The Food Standards Agency (FSA) is a small government department with a big remit: to keep food safe, ensure it is what it says it is, and that it is increasingly healthy and more sustainable. We undertake our work to carry this out in a lot of different ways, but everything we do always comes back to science and evidence.

We are looking for a Senior Intelligence Analyst who can help us effectively evaluate the intelligence received by the FSA’s National Food Crime Unit (NFCU). Managing our skilled analysis team, you will provide leadership around strategic and tactical analysis, developing and allocating work packages that will enable us to better identify, disrupt and deter criminals impacting the safety and authenticity of our food, across the country.

Delivering analysis while supporting the professional development of your colleagues, you’ll play a key role in building our intelligence capabilities. You’ll engage with a range of partners and stakeholders, sharing our understanding of key food crime issues so that collectively we can better protect consumers and allow them to have faith in the quality and safety of the food they eat each day.

Effective analysis of intelligence is the first step towards our success in tackling food crime in the UK, and ensuring food is safe and what it says it is. This is a fantastic opportunity not only to have a hands-on role in delivering this analysis, but also in informing a robust strategic and tactical response to food crime across England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

If you are excited to bring your experience and enthusiasm to the important work that we do and can work alongside your colleagues to help us build the best analytical capability we can, apply today. This is a chance to make a real difference in our work to ensure we have food we can trust.

Please read before applying

As this is an investigatory / intelligence role we need to be aware if any of our employees have any of the following: any misconduct or gross misconduct findings or where proceedings are not complete. You will be asked to complete a declaration form covering the above if offered a role with the FSA.

You must declare to the best of your knowledge:

·         Any disciplinary finding of guilt / failure to meet the appropriate standard of conduct relating to your employment you have ever had

·         Any charge of a disciplinary offence / notification of a failure to meet the appropriate standards you have ever had where the case has not yet been concluded

The disclosure of this information will not automatically disbar you from this role but we need to be aware of any event or issue which could impinge on your credibility if questioned in court.

Please read the attached Candidate Pack to discover further details about the role, our organisation, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.

We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.

Full details of the selection process are detailed in the attached candidate pack. 

Application and shortlisting

You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.

You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.

Essential criteria

Experience

·         Lead criteria: Experience of delivering a broad range of intelligence analysis products including strategic and tactical assessments, balancing competing demands and ensuring quality and relevance to customer requirements.

·         Experience of leading and managing others to deliver outcomes both personally and collectively.

·         Experience in directing the application of analytical thinking and techniques to assess information and intelligence, establishing rationale for analysis and applying critical thinking methodologies.

Technical

·         Relevant professional qualification and/or successful completion of National Intelligence Analysis Training (or equivalent e.g. GIAT, DIAM, ACT)

or

·         demonstrably equivalent professional experience.

Lead Criteria An initial sift may take place on just the identified Lead Criteria indicated.

In the event that we receive a large number of applications, the minimum pass mark for the Lead Criteria may be raised at shortlisting stage. Candidates who apply under the DCS, GPTW or RIS schemes and meet the minimum requirements will be unaffected by the pass mark raise.

Interview

If successful at shortlisting stage, you will be invited to a final interview in which we will assess you against the following Experience requirements of the role and Civil Service Behaviours Level 3.

Behaviours

·         Seeing the Big Picture (Assessed via Seen presentation)

·         Communicating and Influencing

Full details of the positive indicators being assessed for each Behaviour can be found in the Candidate Pack.

Experience

·         Experience in delivering a broad range of analysis products including strategic and tactical assessments, ensuring their quality and relevance to customer requirements.

·         Experience of managing others to deliver outcomes both personally and collectively.

As part of the interview process, you will be asked to prepare a Seen presentation. Further information will be provided to you on the invitation to interview email.

Expected Timeline

Advert closes: 25 February 2024 (23:55)

Sift: Expected to take place during week commencing 26 February 2024

Final panel interview: Expected to take place during week commencing 11 March 2024

Interviews will be held remotely via MS Teams. (If you do not have the Microsoft Teams application installed on your computer, you can join on the web without installing the application.)

Please note that indicated dates may be subject to change.

As UKSV SC is required for this role, please confirm you have been resident in the UK for a minimum of 3 of the last 5 years (or have extenuating circumstances e.g. have been serving abroad with HM Armed Forces).

United Kingdom Security Vetting (UKSV) Requirements (SC)

Appointment will be subject to the candidate having, or being able to achieve, National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) level.

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years (although there are some exceptions e.g. if you have been serving abroad with HM Armed Forces).

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

Checks will be made against:

·        a departmental/company records check which will include, for example personal files, staff reports, sick leave returns and security records

·        a check of both spent and unspent criminal records

·        a check of credit and financial history with a credit reference agency

·        a check of Security Service (MI5) records

·        exceptionally, if there are any unresolved security concerns about the individual, or if recommended by the Security Service, the individual may also be interviewed

·        in the event of any unresolved financial concerns, the individual may also be required to complete a separate financial questionnaire so that a full review of personal finances can be carried out

·        checks may extend to third parties included on the security questionnaire.

You will also need to achieve Non-Police Personal Vetting at Level 2.

The FSA is dedicated to a policy of equal opportunity for all.

Being truly reflective of our society and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to the work of the FSA. We are looking to recruit from the widest possible talent pool and encourage candidates to apply from a diverse range of backgrounds. We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer and are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment and selection process and beyond. All appointments are made on merit.

Please be assured that diversity or socio–economic information requested during the course of your application plays absolutely no part in our selection processes and is not seen by anyone assessing applications.  Any information provided is anonymised and used for statistical purposes only.

We actively review the deployment of talent on a periodic basis in the interests of optimising personal development and the achievement of business plans.

Childcare Vouchers

Any move to the Food Standards Agency 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

Reserve List

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

Candidates that do not pass the interview but have demonstrated an acceptable standard may be considered for similar roles at a lower grade.

Visa Sponsorship

Please note that the FSA does not hold a licence to sponsor any visa applications and we are unable to provide any advice about visas.