For jobs located in Wales, the ability to speak Welsh is desirable.

From the design and development of policies to the delivery of services supporting work, welfare, pensions and child maintenance, DWP is the Government’s largest department.

People are at the very heart of what we do. We ensure disabled people can live more independent lives; help tackle poverty and homelessness; provide a financial foundation for a secure old age; and support families ensuring children can fulfil their potential.

DWP has the largest commercial estate in government and our team is committed to being smaller, greener and better – helping people to work, grow and thrive. Our estate provides accommodation for colleagues who support millions of daily customer interactions in Jobcentres and Health Assessment centres, back of house offices delivering frontline services and hub sites housing expert functions such as Policy, Finance, Digital and HR.

The DWP Estates function ensures the smooth and efficient operation of this network on a day-to-day basis. We manage a private sector supply chain that delivers essential services such as security guarding, maintenance, property and leasehold, construction, cleaning and facilities management. Many of these services are business critical and we cannot safely open our offices without them. 

Our ambitions are to:

• Transition to a smaller, more affordable, and adaptable estate
• Invest in improving DWP’s buildings and infrastructure, conducted mainly through an extensive programme of planned replacement works 
• Meet our agreed Government Greening Commitments - creating a culture where sustainability is embedded
• Expertly deliver cost effective services
• Create a professional working culture that is best in class across the Government Property world.

There is no better time to join us as we transform our estate and make our buildings fit for the future.

The Head of Building Security has a significant role in managing the Security services to our estate on a day to day basis.  As a senior security professional, you will lead on security services provided through DWP supply chain, internal DWP security teams providing strategic direction for the stakeholders to ensure best practice and innovation. You will lead a team of security professionals, working with estates and external contractors to deliver a One Team approach delivering requirements across the estate providing a safe and secure environment for, visitors and colleagues. 

Government Property Profession Career Framework (Link)

This role sits within the following:

• Job Family – Workplace & FM
• Core Role – Workplace Management
• Level – Senior Practitioner

 Key accountabilities

• Assuring compliance with legislative requirements across delivery of security services across the estate
• Lead on high risk/complex delivery of Business as Usual Security Projects
• Collaborating with Heads of Functions to ensure that strategic business priorities are included in the Building Security Teams strategic planning
• Other Government Department senior level engagement across security and safety initiatives
• Lead engagement with key internal and external stakeholders, influencing outcomes positively
• Providing professional security leadership with DWP Stakeholders and Supply Chain Leads
• Senior Level engagement and specialist security Subject Matter Experts expertise for DWP across DWP estate
• Provide security advice and recommendations to senior leaders on strategic delivery issues
• Championing an estate that meets diverse and changing needs
• Building the security ‘brand’ across the organisation focussing on inclusiveness
• Be a leader, challenging current practices to create a collaborative culture and multidisciplinary working across the organisation
• Providing security leadership to the Estates directorate and wider organisation to deliver the Estates Strategy of Smaller, Better and Greener
• Leading the delivery of high priority work based on the Building Security Operating Model
• Ownership and commitment to leading an inclusive team to deliver a quality service
• Delivering a strategy to capture the requirements of Protect Duty
• Leading the Business Development security provision across the estate
• Strategic planning with electronic security systems to ensure the estate is ‘futureproofed’ against aged and obsolete systems
• Leading the next generation of security provision across the Estate which includes Security Guarding service and a Security Control Centre that will deliver data and insight across the Estate
• Understanding of the security complexities involved through changes in security contracts, resolving complex issues through to resolution

Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience

• Proven Influential leader, able to lead key senior operational stakeholders towards security solutions while delivering on business and portfolio strategy.
• Experience of high level collaboration with key stakeholders in problem solving, managing and escalating issues.
• Excellent written and oral communication.
• Experienced report and Business case writer
• Demonstrable skills in forming and leading a specialist security function, creating a supportive, resilient and high performing team culture
• Expert knowledge of security systems and there use across a large, diverse and geographically spread portfolio
• Expert knowledge of Security Guarding, risk assessment interpretation and deployment
• Demonstrable experience of senior level Commercial and Financial acumen, providing assurance in maximising service, value for money and identifying savings initiatives within a large complex environment.

Qualifications/professional memberships

Desirable

• Security Institute (Member)

STAGE 1 - Application & Sift

As part of the application process you will be asked to provide a Personal Statement of no more than 1000 words against the essential criteria as outlined above. You will also be asked to provide a short CV. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your CV should be fairly short and just evidence very brief details of your work history and experience.

Please do not submit a speculative application where you do not meet at least 50% of the essential criteria as these applications will be unsuccessful. Do not include Behaviour examples within your application as these will not be assessed in the sift and will only be used at interview stage.

There will be an initial sift of applications based on the Personal Statement only, so please ensure you evidence how you meet the Essential Skills, Knowledge & Experience requirement contained in the vacancy in this section. This will form a short list for interview.

STAGE 2 - Interview

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will undertake a single virtual video interview.

The interview will follow a blended approach which will help us assess candidates Behaviours and Strengths.

Currently the sift is scheduled to take place w/c 5 February 2024 and interview dates will be w/c 19 February 2024. Interviews are scheduled to take place virtually and dates are subject to change.

Presentation

If invited to interview you will be required to do a  presentation at the start of your interview. Details of the presentation and what is required will be supplied as part of the invite to interview.

Further Information

Find out more about Working for DWP

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to DWP 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

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out. 

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service or Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

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. 

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Applications will be screened and if evidence of plagiarism or copying examples/answers from other sources is found, your application will be withdrawn. Internal DWP candidates may also face disciplinary action.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.

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

Reasonable Adjustment

At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

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

Contact Government Recruitment Service via DWPrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” 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.