Assistant Operational Security Advisor - Court Room Risk Assessor

Job summary

As an Assistant Operational Security Advisor – Courtroom Risk Assessor, this role plays a vital part in ensuring the safety and security of COPFS staff operating within court environments across Scotland. With a primary focus on delivering structured courtroom risk assessments, you will identify vulnerabilities and recommend practical measures to maintain safe and secure working conditions.

Reporting to the Operational Security Advisor, you will work independently, applying professional judgement to assess risks and escalate concerns where necessary. The role involves significant travel across Scotland, engaging directly with a range of court locations and justice partners, including SCTS and Police Scotland, to support consistent security standards.

Alongside assessment activity, you will contribute to wider operational security functions such as incident response, threat management, and responding to staff concerns. You will analyse information including local crime patterns and incident data to inform your assessments, producing clear, evidence-based reports and working collaboratively with stakeholders to implement proportionate risk mitigation measures.

This is a varied and dynamic role requiring strong analytical skills, attention to detail, and the confidence to manage sensitive information and challenging situations with professionalism and discretion.

If you enjoy working independently, adapting to different environments, and applying a proactive, solution-focused approach to risk and security, this role may suit you.

Job description

The Operational Security team is responsible for ensuring the safety and security of COPFS staff, their families where required, and the organisation’s estate and assets.

As an Assistant Operational Security Advisor – Courtroom Risk Assessor, you will play a key role in supporting the safety of staff operating within court environments across Scotland. The primary focus of the role is to carry out courtroom risk assessments and identify measures to ensure a safe and secure working environment.

The role involves significant travel across Scotland to assess court locations, alongside supporting wider operational security activity such as incident response, threat management, and handling staff concerns. Reporting to the Operational Security Advisor, you will work independently while using professional judgement to identify and escalate risks where required.

• You may be exposed to sensitive or potentially distressing material, including incidents involving violence, as part of this role
• A full UK driving licence is required for this role

SCOPE OF THE ROLE

• Deliver a nationwide programme of courtroom risk assessments across workplaces in the SCTS estate
• Contribute directly to the safety and security of COPFS staff operating within court environments
• Apply professional judgement to identify, assess and escalate operational security risks
• Influence risk mitigation through recommendations to internal stakeholders and external partners
• Work collaboratively with justice partners including SCTS and Police Scotland to support consistent security standards
• Support wider operational security activity, including incident response and threat management
• Handle sensitive and potentially high-risk information, ensuring appropriate confidentiality and compliance

ROLE SPECIFIC DUTIES

• Conduct structured courtroom risk assessments across SCTS estates, travelling extensively across Scotland to support delivery of these assessments
• Undertake pre-assessment research, including local crime pattern analysis and intelligence gathering
• Complete tabletop risk exercises covering staff commute, courtroom deployment and return journeys
• Assess court environments, including CCTV, physical security measures, courtroom layout and operational activity
• Analyse incident data, including seizures of weapons and previous security events, to inform risk assessments
• Identify security vulnerabilities and recommend proportionate mitigation measures
• Produce clear, accurate and evidence-based written risk assessment reports
• Engage with stakeholders to communicate findings and agree actions to address identified risks
• Work collaboratively with partners including SCTS, Police Scotland and other agencies to support security improvements
• Support operational security incident response and assist in the management of emerging threats
• Act as a point of contact for staff raising security concerns, providing advice and guidance
• Maintain accurate records and contribute to continuous improvement of operational security processes

Please note these are not exhaustive lists and other duties may be required as appropriate to the role

Person specification

You will be proactive, well organised and comfortable working independently, using your judgement to assess situations and manage changing priorities effectively. You will be confident engaging with a range of stakeholders, including colleagues and external partners, and able to communicate clearly both verbally and in writing.

You will have strong attention to detail and the ability to assess environments, identify security risks and recommend practical, proportionate solutions. You should be comfortable working to deadlines, managing competing demands and adapting to changing circumstances.

You will be confident dealing with sensitive and sometimes challenging situations, handling information with discretion, professionalism and care.

The Success Profile below sets out the essential elements that make up the vacant position. You will be expected to demonstrate how you meet any Behaviours, Experience or Technical criteria at application and interview stages.

For the purposes of this exercise, you will be asked to provide examples and evidence against the following key Behaviours:

Behaviours:

Making Effective Decisions (HEO)

Communicating and Influencing (HEO)

Managing a Quality Service (HEO)

Experience:

• Proven ability to identify, assess and manage risk within an operational, security or similar environment
• Strong analytical skills, with experience gathering and interpreting information to support risk‑based decision making
• Experience of conducting assessments, reviews or investigations, and producing clear, structured reports
• Experience working with stakeholders to communicate risk assessments, provide advice and agree actions
• Demonstrable ability to handle sensitive information with discretion and professional judgement
• Experience of working independently and managing competing priorities in a fast-paced or reactive environment

Technical:

• Strong understanding of risk assessment principles and methodologies, including identifying and evaluating potential risks
• Good working knowledge of physical and environmental security measures (e.g. CCTV, access control) and their application in operational settings
• Awareness of threat management and incident response approaches within a security or operational context

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,789, Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service contributes £11,526 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We offer an excellent range of benefits which include:

• 25 days paid holiday + 11.5 public and privilege holidays (rising to 30 days paid holiday after 4 years).
• Generous Civil Service Pension employer contribution, on average over 28.97% of your pay
• Flexible working hours and family friendly approach to work.
• Cycle to Work Scheme and Season Ticket Loans.
• Employee Wellbeing Support with Mental Health First Aiders and access to an Employee Assistance Programme.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

If you would be interested to learn more about this role, please see the attached application pack for further job details, salary information and assessment guidance.

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 security 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.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.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

Job contact :

• Name : Sarah Holmes
• Email : Sarah.holmes@copfs.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@copfs.gov.uk

Further information

Please see the application pack for details.

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