About the job

Job summary

Britain’s emergency services work 24/7 to serve the public in some of the most dangerous and challenging situations. To help them do their job even better the Emergency Services Network (ESN) Programme is creating the next generation mobile communications network, including secure and resilient voice and broadband data services, which will be used by thousands of front-line police officers, paramedics and fire-fighters. There are over 100 Emergency Service organisations and over 300 other user organisations who will implement ESN across England, Scotland and Wales. 

ESN will transform how our blue-light services respond to incidents, offering better mobile coverage, leading to faster response times. ESN will allow emergency service professionals to work together more efficiently and effectively when incidents and accidents occur by sharing data across the new digital network. The new network is dynamic and can take advantage of new technology as it develops, making sure that those doing the vital job of protecting the public and saving lives get the best and most modern communications tools available.

ESN is a pan-government, cross departmental, programme based within the Home Office. The programme has representation from the Emergency Services at both operational and departmental levels and has close working involvement from the suppliers of the ESN technology. This is an exciting programme, delivering cutting edge technology which will directly impact people’s lives.

The Capability Delivery function sits within the Delivery and Deployment Directorate. It is responsible for enabling users to use the new ESN solution through ESN devices (handheld, road vehicle and aircraft) and Control Room readiness. There are three portfolios of work set up to achieve this: ESN Air, Control Rooms and Devices. Capability Delivery also includes responsibility for Quality Assurance and Testing of the technical deliverables of the programme.

Job description

This role is within the ESN Air portfolio. This portfolio oversees development of the network, the Aircraft Communication Systems (ACS) and the associated service provision that together deliver the communications capability required by the emergency services’ airborne operators. 
The Requirements and Acceptance Lead works across the portfolio to ensure requirements are captured, understood and accounted for commercially and that there is sufficient evidence and traceability to those requirements to allow acceptance of the products and the subsequent acceptance of the capability by the end users, thereby allowing all Air users to successfully transition from Airwave to ESN.

This is a challenging and exciting opportunity to work on one of Government’s biggest programmes supporting the essential services provided by our emergency services.

The role will require occasional travel to other locations. Applicable travel and subsistence costs will be met by the Business. Candidates should take this into consideration before submitting their application.

Due to business needs this role is open to Full Time and on Compressed Hours. Applications from job share candidates are welcome, but any job offer is conditional upon a viable job-sharing arrangement being available.

Person specification

The candidate must demonstrate the ability to bring together a disparate set of requirements into a coherent whole and lay the foundations for the eventual test campaigns and final acceptance into service.

Working with central programme teams, the testing function, supplier and our users your responsibilities will include but are not limited to:

• Develop and maintain the systematic methodology for managing Requirements at both user and system level.
• Translate any changes in need into specific requirement amendments and manage associated change requests, negotiating with suppliers and/or users and ensuring that the that the requirements set remains coherent.
• Liaise with the wider-programme requirements team to ensure coherence of the Air requirement with that of the whole system.
• Work with the Integration Lead to develop a system-of-systems approach for the delivery of the required capability, identifying risks associated with system interfaces
• Develop and implement the Acceptance Strategy for ESN Air.
• Ensure appropriate tools, processes and resources are in place to support requirements and acceptance traceability.
• With the Air Test Team, oversee Suppliers’ acceptance testing programmes, and the associated Requirements Acceptance/Traceability Matrices. Work with them to build the linked compliance case for acceptance (acceptance off contract).
• Work closely with the Air Test Team to develop and execute the programme of User Acceptance Testing (UAT). Collate test results and map to requirements to generate the compliance case for user acceptance (acceptance into service). 

Essential Criteria

To be successful, candidates will need to demonstrate capability against the following essential criteria.

• Experience working in technical projects and programmes in a requirement, acceptance and/or testing function.
• Demonstrable experience co-creating clear, unambiguous requirements using requirements management software to capture and manage the user or system need.
• An understanding of aircraft communication systems, mobile networks, aviation operations and the associated regulatory regime.
• In a changing and ambiguous context, able to see the bigger picture, anticipate and respond to change and continuously improve ways of working. 
• Systematic and organised with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Strong interpersonal skills and able to establish credibility and exert influence with key stakeholders and suppliers.

Desirable Criteria

For this role, the below would be beneficial, but are not essential:

• Experience working with emergency services.
  

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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process candidates will be required to submit a CV and Statement of Suitability (of no more than 1000 words).

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

Please not the Statement of Suitability should be aligned to the Essential Criteria as set out in the job advertisement. 

The sift will be held on the Statement of suitability. 

Your CV should consist of your career history, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will not be scored, but instead will be used to provide further context on your personal statement, and support conversations at interview

Successful candidates shortlisted for interview will be tested on a blended approach of Behaviour based questions on all listed behaviours and SFIA Technical Skills - Skills Framework for the Information Age (Version 8).

Sift and Interview dates

The sift will take place from 9th August 2024.

Interviews will take place week commencing 2nd September 2024.

Interviews will take place remotely via video. 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.

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

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

If you are successful in this position and choose to accept the provisional offer for this role, you will be removed from all other Home Office reserve lists at the same grade.

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.

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

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. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). 

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.

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.