Security Lead / Deputy Head of Establishment

Job summary

Behind every mission and operation, the Ministry of Defence relies on expert functions to drive our mission forward. From HR, Finance, Legal to Security, Procurement, and Communications, our teams enable Defence to deliver today and be ready for the challenges of tomorrow.

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This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

In this role, you’ll be joining a small, high-performing team in a new position as STRAPSO, working alongside the Head of Establishment (HOE), overseeing all aspects of security, to ensure compliance with defence strategic intent, policy and delivery of mandated outcomes.

You’ll work to the direction of the Corporate STRAPSO, to ensure appropriate security processes procedures and assurance are in place, to maintain accreditation or gain accreditation of facilities.

STRAP is a regime that regulates access to sensitive intelligence material which requires more protective handling than is afforded by the standard arrangements for government assets.

Working alongside the HOE, you’ll assume some HOE assurance duties (including deputising when required), ensuring sites are maintained to a suitable state and conduct audits/security reviews, across all the sites within the service delivery wrap, and technical audits. You’ll have significant influence over the setting up, and delivery of, new facilities and will work with organisations across Defence to ensure compliance. While you have clearly defined responsibilities, the developing nature of this role provides scope for learning, with a growing portfolio of STRAP facilities.

This job role is not suitable for hybrid working, where an employee works part of the week in office and part of the week from home. It is expected that working from home will be on occasion, determined primarily by business need and other relevant circumstances. If you are successful, this will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post. The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, unless visiting part of an oversees audit/assurance review.

Please note that this position is open to sole UK Nationals only.

Responsibilities

• Ensuring STRAP facilities meet STRAP guidelines, local orders are produced and adhered to, whilst controlling the arrangements for the receipt and dispatch of STRAP material (including that in IT systems).
• Responsibility for the administration of a range of STRAP processes on site.
• Assuring and overseeing the work of the contractor’s STRAPSOs, to the authority standards, with respect to the passing of clearances, site access and security procedures and processes.
• Provide advice on STRAP and security matters to all personal delivering the service and visitors.
• Work alongside the HOE to assure the maintenance of facilities to the required standard, holding to account where there are issues.
• Conduct assurance audits and site visits across the delivery estate.

Person specification

Please ensure that your application demonstrates the essential criteria below:

We would expect to see experience of working in a security role within a secure environment, demonstrable knowledge of the security processes, procedures and governance processes or experience in a Head of Establishment/facilities management role.

You’ll also need:

• Ability to collaborate with stakeholders, providing direction and challenging when required.
• Understanding of appropriate security processes, procedures and to maintain accreditation or gain accreditation of facilities.
• Great communication skills, able to identify problems and clearly communicate to both technical and non-technical teams.

If not held already, opportunity may be provided to gain the following when in post:

• STRAPSO qualification

Licences required

• Full UK driving licence.

Additional information

Dependent on the business need, there may be a requirement to travel to meetings within the UK or oversees.

If not already held, successful candidates will be required to undergo DV clearance. We will also undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process.

Please note, this position is open to sole UK nationals only.

Licences

Full UK driving licence

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,040, Ministry of Defence contributes £13,337 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
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 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
• Please see Benefits Leaflet for more detail

Equality and Diversity

Our people are at the heart of everything we do. It’s vital that our workforce reflects the diversity of both our audience and the wider society in the UK, so we’re proud to be an equal opportunities employer and we actively seek candidates from diverse backgrounds and communities. We also recognise the importance of a good work life balance, so we do everything we can to accommodate flexible working, including part-time and job shares for all our roles. Please just let us know in your application or at any stage throughout the process if this is something you want to explore.

Defence operates an organisation model in which every individual belongs to a Government Profession. The successful applicant will be posted into one of the defined Government Professions on Standard Terms of Reference for the grade. Defence Digital reserves the right to move individuals between roles, within their allocated profession, to meet the needs of the business and in support of agile resourcing.

Defence is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to improve the way it conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, all posts are/will be subject to review and potential changes, as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout the transformation programme, Defence is committed to following the MOD’s frame