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.

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 inspire to create an inclusive workplace free of discrimination. We believe our success depends on our people – our Whole Force – regular and reservist military, Civil Servants and contractors, all working as one, working together seamlessly to deliver for Defence. We also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexi-time, and compressed hours.

All job adverts in DI are subject to fair and open competition. This position is advertised at 37 hours per week and based in either MOD Main Building or at RAF Wyton.

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

The Defence Intelligence Policy & Secretariat team is responsible for acting on behalf of the Chief of Defence Intelligence (as the Warrant Requesting Agency) and the Secretary of State for Defence (as the Warrant Granting Department), for all activity that takes place under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 across MOD.

This role is therefore responsible for the drafting and submission of IPA Warrants which go directly to the Secretary of State and then onwards to a Judicial Commissioners to enable MOD to lawfully conduct activities under the Act.

The successful candidate will also deliver the IPA Services & Oversight (front door) for all MOD users of IPA Warrants. This involves running the flow of notifications from across MOD, scrutinising them to ensure they are accurately completed before submitting for Senior approval. This role is subsequently responsible for oversight and assurance of all MOD IPA-related activity, including liaison with the Investigatory Powers Commissioners Office.  

Manage the MODs Bulk Personal Dataset process including provision of advice to MOD customers relating to BPD policy.

The opportunity to work in a small team means that sometimes you may be required to support wider Policy & Secretariat objectives, including tasks relating to Parliamentary business and the Intelligence and Security Committee. While you would receive sufficient training and guidance on these beforehand, these also offer an invaluable opportunity to obtain a good overview of the entirety of DI and develop across a broad range of behaviours.

Person specification

Candidates should have a flexible approach to their work and be able to adapt to changing priorities and undertake a variety of, often concurrent, tasks, sometimes within challenging timescales.

Good interpersonal skills, both written and oral, are critical due to the need for the post holder to draft documents supporting casework and letters to the public; and represent DI at meetings.

Given the engagement required across a range of stakeholders across DI, MOD and cross-Government, an ability to work collaboratively and develop working relationships is also required.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £43,080, Ministry of Defence contributes £11,631 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.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles) and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Policy Profession Technical Skills

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.

At sift candidates will be assessed against:

• Seeing The Bigger Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating & Influencing
• CV - to include: job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.
• A 500-word statement on suitability against essential and desirable skills
• Technical Skill- Level 1: Developing - Policy Profession Standards 2.2. Parliament and Law.  Policy Profession Standards (publishing.service.gov.uk)

At interview candidates will be assessed against:

• Seeing the Bigger Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions

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.