About the job

Job summary

The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a new shared corporate service, launched in July 2023. It will provide corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).

Our team of just over 300 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field.

Our Inclusive Environment

We are building an inclusive culture to make the Department a brilliant place to work where our people feel valued, have a voice and can be their authentic selves. We value difference and diversity, not only because we believe it is the right thing to do, but because it will help us be more innovative and make better decisions.

We offer first-class flexible working benefits, excellent employee well-being support and a great pension. We are fortunate to have a range of excellent staff networks and are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We will support talented people from all backgrounds to build a career and thrive.

We actively welcome applications from anyone who shares our commitment to inclusion. We will fully support candidates with a disability or long-term condition who require adjustments in our recruitment process.

Find Out More

We regularly run events where you can find out more about the department and tips for the application process. You can sign up for upcoming events here: https://www.tickettailor.com/events/departmentforenergysecurityandnetzero?

You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/

Job description

Are you interested in joining a high-performing team of security professionals? If you are ready to challenge yourself and become a member of a specialist security team, then we have a great opportunity for you!

This role is within the Physical Security team within the department security unit (DSU). Our unit is responsible for all aspects of the physical, information, IT and personnel security, as well as resilience. The DSU sits within the Integrated Corporate Services function (ICS), providing shared services to the two new departments: the Department of Energy Security and Net Zero (DESNZ), and the Department of Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT). The role within the physical team, run by a Grade 6 Security Adviser for Physical and Personnel Security, will be mainly focused on assuring the physical security measures across our national estate.

You will be a part of the Government Security Profession. There are a wide variety of roles, specialisms and career paths for Government Security Professionals who work throughout the Civil Service helping to protect the UK Government and our citizens both at home and overseas.

The team has a positive, welcoming, and inclusive culture, and we are looking for pro-active and engaged team members to join us and help to deliver a high-quality security service to DESNZ and DSIT directorates and partner organisations.

As well as occasionally deputising for the Security Adviser for Physical and Personnel security, your responsibilities will include:

• Managing the security assurance programme across the DESNZ and DSIT national estate. This involves working closely with key stakeholders such as Estates, Government Property Agency (GPA), and Private Landlords to maintain an appropriate level of security for each building. This will require semi-regular travel throughout the estate.
• Monitoring and analysing threats to the physical security of the national estate, then collaborating with landlords and colleagues to ensure effective information sharing and incident response.
• Engaging stakeholders in mitigations where security risks are identified.
• Maintaining programme management documentation for the estate such as risk registers, actions logs, threat assessments and remediation reports. This includes regular meetings with GPA to keep them accurate.
• Leading on cross-team quarterly security meetings for the national estate, including recording agendas, decisions and actions as part of governance documentation.
• Assisting with the on-boarding and off-boarding of national buildings as part of the Machinery of Government changes.
• Working closely with other DSU teams and stakeholders on national estate security projects such as access control changes and secure services.
• Supporting the DSU in providing up-to-date physical security information to the departments and Partner Organisations on a monthly basis.
• Contributing to physical security incident management in the London buildings.
• Performing appropriate secondary duties as the need arises by the management team to maintain cross-functional security resilience and as part of your development.
• Provide Security Duty Office cover for the Department (about 1 week in every 8).
• Be a role model for the security community, modelling Civil Service values to champion and develop the profession across government.

Person specification

Skills and experience

If you are interested in working in a key protective security role as part of a fascinating government department, have a genuine interest in security and improving departmental security culture - we would love to hear from you!

Successful applicants will be able to demonstrate skills and experience of:

• Having flexible, team player attitude, encouraging collaborative team and cross-department working and can work within a small but robust team.
• Building effective relationships, engage and negotiate with key stakeholders and staff at all levels of seniority, ensuring that security risks and actions are adequately promoted and considered.
• Utilising an analytical approach, having a strong eye for detail and the ability to identify areas for improvement and suggest solutions.
• Delivering in a fast-paced environment, with the ability to prioritise by risk to deliver security to standard, acting promptly to meet targets and maintain performance.
• Project or programme management experience.
  

It would also be beneficial if you demonstrate any of the following skills or experience:

• Experience in planning and delivering protective physical security (ideally from working in a central government organisation, large corporation, the armed forces, police or as part of a commercial security company) as well as a desire to keep learning.
• Experience of contractual or service level agreements and acting as an intelligent customer.
  

Security experience and knowledge of physical security would be useful, but not crucial, as we can offer the training you need. If you have not worked in a security role before but have strong project management, organisational and other transferable skills, you should still apply.

Successful candidates must pass disclosure and barring security checks. If successful, you must also hold or be willing and able to obtain security clearance to SC level. You do not need to already hold SC to apply. We will sponsor you through the process but any offer will be conditional until SC is obtained. You must also be willing to undergo DV if requested.

Individuals applying for security clearance should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for the following periods immediately before the clearance is launched:

SC – 5 years
DV – 10 years

If you have spent more than six months resident outside the UK within these time frames then you are still encouraged to apply. Eligibility for security clearances will be assessed on a case by case basis but in some instances, it may not be possible to take forward applications from those who do not meet residency requirements.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,470, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £10,116 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 and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement and behavioural statements. 

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

Please use your personal statement (in no more than 750 words) to outline why you are a good fit for this role.

Candidates will be sifted on behavioural statements, CV, and personal statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement.

Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

The interview will consist of behaviour questions.

Sift and interview dates

Expected Timeline subject to change

Sift dates: w/c 25/03/2024

Interview dates: w/c 01/04/2024

Interview Location: MS Teams.

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

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

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

We fully support adjustments throughout our recruitment process and we encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

We do not have an exhaustive list of adjustments that we support but just some examples include additional time to complete your application form, behaviour questions up to 72 hours prior to interview and having extra time at interview. 

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

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

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

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

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

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero  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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home). 

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign.

DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service and Disclosure Scotland 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. 

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk 

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

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 security check (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

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. 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.