About the job

Job summary

Our Cyber Defence and Risk (CyDR) directorate sits at the forefront of cyber security and information technology and is responsible for driving MOD’s cyber transformation, including cyber security policy, architecture and the risk and governance structure that guides it.

The Deputy Security Clearance Officer role is an opportunity to play a vital part in the MOD-wide security assurance process, managing, verifying and transmitting clearances worldwide, for Service and Civilian personnel, up to and including ministerial level. You will also act as Deputy STRAPSO and share responsibility for department information security.

Our commitment to your development is fundamental and you’ll be able to take advantage of many learning and development opportunities, tailored to your role and beyond. Whilst in post, you’ll be able to gain industry recognised qualifications through a range of professional courses and external training providers and we’ll support you throughout the process.

As a Civil Servant, you’ll also have access to our range of excellent benefits, including flexible working, discount schemes, generous leave allowance and a market-leading Civil Service pension.

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This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. 

Strategic Command is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way the Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts within Strategic Command Headquarters and in time the wider organisation, are/will be subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

Job description

Responsibilities will include:

• Administration, verification and transmission of security clearances worldwide for Service and Civilian personnel, up to and including ministerial level.
• Maintaining databases for the induction and de-induction of service and civilian personnel worldwide, including regular updates to external authorities.
• Providing clearance information for CyDR staff visiting national and international locations.
• Acting as deputy STRAPSO, protect the integrity of the secure office area in accordance with MOD and Cabinet Office policy.
• Writing local standing orders for the working practices within the secure area.
• Account creation for IT and telephony.
• Maintaining records for classified documents and media.
• Providing support to the wider CyDR Business Unit.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you’ll need to demonstrate that you are:

• Able to build and maintain good working relationships with a wide range of personnel and act with integrity and discretion.
• Aware of appropriate methods for handling, storing, recording or documenting information.
• Able to quickly assess information and make credible recommendations at pace.
• Security aware, with accurate attention to detail.
• Driven to provide a reliable, quality customer service.
• Able to make effective decisions and know when to seek advice or escalate issues.
• Motivated to learn and committed to your continuous development.

Dependent on the business need, there may be a requirement to travel to meetings within the UK (or potentially occasional overseas visits).

If not already held, successful candidates will be required to undergo DV clearance. This position is open to sole UK nationals only.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £24,985, Ministry of Defence contributes £6,745 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.

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.

To apply please complete the CV template provided on the CS Jobs dashboard. You will be assessed against your relevant, skills, knowledge and experience which demonstrates the essential criteria listed within this advert.

All applicants will also need to provide a personal statement (max. 1250 words) and it is essential that this includes evidence of the following essential criteria. Each one will be scored 1-7 and make up part of your overall score to assess your suitability to be invited to interview:

1. Describe your experience or knowledge of working in a fast-paced environment with multiple ongoing tasks.

2. Tell us what you understand to be important in managing personnel information/data in an organisation.

3. Provide an example of when you have assessed information and made recommendations in the workplace.

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles:- 

• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing A Quality Service 
• Delivering At Pace
• Working Together

Experience

• You will be asked questions related to your relevant experience for this role.

The Government Security Profession Career Framework and the Corporate Enablers – Process Associate role related to this vacancy can be found at: Government Security Profession career framework.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk. As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

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 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.