About the job

Job summary

The Homeland Security Group (HSG) unites capabilities and expertise to deliver better outcomes from the UK’s response to the most serious domestic threats – Terrorism, Cyber, State Threats and Economic Crime.

The group will strengthen coordination and collective focus across a range of growing and overlapping threats, whilst remaining consistent with existing strategies. Working with partners, HSG will foster more transparent and sustainable collaboration between national security, law enforcement and other relevant communities to enhance capabilities and leverage our response to threats.

As a part of the Home Office, the role of the Homeland Security Group is to:

• Support the Home Secretary to develop and implement strategies to keep our people and interests safe and secure
• Build HMG capabilities to reduce national security risk
• Reduce volume of, and harm from, economic crime, particularly for the most vulnerable
• Work in partnership with public and private sectors in the UK and overseas to deliver better outcomes
• Ensure legitimate economic growth and prosperity

The Protect, Prepare, CBRNE, Science and Technology (PPCS) Directorate works to mitigate primarily terrorist risks under the Protect and Prepare pillars of the UK’s Counter-Terrorism strategy, CONTEST.

PPCS is a fantastic place to work. Our workforce is increasingly representative, and the nature of our mission necessitates collaborative approaches; our culture is inclusive by default. Given the subject matter for our delivery, and the huge range of equities at play in achieving our mission, there is strong political interest in what we do. We work closely with Private Offices to give up-to-the-minute policy advice and reporting on delivery that is crucial to the government’s mandate. 

Our Programme Management Office (PMO) sits at the centre of PPCS providing support to the units within PPCS which include the Justice, Security and Resilience Centre, Borders and Aviation Security Unit and CBRNE Teams. It also includes the Radiological and Nuclear Security Portfolio which is among the Government’s Major Projects.

Job description

As a Project Manager within the PMO, you will provide expert advice and support to the projects and programmes underway as well as a range of programmatic tasks related to PPCS strategic reporting and delivery. Duties will include, but are not limited to:

• Business Case Development: supporting teams developing business cases with advice on which format to use and when, and helping manage the development process.
• Project governance: advice and support to teams standing up projects on the kind of governance approaches they need to take, especially in relation to stakeholders, reporting and financial control.
• RAID (Risks, Assumptions, Issues, and Dependencies) approaches: supporting teams to establish good practices on RAID management.
• Scheduling, resource and dependency management: providing advice and support to teams with the scheduling and dependency management of their projects.

The post holder will develop uptake of the GOST (Gov. Online Skills Tool) in PPCS, to help teams and individuals achieve accreditation as project professionals under the Home Office’s programme of transformation.

The position will also develop the Counter Terrorism (CT) Alliance Fund. Work is needed to create the proper governance and processes for the fund, to advise bidders and to develop HSG’s posture and usage of the fund; moving towards a portfolio model.

The PPCS PMO lead on risk-reporting for the Directorate. You can expect to be involved in this work, which includes supporting reporting activity and helping HSG Strategy establish appropriate protocols. PPCS own several products; product management including leading projects to support products may also be a feature of the role.

Given the nature and objectives for the role, the candidate is expected to have prior experience of managing projects, product management or working in a PMO as well as professional project management qualifications. Evidence of the latter will be required in advance from all applicants selected for interview. Please refer to the essential criteria listed below.

This is an excellent job in which to develop your programmatic skills with opportunities to work with partners both internal and external on some major, cutting-edge projects. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to complete a minimum of five days Continuous Professional Development per calendar year. This can include professional qualifications, subject to business need and budget. PPCS supports project managers to work towards their accreditation using the GOST.

As a Project Manager, there will be occasional travel required across stakeholder sites within the UK. The associated costs related to this will be covered by the business area.

This role is only available on a Full-Time basis. Due to the nature of the role and business requirements, we are unable to consider Compressed Hours, Part-Time or Job-share as working options.

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). 

Person specification

We are looking for a candidate who works collaboratively and who thrives when delivering in uncertain conditions. 

You should be highly motivated by your work; goal focused and driven to deliver by a sense of mission. We need people who can quickly understand the strategic context for our delivery, how you, and the teams you support, contribute towards the strategy and will self-identify ways to add value. 

Success in these roles will be easier for applicants who are innovative; able to tailor their programmatic knowledge and skills to the context and needs for the teams we support.

Essential Criteria

You will have a demonstrable passion for project management with the following skills:

• Evidence of your experience working in projects, programmes, or product management.
• Professional qualifications in methodical delivery, examples of which are listed within the qualifications section further within the advert.

We will consider applications from candidates who hold other professional qualifications in software development, product management, business, and delivery disciplines.

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, you will be asked to complete:

• A CV (job history / qualifications / skills)
• Statement of Suitability (Personal statement) (500 words maximum)
• Evidence of the lead behaviour 'Changing and Improving' (250 words maximum)

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

The Statement of Suitability must be aligned to demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria as outlined in the person specification and cover some of your key experience which showcases this.

The sift will be based on the Statement of Suitability and the Behaviour listed above. Your CV will not be scored but will be used to provide context on your Personal Statement, and support conversations at Interview. 

In an event where a high volume of applications are received, an initial sift will take place using the lead Behaviour 'Changing & Improving'. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be either progressed to a full sift or straight to interview.

Successful candidates shortlisted for interview will be tested on a blended approach of Strength-based questions (no preparation necessary) and Behaviour-based questions on all the Behaviours listed in the advert.

In addition, you will be asked to prepare a presentation that will be delivered at interview. The presentation will be tested against 'Experience' on the 'Success Profiles' and will be assessed against the 'Essential Criteria' as listed in the job advertisement. The presentation question/scenario will be disclosed closer to the interviews.

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 and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Sift and Interview Dates

The sift will take place week commencing 8th April 2024.

Interviews will take place week commencing 22nd April 2024.

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change. You will be provided with sufficient notice of the confirmed dates.

Interviews will take place remotely via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:

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

It is advisable to access your interview from a windows operating system laptop, desktop, phone or tablet as there is no guarantee that Microsoft Teams will work without issue on an Apple laptop, tablet or desktop.

PLEASE NOTE: Due to time constraints we may not be able to offer alternative interview date(s). It is therefore expected that candidates who are successful at sift stage will make themselves available during the above time frame given.

Further details and instructions will be provided closer to the scheduled interview.

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.

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

A reserve list of successful candidates may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made in merit order.

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.

Please note: Developed Vetting (DV) clearance or a willingness to undergo DV clearance is an essential requirement for this role. The successful candidate will be permitted to start with Security Check (SC) clearance whilst they undergo the DV clearance processes.

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

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.