About the job

Job summary

The Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) is the UK government’s centre of excellence for maritime security. Its mission is to increase awareness and understanding of maritime security threats and enable cross-government coordination to deliver a whole-system response to mitigate them.

JMSC is a multi-agency, fused military-civil organisation with staff drawn from a host of agencies including Border Force, the Royal Navy, Counter Terrorism Policing, National Crime Agency, HM Revenue and Customs, Home Office Intelligence, the Maritime Management Organisation and HM Coast Guard. It’s responsible for ensuring the UK maintains its understanding of the maritime domain and develops the cross-government coordination frameworks to respond to threats to security, law and order, trade and commerce, and the marine environment.

JMSC offers government departments and agencies a central point of UK maritime expertise and understanding to assist policy and decision making. The JMSC works internationally - with states and with key international organisations - to support information sharing, relationship development and capacity building efforts.

The key elements of JMSC are:

• The National Maritime Information Centre (NMIC), which since 2010 has provided a mechanism for the UK’s civilian and military maritime and law enforcement focused organisations to fuse intelligence, data and capabilities. This maximises operational impact at home and abroad.
• Joint Maritime Security Centre - Operations, which utilises cutting edge technology to provide 24/7 monitoring of UK waters. It can swiftly identify maritime security incidents and enable the effective coordination of the UK’s aerial and at-sea assets to respond – ensuring the safety and security of all those who use our seas.
• The new JMSC Assessment capability, which will produce global strategic maritime security assessments to inform UK government and other stakeholders of threats within or emanating from the maritime domain. This also provides support to the UK sanctions regimes.
• These functions are supported by the JMSC Strategy team, which includes workforce planning, programme management, financial planning and controls, and policy development.

Job description

The Joint Maritime Security Centre (JMSC) Strategy and Policy (Strat Pol) team form the core enabling function within the JMSC, providing critical services to the Operational elements of the organisation. JMSC Strat Pol is formed of three distinct sub teams:

• Policy and Business Resilience (P&BR)
• Security and Data Compliance (S&DC)
• Project Management Office and Finance (PMO&F)

The Deputy STRAPSO is part of the Security and Data Compliance team and will work to the JMSC STRAPSO.  You will be responsible for researching security incidents, managing the JMSC SharePoint and supporting the STRAPSO with the above secret systems access.

Working Pattern

Please Note: Not all work patterns can be supported within this role. You are encouraged to contact the vacancy holder as soon as a provisional offer of employment is made (if not earlier) to explore whether your preferred working pattern can be accommodated. The types of flexible working that may be supported are part-time working and compressed hours.  

Person specification

Responsibilities will include, but will not be limited to: 

• Supporting the JMSC STRAPSO in undertaking the STRAPSO and CRYPTO (cryptology) custodian role for the JMSC, including maintaining the necessary accreditation through training.
• Supporting the JMSC STRAPSO by taking responsibility for the receipt and return of cryptographic material in accordance with the Security Policy Framework and Guidance.
• Undertaking security audit reports and monitoring system use, investigating and reporting any security breaches or abnormal activity to the JMSC STRAPSO.
• Undertaking research of security issues related to specific geographic areas of the world to provide credible security advice to the Head of JMSC, Executive Leadership Team and other staff members.
• Reviewing intelligence received on high-side systems and flagging for the Head of JMSC’s attention as necessary in the JMSC STRAPSO’s absence.
• Encouraging a positive security culture through regular engagement with Home Office and JMSC staff.
• Undertaking and maintaining expertise in the use of JMSC systems.
• Managing the JMSC SharePoint site, ensuring that accesses are regularly reviewed, and information is stored appropriately, at all classifications.
• Undertaking the role of ROSA, a cross Government system for communicating, local information manager, trainer and account manager roles for the JMSC.

Essential criteria

Candidates are expected to demonstrate and/or have experience of the following:

• Sound judgement and decision making, utilising all available information.
• Proven communication skills, particularly with a large range of both operational and strategic, internal, and external, stakeholders.
• Experience of building and managing relationships with key stakeholders at all levels.
• Self-motivated, highly organised, efficient, and able to manage many competing priorities in a calm and appropriate manner.
• Act ethically and with integrity, being able to take difficult decisions when they are needed, always doing the right thing, being impartial and honest.

• Security Clearance

  Please Note: You will be required to obtain DV clearance before starting in the role.

Desirable criteria

• Previous STRAPSO, CRYPTO, and ROSA system accreditation, or a strong willingness to undertake the training.
• An understanding of cross-Government maritime security work.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete: 

• A CV detailing job history/skills
• A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 500 words)
• Provide evidence of the behaviour - Working Together (maximum 250 words)

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job advertisement.

For guidance on how to construct your personal statement, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Statement

For guidance on how to construct your behaviour examples, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links –Behaviours

The sift will be held on the behaviour - Working Together and the statement of suitability (personal statement). 

The CV will not be scored.

The statement of suitability will be scored first for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will progress to a further sift where the lead behaviour (Working Together) will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability will not have their lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of strength-based and behaviour-based questions on the behaviours listed within the advert.

Strengths are the things that you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. To find out more about strength based questions click here

The behaviours and strengths being assessed have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores. Please note that the order in which behaviours are listed in the advert does not necessarily reflect the order of importance.

Sift and Interview dates

Sift is expected to take place week commencing the 5th February 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing the 26th February 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change. 

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Microsoft Teams

Further Information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Note for Candidates

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying of examples/answers from internet sources. If any is detected the application will be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.  

If you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, a contractor or contingent worker you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e. outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.

Are these Reserved Posts for UK Nationals only?

UK nationals who hold dual nationality are able to apply for this reserved post. If a UK passport is not being presented, then candidates will need to provide alternative evidence of UK nationality in line with the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Part Time Working

If you are considering applying for part time hours, please contact HORCCampaignTeamBorderForce@homeoffice.gov.uk to discuss your request as not all working patterns may be accommodated.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

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.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home 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

Additional Security Checks: As well as successfully obtaining UKSV clearance and passing the right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force will also be subject to additional Border Force specific security checks, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine their suitability to work for the organisation.

Please see the Home Office Recruitment Privacy Information Notice (PIN) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruitment-privacy-information-notice for more information on how your details may be shared for the purpose of additional security checks.

Please see the Border Force Privacy Information Notice (PIN) on Border Force privacy information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information on how your details may be shared.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

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.