Higher Technical Security Adviser – Royalty and VIP Team

Home Office

Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 24th January 2021

Reference number – 91095

Salary – £39,686 – £46,631

Grade – Other, Higher Professional Technical Officer (HPTO)

Contract type – Permanent

Business area – HO – Office for Security & Counter Terrorism (OSCT), CONTEST Directorate

Type of role – Policy

Working pattern – Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed Hours

About the job

Summary

The Royalty, VIP and MP Security Unit in the Office for Security and Counter-Terrorism (OSCT) develops cross Government work under the CONTEST strategy to strengthen and improve the UK’s ability to protect against, and respond to, terrorist attacks. The team develops and coordinates this activity working closely with the Police, other areas of the Home Office, other Government Departments, the Security and Intelligence Agencies, and the private sector. Within the Unit, the Protective Security Section has responsibility for ensuring that protective security arrangements for crowded places, groups at specific threat from terrorism, and high profile public figures are proportionate and delivered effectively and efficiently.

Job description

In this key role, you will join a small team tasked with delivering protective security measures in a number of challenging environments. Projects will typically involve delivering integrated security solutions at locations across the UK.

Your work will help to ensure that personal protection is efficient and cost-effective, in line with risk and ahead of any emerging threats, as set out by the government’s Counter-Terrorism strategy (CONTEST). You will be part of the Royalty, VIP and MP Security Unit and as such have the opportunity to get involved in wider unit activities.

OSCT prides itself on being an open and supportive workplace. We actively embrace diversity and promote equality of opportunity, to enable us to reflect the communities that we serve. We do not tolerate any form of discrimination. We have a strong diversity network, led by an OSCT Director and supported by an Equality and Diversity working group. The wellbeing of our people is important to us with events taking place throughout the year.

OSCT provides people with the opportunity to work at pace and deliver in stretching roles. You will learn a lot in your day to day work – but we also provide excellent wider learning and development opportunities; our lunch and learn sessions and informal coffee meet-ups are popular as well as our mentoring programmes and peer-to-peer learning. We also run a 5-day induction course for new starters.

Please note this role will attract an additional allowance of up to £3,000pa.

Responsibilities

Day to day, you will help to plan and deliver physical and technical security measures at protected sites. This includes producing detailed technical specifications; liaising with contractors; managing stakeholders; responding to faults or incidents; and delivering projects on time, on budget and to agreed specifications.

This role will be London-based but there are options for flexible working including working from home and compressed hours. Please note that this role involves travel within the UK, often at short notice. You will also be required to be on call out of hours, including at weekends and public holidays as part of a rota – full training and a small allowance for being on call is available. You should also be willing to undergo developed security vetting.

Key responsibilities will include:

• Undertake security surveys at sites throughout the UK mainland, producing clear reports with recommendations commensurate to the threat and risk

• Design physical and technical security solutions for new protected sites

• Identify any new vulnerabilities at existing sites by conducting regular reviews

• Oversee the installation and maintenance of both physical and technical security measures by the section’s contractors

• Make recommendations to the head of the team on prioritisation of projects

• Manage the budget for your projects, producing projects plans and risk logs as appropriate

• Keep up to date with development of new security technologies

Essential criteria:

– A technical background in security is essential

– You should also be capable of managing a variety of stakeholders and taking a project from concept to launch, thanks to previous project management experience

– Strong IT, communication and organisation skills are required too

– Strong eye for detail

Desirable criteria:

Successful candidates should be able to demonstrate the following technical skills & experience:

• Knowledge of physical and technical security measures e.g.

– CCTV

– PIDS

– HVM

– Access Control

– IDS

– Security lighting

– Security system integration

• Experience overseeing security installations

• Experience in writing and developing Operational Requirements

Behaviours

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

Making Effective Decisions
Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Managing a Quality Service

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role

• An environment with flexible working options

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

• A Civil Service pension

Things you need to know

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

People working with government assets must complete basic personnel security standard checks.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV and Personal Statement (Max Word Limit: 1000).

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

Please note your personal statement should be aligned to the Essential Criteria as set out in the job advertisement.

In addition, candidates will also be required to provide evidence of the lead behaviour of ‘Making Effective Decisions’.

At sift, you will be assessed against your personal statement which demonstrates the Essential Criteria and the lead behaviour of ‘Making Effective Decisions’.

In the event that a high number of applications received, the initial sift will be undertaken using the lead behaviour of ‘Making Effective Decisions’ .

CVs will not be scored.

Candidates invited to interview will be assessed on Behaviours and Experience.

Shortlisted candidates will also be invited to provide a ten minute presentation on a physical and technical security solution. Candidates will be made aware of the presentation requirements ahead of their interview.

Sift and Interview dates

The sift will take place week commencing 25th of January 2021.

Interviews will take place during week commencing 15th of February 2021.

Due to the current COVID-19 situation, interviews will take place remotely. Further details and instructions will be provided closer to the scheduled interview.

Further information

The successful candidate must be willing to obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.

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.

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

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 Stonewall top 100 Workplace Equality Employer and 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.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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.

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.

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Apply via application button

Attachments

External Candidate Notes V27 (JULY 2020)

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(docx, 157kB)

Home Office CANDIDATE & ID DOCUMENTS (v11.19)

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(pdf, 394kB)