About the job

Job summary

Defence Intelligence (DI) is a world-class organisation that supports operations, policy development, and decision-making in the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and across the government’s national security community. Our people develop understanding, solve problems, and give perspective to the diverse and complex Defence threats and challenges in a constantly evolving world. Together our civilians and military personnel inform decision-making in Defence, manage complex programmes, and develop new technology.

The Behavioural and Social Science (BSS) section of LaBSS is federated to work within the regionally focused analytical centres in DI, supporting key Defence priorities and injecting vitally important socio-cultural context and foundational understanding into the intelligence, Defence and policy community. 

The Socio-Cultural Assessment Team (S-CAT) within LaBSS applies expertise drawn from specialist areas such as anthropology, sociology, social / political psychology, human geography and political and behavioural science to provide unique insights into the social, cultural and interpersonal dynamics and behaviours impacting upon real world situations of strategic interest. Products pertain to the behaviour, motivations, and intent of a variety of groups and populations. The work supports a wide range of actions and provides customers across government with insight into the worldview of the UK’s adversaries and competitors so that it can be influenced or countered across a spectrum of activities. Socio-cultural analysts can also work closely with the LaBSS Psychological Assessments Team to deliver an understanding of current and future behaviour.

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 work environment 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.

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

• Apply social and/or behavioural science theories and frameworks to understand complex issues and answer intelligence questions, delivering high quality, impactful socio-cultural intelligence assessments, both verbal and written, that adhere to professional and ethical standards. 
• Build and maintain subject matter expertise in social and/or behavioural science theories, methodologies, and frameworks. Contribute to the cross-government development of these methodologies with international partners, supporting LaBSS’ leading role in their practical application. Act as a socio-cultural expert in your region across the community.
• Develop regional expertise in your area of responsibility, coordinating with other regional intelligence analysts to respond to tasking requests, produce joint assessments and contribute to analysis workshops. 
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with key customers and stakeholders and ensure intelligence output is aligned to their requirements, decision-making processes, and timelines.  
• Ensure intelligence gaps are identified; actively seek to fill gaps through conducting research and tasking collection following the relevant guidance, processes and legislation. Engage with efforts to innovate data exploitation and development of relevant methodologies, supporting LaBSS’ leading role in their practical application by MOD and OGDs.
• Organise information systematically in accordance with best practice and relevant IKM policies on all IT systems. Maintain robust audit trails for intelligence product.
• Critically evaluate information and intelligence. Apply a range of critical and creative approaches and techniques to process information and answer customer intelligence requirements. Maintain and develop analytic skills. Promote good socio-cultural and all-source tradecraft and give and accept constructive challenge.
• Participate fully in relevant national and international intelligence community collaboration processes and activities. Become involved in cross-community behavioural science projects, share expertise and gain insights from across the behavioural science community.

Person specification

Essential qualifications:

A minimum of a BSc/BA degree in a social or behavioural science subject, such as social or political psychology, anthropology, sociology, human geography, political science, or a closely related discipline at 2:1 or higher.

Desirable:  

• Intelligence analysis experience. 
• Skills in qualitative analysis. 
• Qualification in intelligence analytical methods. 
• An understanding of international relations and global politics. 
• Previous experience working in or on other cultures and environments, especially Russia, Eurasia or China / East Asia. 

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, Experience and Technical skills.

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 and skills you can bring to this role, in no more than 500 words.

At Sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace

At Interview, you will be assessed against the following Success Profiles Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing

At both sift and interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Technical Skills in Professional Head Intelligence Analysis:

• Analysis, Tradecraft, and Assessment (Foundation)
• Cooperation, Co-ordination and Challenge (Foundation)

Technical Skills: Professional Development Framework for all-source intelligence assessment (HTML) - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)

If there are a high number of applications, the sift will be conducted on your CV, Personal Statement and the Behaviour- Delivering at Pace, and the Technical Skill: PHIA Analysis, Tradecraft, and Assessment (Foundation).

Candidates who are invited to interview will also be required to give a five-minute verbal brief to test the Behaviour- Communicating and Influencing. The topic for the presentation will be communicated to candidates after the sift has taken place.

Sift is expected to occur within two weeks of the closing date.  The interview will take place within two weeks of the sift decision. Both timescales are subject to change, correspondence will be sent via your CSJobs portal.

Scores will be given at the sift and interview stages, with written feedback only being provided if you attend an interview.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. Any appointment will be provisional until this is complete.  

Before you apply

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. Our vetting process is thorough and therefore can take months to complete. This vacancy is open to UK nationals only and the level of security needed is Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV).  Successful candidates will need to also pass STRAP clearance before they can start the role.

Successful candidates who do not hold the necessary clearances will be made provisional job offers and asked to undergo all our vetting procedures. Once the relevant clearances have been acquired a formal job offer will be made and start dates can be discussed. Should candidates fail to acquire the relevant clearances the provisional job offer will be rescinded. Candidates with DV would be able to start in role while undergoing eDV, but they must also pass STRAP clearance to become permanent staff.

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.