About the job

Job summary

Homeland Security Group (HSG) is responsible for leading and coordinating the UK’s policy and approach on counter-terrorism as part of the government’s counter-terrorism strategy, CONTEST. HSG supports the Home Secretary and Security Minister in the development, direction, implementation and governance of the UK’s overarching strategies for reducing the threat to the UK and its interests overseas from terrorism.

The Prevent Directorate sits within HSG at the Home Office. The Directorate is responsible for overseeing the delivery of the Prevent Strategy, as part of CONTEST. The Directorate covers policy development, national and international liaison, strategic communications and supports the local delivery of Prevent strategic objectives. Our work involves high Ministerial engagement and public interest.

The Strategy, Programme, Performance & International (SPPI) mission sits at the heart of the Prevent Directorate and seeks to build a more effective Prevent programme; with insight-driven, evidence-based policy and programming that demonstrates impact, learning and value for money. The SPPI team achieve this by coordinating the development and implementation of the Prevent strategy; overseeing delivery of the £50m programme of activity; and leading on performance and evaluation across Prevent. The team works closely with the Prevent Director, Deputy Directors and the Senior Management Team.

Job description

We are recruiting for two exciting new HEO roles within the friendly Strategy, Programme, Performance & International team (SPPI). These are hybrid roles with each covering two teams within SPPI. One role will sit with the Programme and Performance teams. The second role will sit with the Strategy and International teams.

As Programme and Performance HEO, you shall assist in providing monthly assurance on the financial, workforce and operational Directorate position. You shall support Directorate teams to understand and improve their performance and assist in building the Directorate’s performance and insight capability.

As Strategy and International HEO, you shall assist on external strategic exercises such as reviews, inquests and inquiries for Prevent; and ensure coherent delivery of subsequent improvement work across the Directorate. You shall also support the delivery of international work for the Directorate through engagement with key internal and external partners and delivery of key priorities.

Please be aware that the two roles are separate roles but fall under the same wider team of SPPI. Each HEO will have their own line manager and work to separate work streams, however, remain agile and flexible to support the needs of the wider team as required. Candidates are encouraged to state the role they are applying for in the statement of suitability and to contact the hiring manager in advance to discuss their preferred role.

The roles can be based at either 2 Marsham Street in London or Soapworks in Salford. This role requires occasional or more regular access to other restricted IT systems; you may therefore be required to travel to London to get access. In these circumstances, travel, accommodation, and meal allowances would be provided if necessary. Please contact the hiring manager for more details of what this means in practice for this role if you need more information.

Person specification

The HEO Programme and Performance and HEO Strategy and International will be integral to the successful delivery of the SPPI team and Prevent Directorate objectives. These roles will suit candidates with a can-do approach who can maximise the opportunity to work across portfolios in a fast-paced environment, whilst taking autonomy and responsibility to deliver their own work. The successful candidates will work at the centre of high-profile Government policy delivery, in a genuinely supportive environment with excellent professional and peer-led development opportunities.

Both HEOs will hold a meaningful role supporting senior managers in defining and implementing Directorate priorities. Specific portfolios will be agreed with line managers subject to the team’s current priorities. The roles may involve ad-hoc and project-based surge support to the wider team as agreed with your line manager, and with mentoring from experienced colleagues.

Essential criteria

Candidates for both roles must have:

• Strong written and oral communication skills, taking pride and accountability for accuracy and having confidence in delivering high standards of work.
• Excellent organisational skills, proactively managing multiple projects and meeting fast-paced deadlines.
• A high motivation to make a difference, adaptability and a willingness to learn about Prevent’s core mission to stop people from becoming terrorists or supporting terrorism.
• Interest in improving processes and implementing change, including using governance processes and tools.
• Interest in taking a broad strategic view of issues, looking for linkages, opportunities and spotting risks.

Desirable criteria

HEO Programme and Performance

• Ability to interpret and analyse data and proficient in using Excel and spreadsheets.
• Experience/Interested in working in a project management, financial management or performance reporting function.

HEO Strategy and International

Experience of one or more of the following would be beneficial:

• Organising and delivering briefs
• Working with national security 

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.

As part of the application process candidates will be required to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability (of no more than 500 words). In addition candidates will be required to provide evidence of the lead behaviour Working Together.

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

Please note that your statement of suitability should evidence that you meet all of the essential criteria detailed within the job advertisement. 

CVs will not be scored. 

The sift will be on the Statement of Suitability and the behaviour Working Together.

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

Sift and interview dates

The sift will take place week commencing 5th February 2024

Interviews take place week commencing 19th February 2024

Interviews will take place remotely. Further details and instructions will be provided closer to the scheduled interview.

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

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.

The successful candidates will be required to hold or be willing to secure SC clearance.

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 would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

We often have similar roles available at different grades. If a candidate is suitable for a similar role or a lower grade than they have applied for, we may offer the candidate that role without the need for them to go through a further selection process.

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

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 

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 

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 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.