About the job

Job summary

The Government Security Group (GSG) is responsible for the oversight, coordination and delivery of protective security within all central government departments, their agencies and arms-length bodies.  GSG supports Ministers, the Cabinet Secretary and Chief Executive of the Civil Service by monitoring departmental security performance and managing serious or pan-government security risks and incidents.  We provide the corporate centre for the Civil Service wide Security Function, so as well as working in a close knit, mutually supportive, high performing central team there are plenty of opportunities to work with all government departments and agencies.   

Within GSG stands the Directorate of Security Capabilities (DSC). DSC supports the development and delivery of high profile, key security initiatives. This includes a small team responsible for the strategic oversight and governance of Rosa - the secure IT system that the Prime Minister, Foreign Secretary and other key Cabinet members rely upon to handle national security, sensitive defence, diplomatic, trade and counter-terrorism matters.  GSG’s information and cyber security policies drive the requirement for working at SECRET, so oversight sits with us. The Cabinet Office has the responsibility for Rosa’s strategic oversight and governance. The Rosa Service Organisation, hosted by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, manages and delivers the system and service itself. We work as a single matrix team.

With over 14,000 users across 86+ organisations in 335 sites and 166 countries, Rosa is a critical capability for protecting information against the most sophisticated  cyber adversaries, via innovative and bespoke national security controls.  Rosa is a key element of the Government Cyber Security Strategy and central to HMG’s ability to deliver its national security, diplomatic, law enforcement and sensitive policy development activities. 

This important role forms part of a small, strategic, multi-disciplinary Rosa Oversight and Development team in the Cabinet Office. This exciting new role offers opportunities to support the evolution of the future strategy for Rosa, leading the development and coordination of transformational options around the future finance and business models for Rosa, in time for the next government spending review.

Job description

Primary responsibilities include working across the portfolio of the Oversight team, leading discreet areas of work, while supporting the G6 Head of Rosa Oversight and providing cover where necessary for G7 Rosa Secretariat, Governance and Income Lead and separately the G7 Rosa Communication and Utilisation Lead.  This role would suit an experienced G7, with strong leadership skills, experienced in managing teams and working across multiple priority areas.

1. Proactively support the G6 Head of Rosa Oversight to ensure the success of the team by delivering against key priorities spanning the breadth of governance and strategy Oversight responsibilities.
2. Aligned to the future Working at SECRET strategy and its recommendations, and in conjunction with the Rosa Service Organisation, lead the planning, coordination and development of options for the next Rosa business and financial models, ahead of the next spending review.
3. Working with the other two G7s in the Oversight team, provide strategic advice and cover during absences to ensure the seamless running of the governance, secretariat, communications and utilisation functions.
4. Working with the DSC corporate team, lead on the various central areas of internal/corporate responsibility for the Oversight team to include management information, alignment of systems, ad hoc and routine team returns. 
5. Taking responsibility for discreet work Rosa projects in support of senior management.  

Person specification

Critical for success will be the postholder’s previous experience in multiple G7 roles, an ability to flex and multitask, deliver current work to deadline while being able to think ahead. Exceptional organisational skills and pre-planning for future activity is essential to ensure the relevant senior managers are available to clear papers and make critical decisions based on the papers the team submit, well in advance of any meetings. At the heart of this role is championing collaborative working as part of the Rosa “One Team” approach with the Rosa Service Organisation, located in East Kilbride. Understanding your role and how it fits into the bigger picture, while working collegiately to deliver your responsibilities as part of a holistic approach to Rosa is fundamental to success in this role.

Essential Criteria:

• An experienced G7 who is a highly motivated self-starter, able to work collaboratively across a number of priorities, with multiple stakeholder groups at once;
• High attention to detail with the ability to juggle competing priorities and deliver multiple tasks within competing timelines;
• Excellent communication and drafting skills, able to produce quality papers and minutes in a timely manner;
• Highly proactive, able to plan ahead, problem solve and see tasks through to completion;  
• Strong administrative and organisational skills;  
• An ability to work calmly and efficiently under pressure, while prioritising own workloads;
• Sound judgement and the ability to think laterally in order to make connections between different areas of work;
• Adept at picking up issues quickly and bringing together analysis and different views and inputs to develop a consensus position;
• An analytical thinker who can work both with detail and understand the wider context.
• Able to distil analysis and adapt communication style to different audiences;
• As part of a small team, being flexible to respond to change, including picking up new pieces of work and adjusting to shifting priorities.

Additional information:

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,400, Cabinet Office contributes £14,418 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, Strengths and Experience.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 250 word personal statement as well as two 250 word behavioural statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Managing Effective Decisions. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience, behaviours that are contained in this advert and strength based questions, the strength questions are ones in which we wish to gain your initial response.

In writing your behaviour statements you may wish to make use of a STAR format:

• Situation - Describe the situation you found yourself in and what happened.
• Task - The Hiring Manager will want to understand what you tried to achieve from the situation that you found yourself in.
• Action - What actions did you take and how did you do these? Make sure to focus on your actions: use “I”, not “we” to explain how your actions lead to a result.
• Result - Set out the results that your actions produced, with facts and statistics if relevant.
• Explain whether it was a successful outcome and what you learned from the experience.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – from 18 March 2024
Expected interview date/s – from 2 April 2024
Interview location - Online

Further information

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: 

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. 
• Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'contact point for applicants' section.

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 security check (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.