skills: 

• Leadership 
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering At Pace
• Communicating And Influencing 

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk .

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical.

The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.