Counter-Terrorism Officer

Job summary

Working at HM Treasury puts you at the heart of government, making a difference to the UK economy and ultimately to people’s lives right across the UK.

Jobs at the Treasury are fast-paced, fun and can offer unparalleled perspective – not least the opportunity to advise Ministers on the decisions which directly determine the UK’s prosperity. Deep in our DNA is a commitment to empowering our people: maximising individual and collective impact, with interesting work no matter your role or seniority.

Day-to-day you could be supporting Ministers to decide the right level of a specific tax or line of government spending; helping maintain the stability of financial markets; analysing the long-term trends impacting the future of the economy; or enabling this work as part of our vital corporate functions.

We are a high-performing department and proud to have outstanding staff from a wide range of backgrounds. We are also a friendly, inclusive and sociable workplace that prides itself on fostering great team spirit. Our two largest offices are 1 Horse Guards Road in London, opposite St James’ Park, and the Darlington Economic Campus, which also contains eight other departments. We work seamlessly across all our sites, including Norwich, Birmingham and Leeds, as one Treasury.

We are both a 1,000-year-old institution and dynamic, forward-looking economics and finance ministry, with a strong direction set by our organisational strategy, the Future Treasury Vision. The 21st century offers huge opportunities and poses new challenges for the UK. Working at the Treasury is your chance to help the country chart the right course.

Job description

We are recruiting for a Higher Executive Officer (HEO) in OFSI’s Counter-Terrorism Team. This is an exciting, fast-paced, high-stakes role.

The CT Sanctions Team is responsible for the administration of terrorist asset freezes in the UK. The key CT sanctions regimes implemented in the UK are The ISIL (Da’esh) and Al-Qaida (United Nations Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019, The Counter-Terrorism (International Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 and The Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019. In the CT Team the successful candidates could find themselves undertaking a range of tasks and responsibilities including:

• Assist with the management of CT sanctions designations under the Counter-Terrorism (Sanctions) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 developing an in-depth knowledge of the regime and reviewing designation proposals from partners. The post holder will have input on cases under other CT sanctions regimes. This includes providing concise, accurate and timely advice to support Ministers and senior officials in making sensitive decisions which often carry significant legal risk.
• Keeping senior officials and ministers adequately informed of developments within regimes and keeping a broad watching brief on relevant sanctioned persons and countries.
• Managing and assisting with relevant licensing requests from receipt through to issue where appropriate, working closely with Treasury Legal Advisers on the licensing application process and in assessing the legal risk of granting or refusing licences.
• Leading and assisting with investigative casework in relation to suspected sanctions breaches and decide the most appropriate compliance outcomes, working with the Police where appropriate.
• Providing support to the Head of Litigation when decisions under CT sanctions are legally challenged. This includes working with counsel, Treasury Legal Advisers, the Government Legal Department, and other departments.
• Work closely with HM Treasury & FCDO policy teams on policy and operational implications of proposed new CT sanctions measures, developing and maintaining productive relationships across Whitehall on regime implementation.
• Develop a thorough understanding of the CT Sanctions regimes legal framework and apply this in ad hoc advice to Ministers, members of the public, and external stakeholder groups.

Across the team, strong communication will be a really important part of your role. Every day you will be communicating with different people, internally and externally. You will need to distil complex detail into clear recommendations and be able to explain and defend those recommendations in writing and verbally. This could be as part of casework decisions or in operational policy work. You will be expected to work closely with colleagues in other branches to provide casework input to cross-branch work.

Successful candidates will have the ability to develop and analyse information, think creatively and independently to arrive at supportable conclusions when sometimes data is incomplete. Previous experience of financial sanctions and/or counter-terrorism is desired, but not essential for these roles. Most important is the ability to quickly gain an understanding of a range of competing complex issues and the ability to make evidenced-based recommendations and astute judgements under pressure, deploying evidence and information across a range of sources.

We are looking for a person who has the right set of skills for the role, who demonstrates the values of our organisation, who is motivated to come and work with us, and who can demonstrate an ability to quickly develop an understanding of a complex and sensitive area.

Overall, this role is an excellent opportunity for an ambitious individual to take ownership of high profile, and high risk internationally focussed work, and to develop a large network of stakeholders inside and outside of government.

This is a Darlington based role. This role cannot be worked from any other HM Treasury office. Should you be successful for the role, this will be your contractual office location.

If you would like to speak to the hiring manager informally prior to the closing date for applications to find out more about the job, please email counterterrorism@hmtreasury.gov.uk.

Person specification

We are looking for the below skills, experience and behaviours and we will ask you to demonstrate these in your application form. Please review the Candidate FAQ document that is attached to the advert for guidance on how to complete your application form.

1. Making Effective Decisions – Ability to digest large quantities of information, recognise and fill gaps in the information, and identify key points.
2. Delivering at Pace – Ability to prioritise tasks effectively and deliver high-quality work in a timely manner.
3. Working Together – Ability to establish professional relationships and work collaboratively with a range of stakeholders.

The lead criterion is: Making Effective Decisions

If we receive large volumes of applications, we will conduct an initial sift on the lead criterion only.

We will ask you to provide some CV details during your application; however, these will NOT be assessed during the process, but will be used to support discussions at interview – please ensure you put all information you would like to be scored against in your behaviour statements.

At interview stage, you will be assessed on the below criteria:

• Strengths
• Behaviours:
  • Communicating and Influencing
  • Delivering at Pace
  • Making Effective Decisions
  • Working Together

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Communicating and Influencing

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,130, HM Treasury contributes £10,466 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).

• Generous Annual Leave - 25 days (rising to 30 after 5 years), plus public holidays and the King’s birthday.
• Outstanding Pension Scheme - Defined Benefit pension with employer contributions of 28.97%
• Parental Leave Packages - Including 6 months’ occupational pay for maternity/adoption, shared parental leave options.
• Advance Schemes & Discounts - Rental deposit, cycle-to-work, SmartTech, season ticket loans, and access to HM Treasury’s benefits portal for a wide range of discounts.
• Flexible & Hybrid Working - Options include part-time, job-share, compressed hours, flexitime, and hybrid working.

Hybrid working: HM Treasury operates an office based working approach across all Treasury sites. There is an expectation of a minimum of 60% attendance in the office. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas.

The office working expectation is linked to the location of the role. If you apply to a post in a single location, then you will not be able to meet this expectation at any of our other sites or move your role to another location. Some roles may not be suitable for hybrid working, it will be stated in the role profile if the role cannot accommodate this.

You can review HM Treasury’s full offer here.

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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

The reference to Experience above is system generated. For this role, experience is not assessed at any stage. We will ask for some CV details in your application form, but this is for reference only and will not be scored.

Candidate Guidance

Please review the candidate guidance for an overview of the Success Profiles and STAR approach, along with top tips for applications and interviews.

Recruitment Timeline

• Closing date: 1st November 2026 at 23:55
• Shortlisting: w/c 2nd November 2026
• Interviews: w/c 9th November 2026

This timeline is indicative and may be subject to change. We will inform you if there is a substantial change to the recruitment timeline.

If your contact details change at any time during the selection process, please ensure you update your Civil Service Jobs Profile.

Reserve Lists

You will be placed on a reserve list if your application is successful, but we cannot offer you a role immediately. Where more than one location has been advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to provide your location preference on your application form. Please note that a place on the reserve list does not guarantee an offer.

If you are offered a role in your first preferred location and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe, you will be removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances.

Those on the reserve list may also be approached for similar roles at a lower grade. If you are offered a role at a lower grade and choose to decline, you can remain on the reserve list.

Internal Fraud Database Check

Candidates cannot apply to roles in the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5-year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

Successful candidates will be subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database. This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This also applies to those who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the database will be refused employment.

National Security Vetting

Everyone working with government assets must complete Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS) checks. Additionally, successful candidates will be subject to National Security Vetting. The level of security vetting required for this role is Developed Vetting (DV). Candidates will be required to undergo Developed Vetting clearance however will join HM Treasury on Security Check clearance in the first instance.

To allow for meaningful checks to be carried out, applicants typically need to have lived in the UK for the past 10 years. You will be asked to provide residency information within your application form, and eligibility for national security vetting will be checked once the advert closing date has passed. In certain circumstances, for example if you have been working abroad on a government posting, a lack of residency would not be a bar to security clearance however the Department will need to consider eligibility on a case-by-case basis once the advert closing date has passed.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : OFSI Counter-Terrorism team
• Email : CounterTerrorism@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk

Further information

Complaints Process: Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment based on fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact HMT by email at: hrrecruitment@hmtreasury.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.

Attachments

Role Profile - Counter-Terrorism Officer Opens in new window (pdf, 147kB)