About the job

Job summary

We are looking for experienced all-source analysts or international policy professionals to join the JIO’s Global Issues team (which covers the Middle East, Africa, Asia, and Latin America). Two roles are available: one covering the Indo-Pacific and the other covering Africa & Latin America.

You will be capable of producing high-quality assessment to tight deadlines, with a track record of working closely with senior customers and subject matter experts. This is an exciting opportunity to work at the centre of HMG’s national security machinery, develop your own subject matter expertise and help inform the UK’s response to priority national and international 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

You and your small team will produce all-source strategic assessments that help to inform a range of policy decisions. Working closely with other experts across HMG, JIO’s role is to present a single, agreed view on HMG priority issues, as well as writing intelligence highlights for the Prime Minister. The successful candidate will need to be prepared to work flexibly on other priorities outside the remit of the Indo-Pacific or Africa/Latin America in the Global Issues team and wider JIO as required.

If your application is successful you will:

• Analyse information from a range of sources to produce timely, robust and policy- relevant assessments, supporting your team colleagues to do the same.
• Lead your analytical community across government by authoring a variety of community-tested short and long-form products read by senior customers, including the Prime Minister.
• Develop deep subject-matter expertise, including an understanding of policy requirements.
• Establish strong working relationships with HMG stakeholders and customers and international allies. You will also be encouraged to consult academic, think-tank and private sector analysis.
• With training routinely use structured analytical techniques in your own work, and facilitate multi-agency and international workshops, including ‘challenge’ sessions.
• Contribute to the wider team’s work or to wider JIO work, both to support colleagues and for your own development. You may occasionally be asked to support crisis working or work unsociable hours, often with little or no notice.

Person specification

The successful candidate will have very strong communication skills and experience producing evidence-based analysis or assessment for a senior audience. You should already possess solid research and analysis skills and be experienced at gathering and analysing information from diverse sources. You will have excellent interpersonal skills and be a team player, developing close working relationships with colleagues across Whitehall and international partners.  You will be prepared to innovate and apply data-driven approaches (with support from experts) to develop your assessments.  

Skills and Experience Required

The successful candidate will:

• Be a proactive self-starter, experienced in producing evidence-based assessment for a senior audience. If you have a desire to learn, then we will invest in you to develop your skills and expertise;
• Have experience in gathering and analysing information from diverse sources;
• Be organised, able to work across several different work strands at any given time;
• Be able to lead a community of interest in support of developing robust assessments or conclusions;
• Have excellent interpersonal skills, able to develop and manage close working relationships with colleagues across organisational boundaries, leveraging your network to deliver;
• Have experience of having worked either in an all-source assessment role or national security role;
• Have strong written and oral communication skills. This includes excellent drafting skills and the ability to draw key conclusions from a large volume of (sometimes conflicting) evidence.

 Desirable Skills:

• Experience of assessment work or relevant subject matter expertise on the Indo-Pacific or Africa/Latin America;
• Experience of using structured analytical techniques and methodologies;
• A strong existing network of contacts across government, external organisations or international partners.

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 £58,800, Cabinet Office contributes £15,876 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, 250 word Behavioural Statements 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. The behaviours assessed at application are Making Effective Decisions and Seeing the Big Picture. 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 are 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 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.

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.