About the job

Job summary

An exciting opportunity exists to support either the MST (Missiles, Science and Technology) or Maritime branches in the DI Capability Assessments (DI CA) directorate. The branches provide intelligence advice to MOD policymakers, planners, technical staff, and frontline commands. The principal analyst roles will lead the analytical cadre within their designated branch. The role holder will drive the delivery of excellent and impactful products with focus on improvement of production timelines, quality and customer engagement.

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.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

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.

As a Principal Analyst you will provide coherent support to DNO (Defence Nuclear Organisation) to increase the impact of either MST or Maritime products and advice for CASD (Continuous at Sea Deterrent) and the Defence Nuclear Enterprise. You will be the primary interlocuter with DNO, understanding and driving priorities, identifying areas for increased collaboration, and representing either Maritime or MST.

You will act as the lead of the analytical cadre within either the MST or Maritime branch. You will drive the delivery of excellent and impactful products with focus on improvement of production timelines, quality and customer engagement.

The roles require excellent communication skills, and experience in building wide networks to deliver technical impact. Additionally, the role holder will need to develop a deep understanding of the intelligence assessment, driving improvement and identifying impact through their day-to-day activities. The post will develop strong links across DI, DNO, Dstl, AWE, across HMG (His Majesty’s Government) and with international partner organisations.

These roles are a fantastic opportunity for someone with a technical background looking to grow and develop their leadership skills, or for an existing leader with an interest in Missiles, Science & Technology and Maritime to deepen their technical experience within DI CA.

Experience of working within a technical profession, with a relevant academic and/or professional background. Previous knowledge of all source intelligence analysis, in either weapons capability/operations and/or DNO are desirable.

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 flexi-time, job share and compressed hours. All job adverts in DI are subject to fair and open competition.

Person specification

Responsibilities

• Deliver CA-Maritime or CA-MST contribution towards crisis response preparedness, including planning documents, and management of exercises for how DI will respond in a nuclear crisis.
• Work with DI partners to identify and deliver key products, ensuring they are managed/maintained and undergo frequent re-examination and refresh; including production of library products, e.g., a series of off-the-shelf products.
• Ensure the necessary modelling/analysis is undertaken and available to inform assessments, exercises and red-team events.
• Lead the delivery of DNO-related products within of your branch, setting a clear vision, planning and prioritising activities and allocating resource effectively to deliver intelligence outputs that inform decision-making in Defence and across wider government. To include technical review, quality control and impact tracking.
• Customer engagement. Act as the branch’s primary interlocuter with DNO. Understand and manage customer requirements. Build and maintain positive working relationships with a wide spectrum of customers and ensure the intelligence output of your team is aligned to their requirements, decision-making processes and timelines. Provide expert advice based on your branch’s output.
• Oversee the production of high quality, impactful intelligence assessments that adhere to the Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment’s (PHIA) Analytic Standards and DI guidance. Assure product quality. Seek and act on customer feedback to develop and improve team output. 
• Ensure intelligence gaps are identified and engage with relevant stakeholders and processes to drive intelligence collection and the innovative exploitation of data to meet team’s information needs.
• Drive continuous improvement in professional standards. Create an environment where analysts routinely use a range of critical and creative tools and techniques, collaborate effectively, seek to innovate, improve tradecraft and test and challenge each other’s judgements. 
• Drive cross-community collaboration, ensuring team participates fully in relevant national and international intelligence community collaboration processes and activities. Ensure the coherence of support to DNO through the Principal Analysts in DI. 

What are we looking for?

Essential

• Academic and/or professional experience relevant to intelligence analysis of weapons.
• Leadership skills (personnel and/or technical delivery)
• Co-operation, Co-ordination and Challenge (PHIA (Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment) competence)
• Informing Decision Making (PHIA competence)

Desirable

• Project management experience.
• Degree in a scientific or technical (STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Maths) subject.
• Experience or knowledge of intelligence analysis.  

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV). Any appointment will be provisional until this is complete. Candidates with DV (Developed Vetting) would be able to start in role while undergoing eDV.

See our vetting charter.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,670, Ministry of Defence contributes £15,570 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, Experience and Technical skills.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history, education, relevant qualification details and previous skills and experience (to cover details of roles and main achievements).

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability.  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.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, statement of suitability and the following Behaviours and Technical Skills:

• Leadership
• Delivering at pace
• PHIA: Informing Decision Making
• PHIA: Cooperation, Coordination and Challenge

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

At interview, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours/Technical Skills: (delete as appropriate!)

• Leadership
• Delivering at pace
• PHIA: Informing Decision Making
• PHIA: Cooperation, Coordination and Challenge
• A verbal presentation (5 mins) on: A Reflection on an Analytical Product/Project you Led, and the Impact it Delivered.

Sift is expected to occur within two weeks of the closing date and the interview will take place within two weeks of the sift decision. Both of these timescales are subject to change, and the recruiting line manager will be in touch to sort out interview dates and locations after the sift is held for those invited to interview.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview.

Contact point for applicants

Jennifer – Head of DI CA Missiles, Science & Technology

dica-emtechjobadvert@mod.gov.uk

Please quote the recruitment code and job title

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.

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 

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.