About the job

Job summary

This is a fantastic opportunity for a talented individual to learn and develop a broad range of skills that will stand them in good stead for a whole range of career pathways within the Civil Service, from Intelligence Leadership to Operations Management strategy roles.

Job description

The Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) primarily supports the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), the National Security Council (NSC), the Prime Minister and other key decision-makers by providing authoritative, robust all-source intelligence assessment on a vast range of national security matters.

The Capability Team's remit covers IT and technology, HR, finance, commercial, security and STRAP, intelligence policy, crisis management and estates functions for the JIO. There are two Business Operations Managers within the team working to the Head of Business Operations to ensure all these functions are delivered to a high level of efficiency and expertise, as well as driving projects on future innovations and capabilities that will help the JIO carry out its mission better going forward.

You'll work at the heart of the UK's national security community, regularly engaging with colleagues and senior leaders from across the Cabinet Office, UK Intelligence community and key 'Five Eyes' allied partners overseas. 

You will be exposed to an intelligence environment working at the highest possible classifications within HMG, requiring you to help ensure the security of JIO staff and intelligence, enable delivery of the tools and services we need to get the job done, whilst also being on the front foot to help manage JIO's response to crisis events.

Your organisational skills will help you manage how the JIO operates on a daily basis. Your ability to manage multiple priorities effectively when under pressure enables you to respond to unpredictable requirements when they arise without losing focus and progression against longer-term goals. And your management skills will help you get the best out of your team, playing to their strengths and helping them develop weaker areas, whilst being a role model that echoes the behaviours and culture throughout the JIO.

You may be expected to work additional or extended hours with little notice during a crisis or critical incident, although this will be managed in line with your regular working hours and alongside others in the JIO drafted in to support those events.

You can read more about working for the JIO in the information pack attached at the bottom of this advert.

Role and Responsibilities:

The main duties of the Business Operations Managers are listed below. The appointed Candidate may take on a range of responsibilities from the portfolio below

Security: You’ll work with the Cabinet Office Security and STRAP teams to ensure the security provisions for existing and new JIO staff is delivered and maintained appropriately. This will involve some service provision to ensure our protocols and procedures are fit for purpose in handling the most secret intelligence available. You’ll also help ensure the physical security of our working environment meets the needs of both the security accreditors and the JIO as a whole.

Finance and Commercial: You'll assist in the management of the JIO's finances, helping oversee our multi-million pound budget and related processes such as forecasting and invoicing/processing. You'll also help run our commercial oversight, assisting your team and wider JIO colleagues in procurement activities, contract management and ensuring sensitive procurement chains are adequately protected.

HR and People Functions: The Capability team manages most of the JIO's people processes locally (a somewhat unique situation in the Cabinet Office), to help protect our officers and the sensitive work they do. You'll oversee a team responsible for recruitment, on and off boarding and all aspects of people casework, engaging with CO central HR colleagues where necessary.

Business Continuity/Crisis Management: Alongside the Head of Capability, you will be responsible for ensuring the JIO’s business continuity and crisis response protocols and facilities are available for use and fit for purpose. During a crisis event, you’ll help coordinate how the JIO responds and ensuring key personnel are able to conduct assessment work with the right accesses and facilities (such as attendance at COBR, offsite facilities) outside of usual working hours.

Estates and other Capabilities: The Capability team are also responsible for managing the working environment for the needs of the business, helping to shape and develop it as the JIO grows in size and adapts to changes in the National Security community as a whole. You’ll also get involved in any other capabilities that affect the JIO, from communicating with international partners and making best use of intelligence supplied to us, to reviewing our capability partnerships in other parts of the intelligence community and wider government.

Person specification

Skills and Experience Required
Whilst we very much welcome candidates with experience and interest in the Capability responsibilities (such as Financial Management, HR processes, Commercial, Crisis Management etc.) we do not expect the successful candidate to be versed in them all on appointment; we'll upskill and support you if you are new to these areas. However, we are looking for candidates who have a passion for learning areas such as these that they may not be familiar with.

It is critical that the successful candidate has a high degree of IT literacy and familiarity with tech in general, as the vast majority of the Capability functions involve engaging with a variety of different platforms and systems, as well as being an initial line of IT support for JIO colleagues before referring to the right technical analysts elsewhere for more detailed support. We would expect you to be confident and relatively fluent in MS Windows environments (inc, MS office or similar tools).

Essential criteria

• Significant relevant experience working in a business operations support role.
• Experience of managing and motivating a team and reviewing performance of individuals.
• You will be highly IT literate and have good knowledge of the Google suite including Basic Google Sheets skills or MS Office 365. 
• You must be able to prioritise, delegate, meet targets on different workstreams and push back where necessary.
• Excellent written skills including verbal communications and correspondence.
• The successful candidate must be able to attain DV clearance (if not already held) and must be a UK national 

Desirable criteria

• Experience of high classification IT systems is very much welcomed, but not mandatory - we will upskill you accordingly if you are new to those systems.

We invest in up skilling our team members to enable them to thrive once they start working with us. As such, if you don’t quite match these desirable skills, don’t let it put you off applying as we will equip the successful candidate with them once you are in post.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £44,500, Cabinet Office contributes £12,015 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a name blank CV, 250 word Behavioural Statements and 500 word Personal Statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your Personal Statement must outline your experience relevant to the role, including where you can demonstrate meeting the criteria listed for this position (500 words).

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

High-Side Evidence

Community colleagues wishing to submit evidence holding a higher classification are permitted to do so, although are requested to get in touch with the Recruitment Team on R28918 where they will be provided with appropriate instructions for doing so. The recruitment team must ensure that any supporting evidence submitted on alternative systems are redacted to remain compliant with name blind recruitment principles. Applications submitted directly to recruiting managers will not be considered.

Selection Process

Candidates successful at the application stage will be invited to a formal interview focused on the behaviours listed on the vacancy advert, this could either be face to face/online video interview. Further details will be shared to candidates if invited to proceed to this stage.

Sift and interview dates as well as the interview location to be confirmed.

This post is only open to British Citizens. Some dual nationals may be ineligible. The successful candidate must obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance if not already held. As they will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process.  Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process, or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment.  Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.

Further Information

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

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

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

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

Any move to Cabinet 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

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 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.

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.

Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 cabinetofficerecruitment.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.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

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.