About the job

Job summary

Do you want to work in intelligence? Are you interested in staying up to date with the latest cyber knowledge? Do you have a talent for analysing technical information and making important assessments? Do you enjoy researching and investigating threats to critical systems? Well, an exciting opportunity exists to join the Cyber Technical Threats team in Defence Intelligence Capability Assessment (DI CA), and we are looking forward to your application.

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 National Cyber Security Centre, Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre and Joint Intelligence Organisation.

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

We have one civil servant post available, located at MOD Corsham, and part of the DI Cyber Technical Threats team, which sits within a wider capability assessment (CA) directorate. The team sits alongside the DI Cyber Regional Threats team, but we are Threat Actor Agnostic which means we focus on the ‘how’ of cyber-attacks rather than the ‘who’ to allow customers to understand how threat actors gain access to systems, and plan and prioritise remediation and security controls. Half the team is based in London, and half in MOD Corsham. At MOD Corsham, the team is embedded within Defence Digital’s cyber security operations directorate in order to support them directly with countering cyber threats. We do this through the provision of specialist intelligence support, strategic insight, capability development, training and collaboration.

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 and job share. All job adverts in DI are subject to fair and open competition.

If you're interested in researching and assessing the cyber threats to MOD systems, we encourage you to apply, even if you don't have all of the outlined criteria.

Person specification

What will the successful candidates be doing?

• Deliver in-depth analysis of the cyber threat to Defence systems and networks, building subject matter expertise for how cyber threats are carried out, both now and potentially in the future; and mapping cyber threats to industry standard frameworks. Maintaining a high level of situational awareness using all available resources. Act as a recognised 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, threat statements and briefings that fall within their area of responsibility and expertise.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with key Defence Digital 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.

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, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience, strengths and Technical ability. We will assess you against the following during the selection process at both application and interview:

Behaviours

We will assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions (Application and Interview)
• Working Together (Application and Interview)
• Delivering at Pace (Application only)
• Managing a quality service (Interview only)

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.

Strengths

We will be using the Success Profiles: Strengths Based Recruitment framework at Interview only.

Technical Skills

We will also be assessing candidates using the PHIA Skills Framework, with an interview question that assesses you against the ‘Gathering, Organising and Evaluating Intelligence & Information’ skill, at the level of ‘Proficient’.

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

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.

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.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD office, will also count towards this level of attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements. 

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.