About the job

Job summary

An exciting opportunity exists to join the Capability Assessment Cyber Threats team, within Defence Intelligence (DI). The successful candidate will be working alongside a high performing team that works on understanding adversary threats within the cyber domain, with a wide range of customers from across Defence and Whitehall.

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

Defence Intelligence (DI) is a world-class organisation that supports policy and decision-making at the heart of the Ministry of Defence (MoD) and the cross government national security community. In DI, our people solve problems, create understanding, and give perspective to the diverse and complex Defence threats and challenges in a rapidly changing world. Together our civilians and military personnel inform decision-making in Defence, manage complex programmes, and develop new technology.

DI is a key element of the UK’s national intelligence community, working closely with partners across Defence, Cabinet Office, Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office, the intelligence agencies and other intelligence assessment bodies such as the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and Joint Intelligence Organisation.

This post is one of eight MOD civil servants (CS) responsible for the Capability Assessment of technical aspects of the cyber threat to MOD. The requirement of this position is to provide All Source intelligence analysis on the cyber threat to directly support the UK Deterrent Mission.

This role requires candidates with the following knowledge, skills and attributes:

• Critical thinking
• Strong communication skills, both verbal and written
• Strong IT skills, including Word, PowerPoint and Excel
• Ability to prioritise, work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines.

In DI we believe your unique experiences, view and understanding of the world could provide a vital perspective and contribution to our work. We recognise that great minds do not think alike and are striving to increase our diversity representation at all levels. As an equal opportunity employer, we hire, train and promote people based on merit and aspire to create an inclusive workplace free of discrimination. We also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexitime, job share and compressed hours. All job adverts in DI are subject to fair and open competition.

Person specification

Responsibilities 

• Deliver in-depth analysis of the cyber threat to the UK Deterrent Mission, building subject matter expertise and maintaining a high level of situational awareness using all available resources. Act as a recognized expert across the community.
• Critically evaluate information and intelligence using a range of techniques and approaches to process information and address customer intelligence requirements. Maintain and develop analytical skills and promote good tradecraft.
• Provide high quality, impactful intelligence assessments in the form of THREATWeb assessments and RFI responses, as well as other capability assessments, threat statements and briefings that fall within their area of responsibility and expertise.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with key DNO and Royal Navy customers and ensure intelligence output is aligned to their requirements, decision-making processes and timelines.
• Identify intelligence gaps and actively address through conducting research and tasking collection.
• Represent DI in relevant national and international community processes, activities and exchanges.

What are we looking for?

Desirable

• Successful candidate should hold or be prepared to undertake the Fundamentals of Defence Intelligence, Defence Intelligence IT Course and Defence Intelligence Analysis Module courses and pass the subsequent City and Guilds exam in intelligence assessment, or equivalent courses and qualifications.
• Successful candidate should hold or be prepared to undertake the Cyber Foundation Pathway up to Module 4.
• In the event of a strong field of candidates at sift, the following desirable criteria will be considered to distinguish the order or merit:
• Experience of working in cyber security
• Experience of working in all-source intelligence assessment role

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,290, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,528 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.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Experience

You will need to provide a CV using the online template, including details on education, relevant qualifications and your job history (to cover details of roles and main achievements).

We would also like a personal statement explaining your interest in the role and the relevant experience you bring in no more than 250 words.

Behaviours

The following behaviours would be assessed in the selection stages:

At Application

• Leadership
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions

At Interview

• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

If a large number of applicants are received, the initial sift will be conducted with the CV, Personal Statement and Leadership behaviour.

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.