About the job

Job summary

The Security Team is an integral aspect of the corporate function, based in the People and Workplace Directorate. We are responsible for the protection of DCMS assets aligning the strategic, advisory and operational aspects of security covering Physical, Personnel, Communication Information Systems (CIS), Investigations, security breaches, risk assessments (UK/Overseas), incident management (including business continuity) and behavioural education and awareness, enabling secure departmental functionality.

Job description

The Security and Vetting Manager (Manchester) is a role at the heart of DCMS corporate function, which provides a dedicated security team presence in our northern HQ. We are looking for a committed and proactive individual to join our team to deliver effective risk assessments, identify and implement improvements, and make balanced decisions around personnel security and physical security issues within DCMS.

They will act as the focal point for all security in the Manchester office and our northern hubs, and the key driver of a physical security programme in Manchester. This will be a reactive role; there is the potential for multiple issues to happen concurrently, where the individual must have the confidence and knowledge in their ability to prioritise, act or advise staff in the first instance, by problem solving and making decisions to address security issues.

Vetting is critical to the smooth running of the department and the role has high levels of exposure to staff across the department, as well as across government. You will be responsible for managing departmental vetting on a day to day basis, as well as vetting for some of our public bodies where required, and engaging frequently with our vetting sponsor and UKSV.

The role will act as the Business Continuity, Incident Management and Security Exercising Lead in the Manchester office, leading engagement with the local building team on upgrades to physical security measures, and leading engagement with the Manchester Office building security team.  They will lead on investigations in Manchester, writing reports for Deputy Security Advisor providing issues, evidence and solutions to any security issues and leading on delivering security messages to Manchester staff with important security updates. 

Person specification

The ideal candidate would have the following key skills and experience:

Essential requirements:

• You will have knowledge and experience in Personnel Security.
• You will require excellent communication and interpersonal skills to build and maintain positive working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, including excellent written skills being able to deliver clear and succinct messaging. 
• You will require the ability to analyse, translate and simplify complex information, whilst working reactively at short notice to rapidly changing priorities and work streams, with strong attention to detail, delivering at pace to ensure work is completed within agreed timescales.  
• The ability to make decisions or provide recommendations for decision making, demonstrating discretion on complex and/or sensitive issues when required.

Desirable skills:

• You will have knowledge and experience of physical security, security incident management and business continuity.
• You will have experience in implementing security policy or education and awareness, with the ability to persuade and encourage behaviour change. 
• You will have knowledge and experience of applying a risk-based approach to decision making.

We are running an information session where prospective applicants can find out more about the role. This will be hosted by Jess Hill, and will take place on:

• Tuesday 6th August at 14:00

The session will be an opportunity to hear more about the role, the team and wider directorate and the department. It will also be an opportunity for you to ask any questions.

Please register your interest by filling out this form https://forms.gle/2U34Qn4guKXpC95Z7 and you will be sent an invitation. 

Please note that the session will not focus on the DCMS recruitment process - please direct any queries that you have on this topic (timelines, reasonable adjustments, onboarding etc) to recruitment.team@dcms.gov.uk

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,095, Department for Culture, Media and Sport contributes £8,935 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, Strengths and Experience.

To apply for this post, please send us the following documents no later than Sunday 11th August at 23:55pm via the CS Jobs portal:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you provide employment history that relates to the essential and desirable criteria, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages and you should insert your CV into the "Job History" section on Civil Service Jobs on the Civil Service Jobs application form.
• A Statement of Suitability (max 750 words) explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the essential requirements highlighted. You may also choose to reference the desirable skills listed.

For the shortlist, we will assess your experience and select applicants demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence provided in your application.

In the event of a large number of applicants, an initial sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability. Those who are successful in the initial sift will then be scored on all elements of the application.

For support in writing your application and interviewing, please refer to the ‘Application and Interview Guidance’ document attached to the job advert.

The interview process will assess behaviours, strengths, and experience.

The behaviours to be tested at interview are:

• Managing a Quality Service 
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

You will not be made aware of the strengths being assessed prior to your interview. 

Full details of this, including the topic, and whether or not you will need to use visual aids, will be sent to you prior to your interview. 

Your interview will take place remotely via GoogleMeets.

For indicative sift and interview dates please refer to the attached Candidate Information Pack.

Further Information

If the vacancy is offered as FTA/Loan, existing Civil Servants must join on a Loan basis only., Prior agreement to be released on loan must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

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 of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Department for Culture, Media and Sport 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   

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

DCMS has a London and a National pay scale. For more information on this, including the circumstances in which each pay scale will apply, please see the ‘Information for Applicants’ document.

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

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

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.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process.

In order to request an adjustment, please:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on 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 a verbal test rather than a written one. 

Alternatively, contact the Government Recruitment Service via dcmsrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Accessibility

If you are experiencing accessibility difficulties with any of the attachments, please contact us. Contact details can be found in the 'contact point for applicants' section of the job advert.

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.