Deputy Head (Operations), National Space Operations Centre

Job summary

At DSIT we’re all about improving people’s lives by maximising the potential of science & technology.

We accelerate innovation, investment and productivity through world-class science, research and development.

We use technology for good by ensuring new and existing technologies are safely developed and deployed across the UK, with the benefits more widely shared.

We are driving forward a modern digital government which gives citizens a more satisfying experience and their time back.

We do all this to enable the Government’s 5 national missions: kickstarting economic growth, making Britain a clean energy superpower, taking back our streets, breaking down barriers to opportunity and building an NHS fit for the future.

Above all, we focus on improving people’s lives. Whether it’s researching new treatments for disease, developing better batteries, reducing burdens through better public services, keeping children safe online, and much more, outcomes for citizens are at the heart of what we do.

Our Inclusive Environment

We offer flexible working benefits, employee well-being support and a great pension. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.

Please note

Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.

Job description

This role is three days per week – Wednesday, Thursday and Friday. The division of tasks is likely to be a combination of shared core responsibilities (e.g. running of operations) and defined specific projects (e.g. one part-time officer leads on a specific mission development package). But this will be confirmed between both officers once in place.

National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC)

The National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) combines and coordinates civil and military space domain awareness capabilities to enable operations, promote prosperity, and protect UK interests in space and on earth from space-related threats, risks, and hazards.

UKSA responsibilities under NSpOC include operating the UK’s uncontrolled re-entry early warning system, the UK satellite collision avoidance system, the UK in-space fragmentation monitoring service, the UK asteroid early warning capability (planetary defence), support to launch and several other mission-sets to deliver UK national security and national space goals.

NSpOC has been in development since 2021 and officially launched in May 2024. NSpOC is a hybrid organisation with UKSA personnel working from UKSA locations. Our Operations, Analysis and Response Team is co-located with military operations in RAF High Wycombe. Whereas visiting High Wycombe is encouraged if the post holder desires, this role will be based at either Cardiff, Edinburgh, Harwell or Leicester.

NSpOC Organisational Structure
The UK organises its space domain awareness activities under three operational pillars:

Pillar One – OBSERVE: OBSERVE underpins and drives all NSpOC capabilities and services. OBSERVE is responsible for the UK’s ability to monitor activities in space. It does this through data from international partners, data from commercial companies and utilising and developing UK space observation sensors within the UK and overseas.

Pillar Two – ANALYSE: ANALYSE is responsible for interpreting the information gathered by OBSERVE. It involves developing complex software that is operated by expert orbital analysts.

Pillar Three – ALERT and ACT: ALERT and ACT delivers NSpOC operational services to stakeholders including re-entry warning, in-space collision avoidance, planetary defence and fragmentation monitoring.

The role for which the job holder is responsible covers development and delivery of civil and dual-use ALERT & ACT functions – essentially managing the UK civil warning and protection capabilities.

Our vision is that:

The Operations Group will have complete and real-time understanding of the entire space environment to identify, assess, manage and respond to events, risks and hazards as they occur and at scale. You will play a key role in bringing this vision to life.

The operating approach is:

NSPOC operates as a highly agile, responsive and dynamic organisation with clearly defined, appropriate and proportionate policies and procedures commensurate with our resources and responsibilities. You will be central to ensuring the Operations Group embraces and delivers on this approach to delivery.

Person specification

Key responsibilities

You will be joining the senior leadership team of the National Space Operations Centre (NSpOC) with collective responsibility for protecting UK interests in space and on Earth from relevant space-related threats, risks and hazards.

You will have lead responsibility within the UKSA and the civil-side of NSpOC for developing and running the Operations Group which owns one of our three operational pillars – ALERT & ACT. This pillar delivers warnings on space threats, risks and hazards to UK space operators (private companies), UK Government Departments and Agencies and international partners. You will manage our contracted Operations, Analysis and Response Team (who operate 365 days a year to assess data from OBSERVE and ANALYSE) and translate it into actionable notifications.

You will work as one with your partners in the Ministry of Defence (responsible for military mission-sets in NSpOC) to ensure a seamless HMG approach to national security threats, risks and hazards for which NSpOC is responsible.

You will be the lead responsible officer for a budget of approximately £1.5m pa which funds the Operations, Analysis and Response Team as well as some e capability development, although major projects are handled by the Capabilities Group in NSpOC, supported by the NSpoC Programme Delivery Group, which has a budget of approximately £20m pa.

As NSpOC is a world-first capability we do not expect you to have worked within a similar organisation previously nor do we expect subject matter expertise in space domain awareness. Being able to think creatively and strategically, leading complex project delivery, having a flexible and agile approach to changing circumstances, and a strong emphasis on cross-team working and building and maintaining relationships are the most important factors for success in this role.

• Set an exceptional example of how to work collaboratively and collectively with colleagues from a range of backgrounds across the UKSA, Government partners, industry and academia to deliver world-leading space protection services.

• Develop and oversee operation of the civil and dual-use components of ALERT & ACT within the National Space Operations Centre involving close cooperation with the MoD and other partners.

• Deliver a world-class space risks and hazards warning services to stakeholders, including refining existing services and working with the Capabilities Group to develop new products.

• Lead our operational response to incidents including development of protocols, coordination across Government and the sector and the provision of expert handling advice – supported by your wider NSpOC colleagues. This will include deciding if, how and when to escalate or take other action in response to space hazards.

• Exercise, test and improve standard operating procedures, in conjunction with other stakeholders. This will include leading post-incident reviews to identify improvements in our processes and reporting.

• Work with military counterparts to continue integrating procedures, software, hardware and teams, and expanding the civil support for military operations.

• Work with the Deputy Head Capabilities and Deputy Head Programme Delivery to help manage and refine the sensor, data and analysis requirements for delivery of ALERT and ACT capabilities. Work with separate DSIT Space Domain Awareness Capability and Policy Team to help define the UK strategic approach to space.

• Manage a budget of £1.5m+ utilising appropriate project, risk, monitoring and evaluation, and financial management tools.

• Ensure project delivery tools are effectively used within the Operations Group to manage capabilities into operations and ensure appropriate feedback loops.

• Act as part of the NSpOC senior leadership team to collectively determine the strategic direction of NSpOC including contributing to areas beyond ALERT & ACT. Provide cover for other NSpOC deputies and Head of NSpOC as required.

• Represent the National Space Operations Centre and UKSA at conferences and events and internationally and in the media as applicable.

• Willingly take forward any other reasonable activity in support of our mission to protect UK interests in space and on Earth from space-related threats, risks and hazards including playing an active role in any incident response. Take an active role as part of the wider UKSA leadership team to make the UKSA a great place to work.

• Space is constantly changing, and the job holder will need to carefully balance the need for proportionate and appropriate procedures with flexibility and agility to ensure the UK is able to meet threats, risks and hazards as they arise.

As a line manager, you will be responsible for working with your members of staff to define their objectives, as well as managing their development and performance.

Essential Criteria:
• Experience of working collectively and collaboratively with colleagues from a range of backgrounds with differing needs and requirements.

• Experience of delivering multiple concurrent programmes or projects including effective budget management.

• Experience of being able to work in flexible and agile style in response to a rapidly changing operational environment.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working with contracted teams.
• Experience of software development.
• Experience of working with the military.
• Operations, crisis management and response experience.
• Representational experience e.g. at conferences, events or in the media.
• Space sector specific experience or expertise.
• Knowledge of the Space Domain Awareness sector

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,850, Department for Science, Innovation & Technology contributes £16,469 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).

The Department for Science, Innovation and Technology offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40-60% of their time in the office (minimum of 40%) over a month with flex dependent on balancing business and individual need.

Office attendance

The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.

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 and Experience.

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statements.

Please note - the CV incorporated into the application form is for information purposes only and will not be scored.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the lead behaviour statement (Making Effective Decisions) only.

The interview will consist of behaviour questions.

Interviewees will be asked to deliver a presentation; further details will be provided nearer the time.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

Former DSIT recruitment campaigns are continuing as usual, but candidates should be aware that following the Government’s announcement on the changes to some civil service departments, roles will be subject to the machinery of government moves and will ultimately be in one of the new departments. We will provide more information if you are selected for a role. This work remains of high importance to the civil service, and we thank you for your continued interest.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DSIT Candidate Guidance. A DSIT Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

DSIT does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DSIT cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DSIT holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Feedback

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

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.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 : Angus Stewart
• Email : angus.stewart@dsit.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dsitresourcing.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance DSITrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk . If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DSIT T&Cs v1.2 Opens in new window (docx, 61kB)