Cyber Security Associate

Job summary

The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has been set up to provide health security and health protection for the nation by protecting from infectious disease and external hazards. We will act like no other organisation previously to mitigate threats to health before they materialise.

UKHSA will build the nation’s health resilience and security, strengthening our ability to detect and monitor infectious diseases and external threats to health. Using robust evidence and world-leading expertise, we will go deeper to analyse threats to health, and how best to prevent and control them. UKHSA will ensure a system-wide response in partnership with local authorities, NHS, academia, global professional institutes, and industry.

As part of its development and governance, UKHSA is expanding the Cyber Security Division, building on its capability to provide a critical function in the protection of the UKHSA’s digital assets, working closely with wider UKHSA security teams and stakeholders (Government Security Group, NCSC and NPSA) to build a resilient infrastructure, supporting the organisation in reaching its ambition to become a global leader for health security and becomes a critical component of our national security infrastructure.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.

Job description

We are looking for Cyber Security Associates to join the Cyber Team which is within the Trusted Data & Technology (TDT) Directorate.

This is an exciting and unique opportunity to become a central part of the Cyber team as it guides the business to be appropriately cyber-secure, meeting mandatory regulatory and legal requirements in the process. The team helps to ensure UKHSA is trusted to receive and process the data it needs to deliver its mission, and to keeps its people safe. You will work closely with all our Cyber pillars (Governance Risk & Compliance, Security Architecture, Security Operations and our Project Management Office) to gain experience in each area, gaining skills and knowledge in critical cyber areas to support our mission.

As a Cyber Security Associate you will be tasked to perform a diverse range of activities the Cyber Pillars, for example these might include: tracking cyber security risks, sharing best practice for security architecture with new projects, documenting and enhancing our workflows, and triaging vulnerability reports and other threat intelligence.

Detailed Description and Main Responsibilities

• Undertaking concise packages of delivery work.
• Support the Cyber Pillars in ad hoc tasks as required.
• Implementing and maintaining systems to enable effective planning and scheduling for the Cyber workload.
• Helping to track and deliver cyber security services across the team.
• Managing and monitoring compliance of the cyber workload in line with UKHSA guidelines and legislation, including Health & Safety, Equality & Diversity, Security.
• Building and maintaining strong professional relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders.
• Drafting and supporting sign off risks, statements and assurance pieces.
• Supporting the development of business cases contracts and audits.
• Maintaining the Cyber Risk and issues (RAID) log, working with risk managers to resolve issues and escalating where appropriate.
• Acting as point of contact for project responses to requests for information and signpost accordingly. A good understanding of cyber security and information security management systems and concepts.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Ability to work independently and escalate appropriately in a fast-paced environment.
• Work well under pressure, effectively manages multiple tasks, with a keen attention to detail.
• Identify areas for improvement and focus on continually enhancing processes and systems.
• Contribute to high‑quality cyber materials and communications, supporting collaboration and knowledge sharing.
• Supporting Cyber Pillars to ensure essential tasks are completed in timely manner.
• Effectively gathering and presenting complex data.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to challenge effectively to ensure the correct information is presented at the right time.
• Strong interpersonal skills, and the ability to develop effective relationships with a wide range of stakeholders.
• Strong capability in using Microsoft Office applications, including Excel, Word, and PowerPoint.

Desirable Criteria:

• Build effective working relationships across teams to support collaboration.
• Working knowledge of Government Security and/or Cyber Security.
• Deliver focused problem solving.
• Communicating clearly in a language and format that meets the needs of different users.
• Working knowledge of IT systems such as ServiceNow

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £33,422, UK Health Security Agency contributes £9,682 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

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 and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be required to complete an application form. You will be assessed on the listed (9) essential criteria, and this will be in the form of a:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• 750 word supporting statement.

This should outline how you consider your skills, experience and knowledge provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

You will receive a joint score for your application form and statement. (The application form is the kind of information you would put into your C.V –please be advised you will not be able to upload your CV. Please complete the application form in as much detail as possible). Please do not email us your CV.

Healthjobs UK has a word limit of 1500, but your supporting statement must be no more than 750 words. We will not consider any words over 750 words.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

1. Meets all essential criteria
2. Meets some essential criteria
3. Meets no essential criteria

If used, the following will proceed to shortlisting:

1. Meets all essential criteria
2. Meets some essential criteria

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we may conduct an initial sift, on the lead criteria of:

• Ability to work independently and escalate appropriately in a fast-paced environment
  • Work well under pressure, effectively manages multiple tasks, with a keen attention to detail
  • Identify areas for improvement and focus on continually enhancing processes and systems

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications/large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Stage 2: Interview

Success Profiles - GOV.UK

You will be invited to a single remote interview.

Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills will be tested at interview.

The Behaviours tested during the interview stage will be:

• Changing and Improving
  
• Making Effective Decisions
  
• Communication and Influencing
  
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace - Lead behaviour
  

Interviews dates are to be confirmed.

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

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at any of our Core HQs. We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month) working at one of UKHSA's core HQs (Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, and London). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport links and benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Security Clearance Level Requirement
Successful candidates must pass a basic disclosure and barring security check before they can be appointed.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Clearance (SC).

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 5 years as the role requires Security Check (SC) clearance. UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Eligibility Criteria – External

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including internal applicants).

Salary Information
If you are successful at interview, and are moving from another government department, NHS, or Local Authority, the relevant starting salary principles for level transfers or promotions will apply. Otherwise, roles are offered at the pay scale minimum for the grade, but in exceptional circumstances there may be flexibility if you are able to demonstrate you are already in receipt of an existing, higher salary. Pay increases are through the relevant annual pay award for the role and terms.

Please be aware that the salary is based on the office location:

Higher Executive Officer (HEO)
• £33,422-£40,731 (National)
• £35,587- £43,244 (Outer London)
• £37,749- £45,353 (Inner London)

Future location
UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.
The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full
completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Reasonable Adjustments
The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any
reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the
recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability
Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the
recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil
Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check
If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Internal Fraud Check
If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s
personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be
checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub, and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional
circumstances. Currently this is only for external candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website
Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

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

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 : Gurkamal Bhambra
• Email : gurkamal.bhambra@ukhsa.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the
basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's
Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment
Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should
contact the UKHSA Complaints team via email at: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can
contact the Civil Service Commission. Visit the Civil Service Commission website for
further information: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk