About the job

Job summary

The Home Office Security team is responsible for ensuring robust physical security solutions are in place to protect Home Office buildings, staff and assets. We provide security guarding at Home Office building receptions across the country, HO Public Caller Units, including Reporting Centres, Asylum Intake Units and Service Support Centres, we are also responsible for monitoring the electronic security systems, alarms, CCTV and access control via our 24/7 Home Office Security Control Room.

Purpose of Position 

The role of the Security Operations Manager is to manage the project on a day-to-day basis. The successful candidate will be responsible for driving and overseeing the delivery of the project to ensure that the objectives are clearly defined and achieved within the agreed time, cost and quality constraints. The Security Operations Manager has a key role in project governance and working with stakeholders, to ensure the agreed project outputs are delivered to enable benefits to be realised.

Job description

The successful candidate will be responsible for providing the physical security solutions through project work for the protection of Home Office buildings, staff and assets. This includes:

Main responsibilities will include:

•    Provide physical security advice, which includes the technical design for physical and electronic security systems and adopt a strategic approach to physical security.

•    Carry out Physical Security assessments and write Operational Requirement reports of Home Office sites.

•    Respond swiftly to emerging/urgent physical security situations, providing effective stakeholder management and team leadership.

•    Provide technical and financial evaluations for proposed security solutions to manage threats/risks.

•    Contribute to and deliver recommendations identified with the Home Office Physical Security review.

•    Work closely with the Operational Security guarding team to ensure security standards of buildings they have responsibility for meets Cabinet Office standards and NPSA best practice guidance.

•    Look to identify and improve security options, procedures and value for money.

•    Undertake any other reasonable tasks in consultation with the Head of Physical Security.

•    Conducting security site assessments and producing security reports.

•    Engaging senior stakeholders, external stakeholders, including site Senior Responsible Officers and Estates colleagues to evaluate risks and deliver bespoke, value for money security solutions to meet Home Office strategic goals and enable business areas.

Other day to day activities

Line manage 1-2 HEO ensuring LM tasks are completed in a timely fashion.

You may be required to undertake reasonable HOS specific tasks, as directed by the G7 and Grade 6 commensurate with your grade and experience. 

Travel

This role requires frequent travel to various sites in the UK.

Due to the nature of the role, this post is available on full-time basis only.

Person specification

To effectively manage within allocated budgets, managing projects in the security department or support internal project managers when required. Attending meeting and be responsible for the security of relevant project and making decisions/giving advice in the physical security area. To work with project manager teams and provide a creative and pragmatic approach to any issues that arise: 

•    Delivery – Create and lead the project to deliver the agreed outcomes within time, cost and quality constraints.

•    Project management – Day-to-day management of the project.

•    Business case – Co-ordinate development of the business case.

•    Benefits realisation – Ensure benefits are identified, understood, measured, tracked and owned. Ensure appropriate Benefits Realisation Strategy is in place, and monitor longer term delivery of benefits against the business case.

•    Stakeholder management – Develop effective relationships.

•    Risks and issues – Identify and monitor project risks and issues. Develop mitigating actions and escalate as appropriate.

•    Governance – Provide key reports and support effective governance and decision making.

•    Assurance – Support or set appropriate project assurance.

•    Change management – Ensure effective change management processes are in place to agree and document changes to deliverables as agreed with stakeholders.

•    Guidance and support – Seek appropriate support, guidance and coaching from the project community. Show commitment to personal development. Promote effective individual and team performance.

•    Project performance and controls –Track and report delivery against milestones.

Essential criteria:

•    Proven track record to produce technical specifications/Operational Requirements documents for physical security systems.

•    Strategic thinking, problem solving and using judgement to inform departmental security policy and handle security risks.

•    Strong influencing and negotiating skills with a range of audiences, mainly at senior levels.

•    The ability to adapt to changing priorities and maintain alignment of team’s activities.

•    Good solid understanding of electronic and physical security systems, and their applications.

•    The ability to provide cost estimates for security works being recommended.

•    The ability to adapt to changing circumstances and adverse situations whilst remaining calm, reassuring others and maintaining performance.

•    The ability to influence, change and impact decisions with both internal and external stakeholders.

•    The ability to work in an environment of uncertainty and continual change. Able to feel comfortable making decisions and setting direction without having the full picture and re-focus as details emerge. Can apply knowledge and techniques to reduce ambiguity.

Desirable criteria:

•    Full understanding of applying National Protective Security Authority best practice for physical security solutions.

•    Active member within the Government Security Profession Community is desirable, but not essential.

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 detailing job history/skills/qualifications

- A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 1000 words)

- Provide evidence of the Lead behaviour Making Effective Decisions (250 words maximum)

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

Please note, 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 advertisement.

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

The statement of suitability will be scored first for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will progress to a further sift where the Lead behaviour Making Effective Decisions will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability will not have their Lead behaviour Making Effective Decisions scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.

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

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be behaviour-based questions on the behaviours listed within the advert.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 27th May 2024.

Interviews are expected to commence from 19th June 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

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.

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.   

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.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

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.