Cyber and Specialist Operations Command - Cyber Security Advisor

Job summary

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) generates and operates specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Always on, we are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see—or those you can’t.

From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our collective expertise delivers the warfighting edge Defence needs to deter threats and secure the nation today, and prepare for tomorrow.

CSOC builds on the strong foundations of Strategic Command, reshaped to unite Defence’s cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army and the Royal Air Force - acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command.

Passionate about using your skills to make a critical difference? Your next career move could be here.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

As Cyber Security Advisor, you’ll provide impartial advice to senior leadership and desk-level practitioners alike, identifying business and operational requirements across Defence, determining how cyber security capabilities should be used to best effect and supporting the integration of those capabilities into service.

The Defensive Cyber Security Joint User (DCJU) team, part of Cyber & Specialist Operations Command, ensures that the entirety of Defence has the cyber security equipment and capabilities that defend and protect our business and operational outputs. By directing, managing, and assuring change management activity throughout the organisation, we respond to risks and threats, ultimately increasing Defence’s resilience.

You’ll nurture and sustain strong ties with cyber and IT practitioners and industry bodies alike, providing insight into trends and threats, in support of effective holistic business understanding.

In this role, you’ll provide vital analysis of our current capabilities, to identify shortfalls against a rapidly changing threat and appropriate capability responses to cyber threats, shaping our future procurement programme. You’ll ensure that equipment and capabilities, delivered to front line cyber practitioners, are ready to be used and support integration into the wider eco-system.

Responsibilities

Support senior leaders in understanding the cyber security risk context and advise them on suitable medium to long-term response options.

Work within established security and risk management structures, to analyse and derive of business-supporting and operational cyber security needs.

Provide tailored advice to a range of stakeholders on how to remedy identified risks, by proportionately applying cyber security capabilities, using published guidance, standards, and drawing on a range of experts as well as personal expertise.

Provide guidance as to how new cyber security capabilities should be employed to reduce the cyber threat to Defence.

Person specification

Please ensure that your CV and application meet the essential criteria below:

We would expect to see some previous experience and a working knowledge of cyber security, the practical application of methodologies and frameworks, such as the Cyber Assessment Framework or NIST, to support capability delivery with a programme environment and / or operational security management.

You’ll need:

• Excellent stakeholder management skills, building and maintaining strong working
  relationships
• Acute attention to detail.
• Great organisation, timekeeping and prioritisation skills.
• Initiative and analytical skills.
• Motivation, commitment and the desire to continue to learn and develop.
• Experience or knowledge of leading and supporting colleagues

Additional information

Dependent on the business need, there may be a requirement to travel to meetings within the UK (or potentially occasional overseas visits).

If not already held, the successful candidate will be required to undergo DV clearance.

This position is open to Sole UK Nationals only, i.e. individuals who hold a second nationality are ineligible to apply for this position.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Applied security capability
• Protective security
• Threat understanding
• Information risk assessment and risk management

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £37,720, Ministry of Defence contributes £10,927 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Our benefits include:

• Learning and development tailored to your role with a dedicated minimum of 5 days per year.
• 25 days paid annual leave rising (by 1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of five years’ service.
• Ability to roll up to 10 days annual leave per year.
• In addition to eight public holidays per year, you will also receive leave for HM The King’s birthday.
• Pension contribution: 28.97%.
• Parental and Adoption Leave.
• Discounts on a range of services within and external to the civil service – Defence Discount Service, Civil Service societies for Sports and Leisure, Healthcare, Insurance, Motoring, Company discounts with Virgin, Vodafone, and Microsoft Office.
• In year rewards and ‘thank you’ schemes such as vouchers and gift cards.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

Find out more here - Discovermybenefits.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

Please note:

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment fo