About the job

Job summary

The Government Security Function (GSF) oversees the delivery of protective security across Government. Our Mission is to enable the Government to protect citizens and provide vital public services by understanding and managing security risks. We set the strategy and standards for Government Security, monitor departmental security performance, manage pan-government security incidents, support the delivery of key security capabilities and lead the Government Security Profession.

The Government Security Group (GSG) is the centre of the Security Function, based within the Cabinet Office. GSG is transforming the Government’s approach to protective security to ensure it is fit to meet the challenges of the digital age. This role offers an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced, dynamic team, with a breadth of stakeholders including in other Government departments, the National Technical Authorities and the Agencies, and to contribute to delivering improved security across Government. 

The Government Cyber Directorate in GSG covers all aspects of Defensive Cyber Security for Government from strategy, policy and standards to the operational deliverables of incident, risk and vulnerability management. We manage investment from the National Cyber Security Programme, outreach and engagement across Government and the wider public sector among much else. If you’re passionate about protecting the government and you want to be part of a security evolution, this is the team for you. Come and help make government stronger.

Job description

The Cyber Operations and Assurance teams manage operational risk through comprehensive assurance activity and operational support and are responsible for delivering the two main transformative programmes of the Government Cyber Security Strategy - GovAssure, our new cyber assurance programme for government which launched in April, and the Government Cyber Coordination Centre (GCCC), a newer programme bringing together coordination and capability development in cyber vulnerability management, incident coordination and threat intelligence. The team also coordinates the cyber stakeholder management with Government departments. Testing of departments through adversary simulation is carried out by our Red Team who explore and highlight vulnerabilities in Government systems, discovering ways to exploit them and working to make those systems more secure. This includes an innovative programme of tests covering cyber, physical/technical personnel and hybrid exercising. 

This post will work alongside our assurance programme team but will have the opportunity to reach into work across the teams, to understand our mission and get more closely involved with a range of interesting projects. In this role you will be involved in  our project management, procurement processes and our financial reporting responsibilities alongside working with our broader Programme Management Office. It will require regular tracking and reporting of programmed activity and contracted spend with our finance teams, and managing relationships with Crown Commercial Service. 

We place a number of pieces of work through specialist contractors and the role will involve coordinating with our commercial teams, contractors and financial business partners to ensure all projects run smoothly, on time and within budget.

This role is advertised based from Bristol, Manchester, York or Glasgow but will require travel to London for team events. The broader team works in a hybrid work pattern.

Person specification

The post holder will be responsible for:

• Support financial reporting across the Assurance teams 
• Provide project management to the Red Team, including managing the procurement process and relationships with Crown Commercial Service
• Supporting budget owners to forecast spend accurately and secure funding for future work.  
• Developing and maintaining the Red Team general project plan and reporting against progress to the wider Programme.

Essential skills and experience:

• An appropriate project management qualification such as: PRINCE2 Foundation, APM Foundation, or equivalent
• Effective communication skills with the ability to maintain relationships with key stakeholders
• Collaborative working skills demonstrated through working as part of a team to deliver long-term strategic outputs
• Experience working in new and challenging subject areas where you have had to learn on your feet
• Experience of working on finance and budgets.

Desirable skills and experience:

• Experience of working on commercial procurement exercises 
• Experience of working in government security 
• Experience of working in cyber security 

Level of Security Clearance required (must be SC minimum):

• The successful candidate must be willing to undergo SC clearance

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,400, Cabinet Office contributes £9,558 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.

Application process

You will be asked to provide an anonymised CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements as well as a personal statement of no more than 250 words detailing the essential and desired skills in the person specification demonstrating how you meet these requirements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

You will assessed against the following behaviours as outlined in the Civil Service Success Profiles framework:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Selection process

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

If selected for interview, you will be assessed against the above behaviours.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – w/c 22 January
Expected interview date/s – w/c 29th January 
Interview location - Online via Google Meet

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.

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.

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

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. 

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.

Offers above the band minimum are subject to our assessment of your skills and experience as demonstrated at interview. Salaries over the band minimum will be paid as a non-pensionable allowance.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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@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.