About the job

Job summary

This is a fantastic opportunity for an experienced analyst, policy or intelligence professional, to join the JIO Assessments Staff. The successful candidate will lead the Russia team (responsible for covering Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, Central Asia and the Western Balkans). You will support the development of your team and lead them to produce a range of impactful all-source assessments including strategic reports that will be considered by the JIC, and regular contributions to daily intelligence highlights for the Prime Minister.

You will be joining a high-performing and highly motivated team whose work continues to underpin some of the most important national security and foreign policy decisions of our time. 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 growing Deterrence & Counter-Proliferation teams. Together with the Lead Analyst for Deterrence & Counter-Proliferation, 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

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.

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 Counter-Proliferation and Deterrence 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 write and QA clear, articulate assessments and communicate these 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 Required

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 Russia/Ukraine
• 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.

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.

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. We will be assessed on Behaviours and 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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.