About the job

Job summary

House of Commons

The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system. 

Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community.

Introduction 

The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) is responsible for physical and personnel security across both Houses of Parliament and provides support to Members and staff when away from the Estate. Its purpose is to keep Parliament safe and open for business.

PSD sets security strategy provides expert advice and delivers an operational service. It does this in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and by working closely with the Parliamentary Maintenance Services Team (PMST), Strategic Estates, Serjeant at Arms and Black Rod’s office, Restoration & Renewal teams, the Parliamentary Digital Service, and other key stakeholders. 

Job description

PSD are looking for a highly proficient control room manager who has experience of working in a critical communications environment. This is a pivotal role supporting both operational and support staff and managers, in the Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) and engaging with senior managers and all staff and external partners. Your role is to ensure their safety and the security and protection of an iconic building and its wider estate.

Daily duties will include first line management of 8 control room supervisors (Controllers) and second line management of 24 operators to ensure the efficient working of the Security Operations Centre (SOC), escalating issues with the technical systems swiftly and to resolution. Ensuring that all work is undertaken in compliance with the operating procedures, current legislation and the codes of practice, including quality assurance of operator work. You will the main point of contact for colleagues for advice on the physical security apparatus on the estate managed by the SOC.

Some of the responsibilities for this role include:

• Responsible for the day-to-day running of a critical communications environment, exercising sound analysis and judgment and providing expert advice based on technical expertise.
• Line management of the control room team. Ensure the Controllers maintain the required standard of professionalism, leading by example and appropriately managing behaviours and performance if requirements are not met.
• Manage the deployment of these staff on a 24/7 basis, to ensure that resources are appropriately and efficiently allocated with due consideration to employee welfare and organisational policy.

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will demonstrate:

• Experience of working with critical communications in a highly restricted environment with a sound technical understanding of radio, telephony, CCTV, intruder detection and physical security information management systems.
• Builds and maintains effective relationships between staff, managers, contractors and stakeholders ensuring that everyone is, at all times, treated with dignity, courtesy and respect. Embeds the principles of equality, diversity and inclusion.
• Ability to set realistic objectives, monitor performance, give feedback and support development, organise and motivate a team of staff working across shift patterns in a pressurised environment.
• Ability to create and exercise clearly understandable operating procedures with due consideration to risk and threat and industry best practise.
• Experience of conducting thorough investigations into sensitive security incidents with the ability to interrogate systems and data to establish fact. Demonstrable expertise and application of data protection principles and other relevant legislation.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,340, House of Commons contributes £11,161 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

• Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description. 

More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description. 

Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances.

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 counter-terrorist 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.