About the job

Job summary

The Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) is offering an outstanding opportunity to work on high profile national security issues in support of the Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee - a Permanent Secretary - and the senior JIO team.

This is a unique experience to the heart of the UK’s intelligence assessment and national security communities and requires candidates who are highly organised, proactive, engaging and comfortable working to a high standard under pressure, both independently and as part of a team.

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

Job description

About the JIO

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 and foreign policy priorities. 

Our work covers, and goes beyond, ‘traditional’ national security topics such as geopolitical issues and threats to British interests. We apply a national security lens to issues such as emerging technology, economic and health security, climate change and horizon scanning (for example, identifying and monitoring countries at risk of instability). 

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

The Role

The candidate(s) will fulfil a critical role within the JIO Private Office, supporting the JIC Chair, Directors and their Private Secretaries, and working across the organisation to ensure that it delivers effectively and efficiently. The Private Office provides direct support to: 

• The JIC Chair, a Permanent Secretary, who is also Head of the Joint Intelligence Organisation and the Prime Minister’s adviser on substantive intelligence matters; 
• The Directors of the Assessments Staff, who are responsible for overseeing the production of all source assessment in support of the Prime Minister and NSC; 
• The Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment/Director of Capability, who is responsible for professionalising the wider UK intelligence assessment community of thousands of intelligence analysts across multiple departments, and building Capability within JIO.

The nature of the role means it must be based in 70 Whitehall, London and is predominantly office-based. This role will require additional hours and flexible working during busy periods for which the relevant allowances are payable.

There may be more than one role available, and we may hold a reserve list for future vacancies.

Responsibilities

If your application is successful, you can expect to be involved in: 

• Managing the day to day business of the JIC Chair or Director, to ensure their time is spent most effectively, including managing their diary and day pack; 
• Support the Private Secretary;
• Building and utilising excellent relationships across Private Offices and teams across HMG, the UK Intelligence Community and international partners; 
• A ‘can-do’, proactive attitude is the most important asset we are looking for in a candidate.

If you have a desire to learn, then we will invest in you to develop your skills and expertise.

Person specification

Skills and Experience Required 

The successful candidate should have: 

• Proven experience of being adaptable and enjoying working in a fast-paced, stimulating environment;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to work accurately;
• The ability to effectively manage competing priorities and find solutions to problems under pressure;
• The drive to be an excellent team player who is willing to flexibly work across a wide portfolio.

Desirable Skills 

• Experience in the Private Office of a senior official or minister
• Experience of working in national security, foreign policy or related fields
• Experience of intelligence or all-source assessment
• Experience of, or an interest in, intelligence, foreign policy and national security issues;
• Experience of organisational and stakeholder management at a senior level;

We invest in upskilling 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. The application process will seek to gauge potential just as much as current performance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,000, Cabinet Office contributes £8,640 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 words Behaviour Statements and 500 words 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 undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview. 

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

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. 

Further Information

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. 

Please note that this role requires DV clearance, which would normally need 10 years’ UK residency in the past 10 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible. 

This role requires candidates to undergo STRAP clearance, which is an additional layer of clearance for some sensitive roles in addition to DV. STRAP clearance will be applied for once the candidate has obtained DV clearance in pre-employment checks and both must be confirmed before the successful candidate can start in the role. 

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.