About the job

Job summary

We are seeking an experienced analyst, policy or intelligence professional, to join the JIO Assessments Staff. The successful candidate will lead the Middle East team to produce all-source assessment directly for the Prime Minister, Ministers and senior officials. You will support the development of your team, ensuring timely delivery of impactful assessment and working with the Deputy Director in ensuring that the team’s work is embedded in policy-making on one of the most pressing foreign-policy and national security issues of the day. 

You will be joining a high-performing and highly motivated team. Your leadership will be key in supporting the team to sustainably meet demand; ensure the right balance of efforts across the team’s whole portfolio; and allow each team member space to play full and active roles as part of the wider JIO. Your team is partnered with the Africa, Asia and South America (AAA) teams. Together with the Lead Analyst for AAA, you will support both teams to join-up on areas of mutual interest, as well as engagement with corporate issues.

Job description

About the JIO

The Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) primarily supports the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC) and the National Security Council, 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

If your application is successful you will:

• Lead & manage: You will provide inspirational leadership for your team, communicating purpose and direction with clarity, as well as enthusing your team on their corporate roles within the wider JIO. You will provide effective line management; and guide, coach and develop analysts in your teams.
• Deliver impact: You will ensure the delivery of excellent, impactful JIO assessment at pace. You will take a customer-focused approach to ensuring impact, and communicate JIO’s assessment of often complex issues to senior decision-makers with clarity and credibility.
• Collaborate: You will provide leadership to the UK intelligence and assessment communities in your area, building trusting and collaborative relationships that get the best from everyone. You will develop deep and collaborative working relationships with partners in the Five Eyes and other allies.
• Innovate: You will be proactive in driving improvements to the teams’ assessments through innovation and partnership. You will excite and enthuse analysts, and help set a culture that celebrates and encourages innovation.

You will play a broader leadership role as part of JIO’s G6 cohort, proactively shaping an organisational culture which fully embraces diversity and inclusion and the benefits they bring to our organisation.

Person specification

We are seeking a lead analyst to join the JIO, leading our high performing Middle East team. The successful candidate will have a proven ability to motivate teams and communicate with clarity to seniors.

You will be able to lead a team from the front, providing clarity of direction and support. You will be able to communicate assessments in an effective manner to the most senior customers. You will encourage a culture of mutual support, having each other’s backs, and inclusivity.

Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will

• have highly developed leadership skills, including the ability to build, motivate and develop high performing, diverse teams;
• have a strong track record of delivery, and the ability to prioritise and manage a broad portfolio to deliver high quality outcomes at pace;
• be a strong collaborator, able to build strong, productive relationships with customers and partners inside and outside HMG;
• have a track record in exploring opportunities for innovation, and building a positive, creative culture of continuous improvement;
• be an excellent communicator, confident in engaging at senior levels across and outside the Civil Service;
• have excellent, demonstrable drafting skills, and an ability to translate between deep/technical detail and the strategic implications;
• be able to show evidence of promoting an inclusive culture and supporting staff wellbeing.

Desirable

• Experience of assessments work on Middle East
• Experience of intelligence analysis and/or collection.

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.

Additional information

A minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Although requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £68,790, Cabinet Office contributes £18,573 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a name blank CV and 750 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 (750 words).

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. 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

During the blended interview you will be assessed against your experience, behaviours that are contained in this advert and technical based questions that are relevant to this role. 

We will assess Technical Skills (See PHIA Professional Development Framework, attached) as part of a written test exercise. Candidates successful at interview will be invited to an assessment centre or written test which may be either a full day or half day. 

Further details will be shared to candidates if invited to proceed to this stage.

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Expected sift date – TBC
Expected interview date/s – TBC
Interview location - TBC

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

Further information

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

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

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Reasonable adjustments

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.

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 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.