About the job

Job summary

An exciting opportunity to join the Defence Intelligence (DI) Counter Proliferation (CP) Chemical Weapons (CW) team as an all-source intelligence analyst has become available. The DI CP-CW team assesses information related to chemical weapons and allegations of use from a range of sources. The assessments we produce have real impact and provide policy and decision-makers in a broad range of government departments and agencies with insight, foresight, and decision advantage. Our analysis informs customers across the Ministry of Defence (MOD), the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office, and the Cabinet Office Assessment Staff, among others.

DI is a world-class organisation that supports policy and decision-making at the heart of the MOD and the national security community. DI is the MOD’s central provider of strategic level intelligence. 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 finance 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 opportunities employer we hire, train and promote people based on merit and inspire 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.

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

The role will involve working in a busy and well-respected team producing robust, high-quality forward-looking assessments on adversaries’ chemical weapons capabilities to support and inform decision-making within Defence and across wider government. This will involve assessing information related to chemical weapons and allegations of use from a range of sources, including open, technical, and classified, working in close collaboration with the DI CP Biological Weapons (BW) team, as well as partners across DI, government and internationally.

Through this role you will provide important advice across the Arms Control and Counter Proliferation communities, working closely with decision-makers across a range of government departments.

Even if you don’t think you’ve got 100% of what we’re after, still give it a go. There will be training available plus a supportive environment for the right candidate who is willing to invest their time and energy into developing themselves for this role.

 Responsibilities                                                                                                                                       

This is a highly varied, reserved role and the post holder will:

• Lead on producing all source assessment of chemical weapons capabilities of hostile actors and allegations of chemical weapons use, in accordance with the Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment analytic standards and Defence Intelligence guidance.
• Develop subject matter expertise, acting as an expert across the DI CP community, using all resources available to you and keeping abreast of all source information on specific geographic and technical areas.
• Fuse information across the chemical and biological teams, developing collaborative workspaces, both within DI and across the wider counter proliferation community.
• Build and maintain positive working relationships with customers and stakeholders, ensuring intelligence output is aligned to their requirements, decision-making processes and timelines.
• Communicate assessments, including briefing to customers such as ministers, senior civil servants, and military decision-makers, routinely and in a timely manner.
• Form effective networks across the UK and international intelligence community and use these networks to support collaborative activities and processes.
• Work closely with international partners with potential opportunities to contribute to and participate in overseas meetings.

Person specification

Who are we looking for?

The successful candidates must have a STEM degree (or equivalent relevant experience) providing technical and/or analytical skills. However, subject specific knowledge can be developed within role.

The successful candidate should have the ability to demonstrate:

• Experience in gathering, organising and evaluating information, complex datasets and/or intelligence.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, enabling the post holder to succinctly convey complex information to a wide and varied audience.
• Strong organisational skills.
• Strong IT skills, including Word, PowerPoint, and Excel.
• Aptitude to prioritise, work under pressure and to meet strict deadlines.
• Ability to work collaboratively with others.

The following are desirable but not essential and can be developed within role:

• Knowledge and/or experience of chemical and/or biological weapons issues (and/or related capabilities, policies, and treaties).
• Experience or awareness of the UK intelligence community and the role it plays in national security.

Qualifications

• A STEM degree (or equivalent relevant experience) providing technical and/or analytical skills.

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, and will assess your Behaviours, Technical skills, and Experience.

To apply, please provide evidence against the following aspects of Success Profiles:

Behaviours: We will assess you against the following behaviours during the selection process:

At the sift stage:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions

At the interview stage:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Technical: You will also be assessed against the following technical skills from the PHIA Professional Development Framework for Intelligence Assessment during the selection process, at the interview stage:

• PHIA - Informing Decision-Making (PHIA - Proficient)

Experience: We will assess your experience during the selection process. Candidates will be required to complete an online CV template to include job history, full details of education and qualifications and previous experience and skills. We are looking for evidence of skills, knowledge, and experience relevant to the job.

We would also like a personal statement (500 words) explaining your interest in the role and the experience you have that is relevant to the role and person specification.

In the event of a large number of applicants, the evidence against the Making Effective Decisions behaviour, experience and statement of suitability will be used to sift applications. Feedback will only be provided if the candidate attends an interview or assessment.

We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process.

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. This vacancy is open to UK nationals only and the level of security needed is Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV). A further internal clearance will also be undertaken. Successful candidates who do not hold the necessary clearances will be made provisional job offers and asked to undergo 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 should note this process can take several months. Candidates with DV would need to pass the further internal vetting process, but once passed you would be able to start within DI, while undergoing eDV, but you must pass eDV to become permanent staff.

See our vetting charter.

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

 Contact point for applicants

Job contact:

• Email: ukstratcom-di-cp-recruitment@mod.gov.uk

  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.