About the job

Job summary

The Protective Security Centre delivers services, capability-building and thought leadership to drive down the security risk to government. Working with clients across government to understand their security profiles and build bespoke support plans to address their security needs. We are aware that our clients know their risk areas better than anyone. We blend that local knowledge with our cross-government insights to deliver tailored support that meets client needs, helping them access best practice from across the security sector. 

We are one of five Government Security Centres and provide security advice and consultancy services to government departments. We are comprised of two consultancy teams and an operations team, supported by communication and engagement and business support functions. The consultancy provides expert protective security advice in partnership with the National Technical Authorities (NTAs) and the Government Security Group. Our operations team delivers personnel security and information handling services to a wide range of public bodies.

Job description

The successful candidate will assist, support, and actively contribute to the delivery of authoritative protective people and physical security advice to reduce departmental/organisational vulnerabilities and mitigate the insider threat. 
Specifically:

•    Application of PSC tools allowing organisations to assess people and physical security risks and evaluate current methods and processes to determine organisations security maturity.

•    Creating and delivering security awareness briefings.

•    Facilitating security risk workshops.

•    Analysing the findings from people and physical security assessments/reviews and identifying risk-based solutions/recommendations to support organisations protective security improvement plans.

•    Drafting of detailed and concise evidence-based people and physical security assessment reports that articulate, security threats, risks, vulnerabilities, and issues in unambiguous ways.

•    Deputise for people and physical security advisers with both internal and external stakeholders. 

•    Provide people and physical security advice, guidance and support to the customer base.

•    Respond to customer queries submitted to the PSC portal. 

•    Identify emerging security issues and trends which may impact PSC delivery, identifying common themes or risks for further attention and/or development.

•    Understand and explain complex security related issues in a manner appropriate to the intended audience.

•    Contribute to the development of PSC services, tools and products by driving continuous improvement in team processes and identifying opportunities to adopt common approaches to planning, or reducing complexity.

•    Championing and communicating new initiatives impacting on delivery of PSC services.

•    Responsibility for own professional development, including maintaining a sound understanding of National Technical Authority protective security advice, guidance, and tools (i.e., risk frameworks and maturity models) and Gov 007 security standards.

In line with Home Office policy, these posts can be based at any of the locations advertised and there will be flexibility to adopt a hybrid working pattern according to business need with the post holder adopting the 60% minimum workplace attendance.

Person specification

Key responsibilities for this role include the following:

•     A detailed and technical understanding of PSC services.

•    Support the G7 lead people and physical security advisers across the PSC portfolio of services and delivery to customer departments.

Specifically:

•    Application of PSC tools assisting organisations to assess their people and physical security risks and evaluate current methods and processes to determine organisations security maturity.

•    Conducting physical site assessments and drafting of operational requirements.

•    Creating and delivering security awareness briefings.

•    Facilitating security risk workshops.

•    Analysing the findings from security assessments and reviews to identify risk-based solutions and recommendations to support organisations protective security improvement plans.

•    Drafting of detailed and concise evidence-based security assessment reports, articulating security threats, risks, vulnerabilities, and issues in unambiguous way.

•    Represent PSC with both internal and external stakeholders.

•    Provide people and physical security advice, guidance and support to the PSC customer base.

•    Track and monitor the PSC portal to respond to enquiries or allocate accordingly.

•    Identify emerging security issues and trends which may impact PSC delivery, identifying common themes or risks for further attention and/or development.

•    Understand and explain complex security related issues in a manner appropriate to the intended audience.

•    Contribute to the development of PSC services, tools and products by driving continuous improvement in team processes and identifying opportunities to adopt common approaches to planning or reducing complexity.

•    Championing and communicating new initiatives impacting on delivery of PSC services.

•    Responsibility for own professional development, including maintaining a sound understanding of National Technical Authority (NPSA) protective security advice, guidance and tools (i.e. risk frameworks and maturity models) and Cabinet Office, Functional and Technical Standards for Security (007).

•    Regular engagement and collaboration with the PSC support roles and delivery team to ensure project milestones are completed
This is a general outline of the responsibilities and functions of the role and is not exhaustive, any other reasonable responsibilities and functions, not mentioned above, directed by the line manager will also be considered part of the role. 

Essential Criteria

Experience of working in a security related role (which may come from roles in protective security, security management, intelligence, risk or security consultancy function).

• Experience delivering customer requirements within a large, ambiguous, and complex environments.

• Ability to operate in a consultancy role: good written and verbal communication skills; good personal engagement; active listening skills; ability to adapt your style to the audience.

• Effective time management skills to ensure that objectives are met within required timeframes.

• Demonstrate good judgement and respond to complex and dynamic situations, being flexible in working to changing priorities.

Desirable Criteria

•    Good working knowledge of HMG security requirements.

•    Experience of working within the Government Security function.

•    Good understanding of the National Technical Authorities protective security advice and wider offering.

•    Broad understanding of protective security procedures.

•    Basic knowledge of information/cyber security.

•    Recognised qualification and/or considerable experience working in a security role.

•    Membership of a professional security body.

•    Confident when interacting with diverse audiences, including senior grades.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV (job history/qualifications/skills)
• A Statement of Suitability (Max: 750 words) - should show how applicant meets the requirements, responsibilities, and how aligned to the essential skills criteria as set out in the job advertisement.
• Provide evidence of the behaviour Communicating and Influencing (250 words maximum)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.

The sift will be held on the behaviour Communicating and Influencing and the statement of suitability (personal statement). The CV will be used for information purposes only and will not be scored.

However, if a large number of applications are received, the sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability only.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will consist of behaviour-based questions.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 2nd April 2024. Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 22nd April 2024. We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further Information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

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

A location-based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role or similar role become available within that period you may be offered this position. 

When completing your application, you will have the opportunity to select your preferred location(s). Please ensure you select all locations you are interested in. Candidates who are successful at Interview will be placed in order of merit per location and provisional job offers will be made in strict merit order per location preference. Provisional offers are made, as they are on condition that you successfully pass all pre-employment checks.

Please note: If you are currently an agency member of staff or a contractor working within the Home Office, you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e. outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Visa sponsorship    

We are unable to sponsor any individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas as we do not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker License.   

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

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

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home 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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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

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

Security

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.