About the job

Job summary

Job title – Modern Identity Specialist

Profession- Engineer

Directorate – Technology

Full Time equivalent - 37.5 hours

No of Roles – 1

Contract Type – Permanent

Location –  Hybrid

UKHSA operates a hybrid working model where business needs allow.  This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata,(averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's locations (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London).  Specialist or regional roles will be based at the appropriate UKHSA site. For certain roles, some additional flexibility may be possible, which will be agreed upon with the hiring manager based on individual requirements and business needs.

Working Pattern – Full Time /Flexible Working / Hybrid Working

Grade & Salary – Grade SEO. National banding- £38,724  - £44,393 Inner London –£42,716- £48,068 Outer London - £40,721- £46,231

This role comes with a Market Pay Supplement of up to £5,000

New entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band.

The internal roles rules apply to existing Civil Servants, i.e. level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest.

This role is to be appointed under Civil Service Terms & Conditions. Full details on the T&C’s are found https://www.ukhsa.reed.com/.

Closing Date – 07/01/2024. 23:55pm. Unfortunately, late applications will not be considered

Interview Date – 22/01/2024 Please note, these dates are subject to change.

Introduction

The Technology Directorate provides business-critical systems and services to UKHSA business users at all locations at which UKHSA staff work. ICT has primary responsibility for technical infrastructure and the corporate services running upon it. ICT has staff at a number of locations throughout UKHSA. 

 

Job Overview

As part of our Identity Management team, as senior member, you will get the opportunity to work on vital projects with a wide range of responsibilities. You will work within specified technical specialties and provide technical expertise in the configuration, implementation and automation of relevant applications. You should expect to be involved in a wide range of challenging engagements, from strategy roll-out, to large scale Modern Identity transformations, to controls review.

 

Daily Operational Duties

 

• Incident and Request management via ITSM suite.
• Management and Monitoring of key UKHSA IAM services:
  • Certificate \ PKI lifecycle
  • Entra ID Privileged Access Management
  • Azure Enterprise Applications onboarding and lifecycle
  • SCIM Provisioning and SSO Alignment.
  • Active Directory Domain services, Identity, DNS, GPO etc.
  • Microsoft Direct Access
  • Microsoft ADFS
  • Microsoft Defender for Identity and Server Endpoints
• Ongoing alignment of services to best practices with Cyber Security

 

Communication and key working relationships

Internal

• Other ICT engineers at all levels
• Colleagues in the Technology Department
• Customers within UKHSA at all levels.
• UKHSA Senior Managers and Executive
• Application managers and developers in other UKHSA directorates

External

• Relevant suppliers of hardware, software and services
• Maintenance organisations
• External customers as appropriate and as directed by line manager.

 

Other

The above is only an outline of the tasks, responsibilities and outcomes required of the role. You will carry out any other duties as may reasonably be required by the directorate.

The job description and person specification may be reviewed on an ongoing basis in accordance with the changing needs of the organisation.

Professional development

You should pursue a programme of continuous professional development in accordance with any relevant professional registration or statutory requirements, while maintaining appropriate awareness of service provider requirements

 

Job description

• Investigate and provide accurate responses to requests for support. For example: making system modifications, developing work-around enhancements, manipulating data, reconfiguring systems, changing operating procedures, training users or operations staff, producing additional documentation, or escalating requests to systems development staff or software suppliers.
• Ensure all work is carried out and documented in accordance with required standards, methods and procedures.
• Ensure documentation is available and securely accessible to relevant parties
• Deliver subject matter expertise in Identity and Access management (IAM), ensuring delivery of business requirements
• Creating IAM solution blueprints and producing high-level designs for technical and process solutions for multiple IAM domains.
• Managing the designs, development, test, launch, and continuous improvement of UKHSA’s identity solutions.
• Developing an understanding of access needs, and platform progress, leading to improvements on UKHSA’s identity and access policies
• In accordance with agreed procedures, monitors application and infrastructure systems by regular scrutiny of reports from the applications software, systems software or service delivery staff. Notes problems and identifies performance trends and statistics. Referring to more senior colleagues where necessary, takes corrective action to improve performance and to avoid problems arising.
• Manage and monitor systems associated to IAM, Privileged Access Management (PAM), Single Sign-On (SSO)/Federation and Multi-factor Authentication (MFA).
• Enforce security policies and support existing systems in accordance with policies, standards, guidelines, and procedures.
• Participate in the evaluation, design, development, and implementation of IAM solutions to enhance information systems security and prevent the unauthorized use, release, modification, or destruction of data.
• Provides an effective interface between users and service providers, including external commercial suppliers where applicable. This interface includes documenting problems, progress checking, and ensuring all diagnostic information is provided for error resolution and incident analysis.
• Contributes to the availability management process and its operation by reporting on service and component availability, reliability, maintainability and serviceability.
• Conducts investigations of operational problems and makes proposals for improvement. Participates in reviews of systems performance, provide advice, and assist service specialists or other system or service providers to plan details of amendments and upgrades to systems.
• Identifies and implements areas of improvement through automation or efficiencies with use of technology.
• Supports and mentors junior team members and assists in their development to provide an excellent level of service to all customers.
• Identifies areas of potential security enhancement whilst maintaining an excellent end user working experience.

Person specification

Essential Experience

• Experience with Microsoft Azure Active Directory (AD), AD Connect, Multi-Factor authentication
• Microsoft AZ-900 certified or sufficient working experience within Microsoft Azure.
• Experience of Azure Active Directory, with a good understanding of authentication principals and multi-cloud identity models.
• Experience in building and maintaining access management systems with non-Microsoft technologies such as FreeIPA, OpenAM, AWS Cognito or other OpenID connect, Oauth or SAML services providers.
• Opportunity to be a key strategic contributor from the ground up
• Design and implement sustainable solutions to be used for authentication, authorization, user life-cycle management, role-based access control, privileged account management (PAM), audit, and monitoring
• Assist project managers in various project execution phases
• Daily systems monitoring
• Incident management. You can diagnose and prioritise incidents, investigate their causes and find resolutions. (Skill level: working)
• Problem management. You can initiate and monitor actions to investigate patterns and trends to resolve problems. You can determine the appropriate remedy and assist with its implementation. You can determine preventative measures. (Skill level: working)
• Service focus. You can take inputs and establish coherent frameworks that work. (Skill level: working)
• Service management framework knowledge. An understanding of level 3 service management framework. (Skill level: awareness)
• Technical specialism. You can use management system software and tools. You can use logical schemata to investigate problems, collect performance statistics and create reports. You can carry out the routine configuration, installation and reconfiguration of database and related products. You can optimise performance and forecast resource needs. (Skill level: working)
• Technical understanding. You can understand the core technical concepts related to the role and apply them with guidance. (Skill level: working)
• Testing. You can review requirements and specifications and define test conditions. You can identify issues and risks associated with work. You can analyse and report test activities and results. (Skill level: working)

 

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,724, UK Health Security Agency contributes £10,455 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, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Strengths

 

Stage 1: Application & Sift
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide a Statement of Suitability in no more than 1000 words. This part of the selection process should outline how you consider your skills, experience and achievements, and provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria outlined.

When completing your statement of suitability, please read and understand the Essential Criteria thoroughly as this is what your written evidence will assessed against.

Please ensure you evidence the key personal requirements and what you have done that relates to these requirements. You don’t have to explain the whole process, just what you have done and the skills and experience you have used. Share with us why you are most suited to this role, what you can do, the skills you have that are transferable to the key requirements, and the life experiences or passion you have that are linked to this role.

You will also be asked to provide information within the ‘Employer/ Activity history’ section of the application form. This is equivalent to the information you would provide on a CV, setting out your career history. This will be used in sifting process and will be scored.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview

 

Stage 2: Panel Interview

All candidates who are successful at the sift stage will be invited to an interview on site at Colindale, where you may be asked to do a presentation on a topic given to you prior to the interview

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Working Together
• Managing a Quality Service
• Making effective decisions
• Communicating & Influencing

 

Reserve List:

Candidates who pass the interview criteria but are not offered a post will be kept on a reserve list for 12 months and may be contacted if similar roles become available.

If you are interviewed for the post and do not meet the required threshold for the specified grade, your application may be assessed against a similar, lower grade role and you may be offered the post should one be available.

 

Benefits

 

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

 

Any move to UKHSA 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.

 

 

Eligibility Criteria

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants)

Nationality requirements

Appointments to roles within UKHSA will be made in accordance with the Civil Service nationality rules. These can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
• Relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
• Certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.

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 welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment.

Security clearance level requirement

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Basic Personnel Security Standard.  People working with government assets must complete Basic Personnel Security Standard checks.

For posts on UKHSA Civil Service terms and conditions, new entrants to the Civil Service are expected to start on the minimum of the pay band. For existing Civil Servants and roles advertised across government, the rules of transfer apply, i.e., level transfers move on current salary or the pay range minimum, transfers on promotion move to new pay range minimum or receive a 10% increase. Either case is determined by whichever is the highest. 

Complaint process:

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints1@ukhsa.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website.

Contact Details – Sophie.Rigney@reed.com

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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.