About the job

Job summary

Who are we

The Investigatory Powers Act 2016 established the office of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) and provides for the appointment of Judicial Commissioners (JCs) to approve and oversee the use of investigatory powers by public authorities.

The current IPC is Sir Brian Leveson.

The IPC and JCs have the important function of balancing the public interest and the rights of the individual independently of Government, in particular reviewing whether public authorities’ interference with those rights is justifiable.

The IPC and JCs are supported by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO), an independent arm’s length body of the Home Office that provides oversight and authorisation of the use of investigatory powers by intelligence agencies, police forces and other public authorities. IPCO oversight function is based in London and is made up of around 50 civil servants headed by a chief executive, supported by a full secretariat including legal and communications functions, technical experts and inspectors.

The IPC has also been responsible for the work of the Office of Data Communications Authorisations (OCDA). OCDA considers applications for the acquisition of communications data from law enforcement and public authorities. The team, which comprises around 110 members of staff, is located across two offices in Birmingham and Manchester.

On 1st March 2024, the organisations officially merged and now operate under the name of IPCO. This is an exciting time to join the IPCO Authorisations Team, a team that is growing and making the most effective use of the skills and experience we have across the new merged organisation.

IPCO is committed to creating an increasingly diverse and inclusive workplace. Our people are our greatest asset and so we aim to foster a safe environment where diversity of thought is welcomed, work-life balance is valued and opportunity for growth is encouraged.

Job description

Reporting to the Head of Authorisations, you will be responsible for ensuring the IPCO’s authorisations teams, primarily based in Birmingham and Manchester, perform to the highest standards of efficiency and compliance, with appropriate management, assurance, and performance arrangements in place.

You will with direct line management responsibility for up a team SEO grade staff and indirect responsibility for up to 70. You will engage with a range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure a consistent, high-quality service.

The Deputy Head of Authorisations will be expected regularly to attend the three offices in Birmingham, London and Manchester and occasional travel for external meetings will also be necessary.

Due to the nature of the role, the position will only be available on a full-time basis.

Important information

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 employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in this role from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Security Level

DV clearance or a willingness to undergo DV clearance is an essential requirement for this role.

Successful candidates will be permitted to start with SC enhanced clearance whilst they undergo the DV clearance processes.

Person specification

Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities will include (but are not limited to):

• Overseeing the authorisations teams, based in Birmingham, London and Manchester, with responsibility for the quality and delivery of the authorisations work.
• Working with the Head of Authorisations on operational priorities, ensuring processes and procedures are monitored and continuously improved as the legislation and caselaw develops.
• Managing the implementation of legislative, policy and strategic changes across the authorisations team.
• Maintaining operational guidance for the authorisations team.
• Developing and maintaining relationships with key organisations involved in the authorisations process, agreeing process changes and improvements as appropriate.
• Representing the Head of Authorisations and the organisation at various events and meetings with key stakeholders
• Using Management Information to monitor the performance of the authorisations team against targets.
• Maintaining a detailed understanding of the authorisation processes.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be a service-focused, strategic senior leader with strong motivational and people skills.  Key requirements include:

• Excellent leadership skills to support a large team across three locations with a challenging daily operational output across complex, sensitive environments.
• The ability to develop the talent of junior staff, spot potential future leaders and sponsor their development.
• The vision to shape strategies and plans to drive and support the organisation’s purpose and long-term direction.
• The ability to understand and interpret a wide range of operational, technical, strategic, legislative and political pressures and influences to inform those strategies.
• The emotional resilience to resolve conflict and reach satisfactory outcomes.
• Strong decision-making skills, taking ownership and having the confidence to justify actions.
• Exceptional written and oral communication skills.
• A flexible but evidence-based approach to problem-solving.
• Experience of championing change and a commitment to continuous improvement in an environment where performance matters.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £57,000, Home Office contributes £15,390 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 and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV detailing job history and skills
• Provide behaviour examples on those listed

Further details around what this will entail are provided on the application form.

Please note that the CV is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

In the event of a large number of applications, an initial sift will assess two behaviours, Managing a Quality Service and Delivering at Pace.

Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift which will assess additional behaviours, Changing and Improving and Working Together. These candidates will receive a sift score for all four behaviours. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have the remaining behaviours marked and will therefore only receive a sift score for Managing a Quality Service and Delivering at Pace.

At interview you will be assessed using behaviour-based questions on all behaviours listed in the job advert. You will also be asked to complete a short presentation. Further details will be provided to those who progress to interview stage. 

Sift and Interview dates

The sift will take place week commencing 8th April 2024

Interviews expected to take place week commencing 15th or 22nd April 2024

Interviews will be in person. Further details on the interview will be shared with candidates who are successful at sift. 

Further Information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (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.