About the job

Job summary

The Submarine Delivery Agency (SDA) is a part of the Ministry of Defence responsible for the procurement, in-service support, and disposal of the UK’s nuclear submarines. Our work is of unparalleled strategic importance nationally and internationally, ensuring the security of the UK’s continuous at-sea nuclear deterrent, and delivering some of the most technically complex programmes in defence.

Here you’ll find a community to belong to – whether that’s alongside project teams with a shared vision or as part of an employee network of like-minded individuals. We believe that, by celebrating different backgrounds and perspectives, together we’ll achieve the extraordinary.

Discover more about our work:

We offer 25+ days’ holiday, flexible and hybrid working, enhanced parental leave schemes, shopping discounts, and an exceptional employer pension contribution of around 27%, to help work work for you.

Job description

Have you got experience within Information Assurance or Cyber Security and are you looking to start or expand your knowledge in a career within the Civil Service?  

Advances in information technology and digital communications are revolutionising the way we live and work, almost every aspect of our daily life depends on technology. Effective Information Assurance and Cyber Security has delivered many opportunities and benefits and is fundamental to the business of the SDA. With the use of information and information technology comes significant risk and potential threats through the loss or compromise of our information, which would impact on the success of Defence as a whole.  

As an Associate Information Assurance Analyst, you will gain experience to multiple disciplines within Information Assurance including:

• Secure by Design
• Cyber Supply Chain Assurance
• NIST 800 Cyber Risk Management

There is potential for UK travel to other MoD sites and some potential for international travel depending on programme requirements. All travel is subject to extant MoD travel and subsistence policy.

It would be useful if you have CompTIA Security + or similar along with experience of working in a project team. Continuous professional development is both expected and supported for all personnel.

For security reasons this role is open to sole UK nationals only. A ‘sole UK national’ refers to an individual who holds citizenship solely in the UK, without dual citizenship or nationality from another country. We do not offer visa sponsorship. 

This role requires you to have lived in the UK for the last 10 years continuously and to obtain Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance. Clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you have been recruited for. If it is not obtained or is obtained with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you can and will be withdrawn. Obtaining DV security clearance can be a lengthy process. We may offer a start date consistent with Security Check (SC) clearance being confirmed, provisional upon enhanced DV check being undertaken and confirmed after you start employment. If either SC or DV clearance is not obtained within 12 months of the start date, we reserve the right to withdraw any conditional offer of employment. 

Regular in-person site attendance is required to promote the benefits of face-to-face collaboration alongside flexibility of hours to support work-life balance. Initially, you may be expected to attend more frequently to familiarise yourselves with the site, the team, and your role. The SDA offer a wide-range of flexible working arrangements that include flexi-working and reasonable adjustments. We also offer subsidised public transport arrangements upon application.

Whilst on site, you’ll experience our impressive range of on-site facilities including a restaurant and coffee bistros and free parking. Our sports facilities include a fully equipped gym and sports hall with bookable classes, as well as a squash court, tennis courts and a football pitch.

What you’ll be doing

• Lead Information Assurance reviews, audits and security surveys both internally and externally with Industry Partners and present findings to your Information Assurance Manager.
• Provide advice, guidance and manage the resolution of escalated complex queries to/for projects and pan organisational teams and develop training from trends.
• Deliver assurance of relevant controls on the implementation of any system, activity, platform to ensure alignment with Information Assurance Policy and Standards.
• Provide advice and guidance on Information Assurance to senior colleagues from a security perspective and manage security administration of an IT system.
• Support the identification and mitigation of Information Risks.

Person specification

To be successful with your application, you'll need to show that you meet the following essential criteria:

• Relevant qualification and/or experience in Information Assurance or Cyber Security

In addition to the responsibilities above, the following technical competences and behaviours will be assessed at interview:

• Information Assurance - Practitioner
• Data Literacy - Supervised Practitioner
• Seeing the Bigger Picture - CSBC 3
• Changing and Improving - CSBC 3

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £34,800, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,396 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

Your application will go through the following stages of assessment:

1. Pre-sift - We will check that you meet any essential or eligibility criteria that are listed in the Person Specification section of this advert. On your CV, please clearly show how you meet the essential criteria.

2. Sift - Your CV will be assessed against the following categories, using a simple numerical scoring system: Key Achievements; Relevant Experience; Applied Knowledge and Skills

Please follow our guidance on CV writing for best chance of success.

3. Interview - If you're invited to interview, you'll be assessed against the Sift categories listed above, as well as the Technical Competences and Behaviours listed in the Person Specification section of this advert.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Security

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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.