Digital Apprentice – Cyber Security Analyst

Job summary

We’re responsible for Land Transaction Tax and Landfill Disposals Tax. Our work raises revenue to support public services, like the NHS and schools, in communities across Wales. But that’s not all, we're also involved with and support future tax design for Wales.

Join a place with purpose
You’ll join a team of 100+ talented people from across 14 different professions. Our culture is best described as innovative, collaborative and kind. By working together, we’ll deliver a fair tax system for Wales.

Our people
You’ll be working with people from a wide range of backgrounds and experience. From Operations, Policy, Digital and Data, HR, Communications to Finance – there’s a place for you in our friendly team.

You’ll be our greatest asset

You’ll be joining an inclusive organisation and be part of a team where you can thrive, be rewarded and heard.

We’re recognised as one of the top organisations for people engagement in the Civil Service People Survey. Inclusion and fairness are one of our strongest

areas, as well as pay and benefits – our People Survey results say it all!

We’re also recognised for being innovative and a digital, ‘cloud-based’ organisation that supports hybrid and flexible working enabling a great work-life balance.

More about working for us, our roles and our Corporate Plan 2025 - 2028

Job description

Digital & Technology skills are a core part of the WRA’s strategy. The WRA’s ambition is to have greater digital capability to manage its main business digital systems. The WRA is creating a small team of digital professionals that will design, build and implement WRA solutions. This digital apprentice role will be key in the advancement of this digital team.

Successful applicants will join 4 ½ year Digital Degree Apprenticeship Programme at University of South Wales studying a BSc (Honours) in Digital & Technology Solutions – on the Cyber Security pathway. It's ideal for those people who want a degree but want to work at the same time.

The post holders will be integrated into the WRA digital teams and will undertake a wide variety of digital tasks including business analysis, cybersecurity assurance, and software development, testing, implementation and software design.

As a recently established organisation the WRA is entirely cloud based and uses leading edge software development practices. This is a unique opportunity to work in a cutting edge, challenging and rewarding software environment.

“It’s an exciting time to come and work for the Welsh Revenue Authority – we’re one of the first fully cloud based government organisations, and as we continue to develop digital services for devolved taxes we need to build up our Cyber Security capacity, and we’re looking to add a Digital Apprentice to our team. We’re not looking for someone with lots of experience or any particular qualifications, but we are looking for someone who’s interested in technology, who’s got potential for the future and who is willing to learn and helpus build safe and secure systems fit for the future”

John Vinall - Head of IT Operations and Security

Person specification

As you work through your training and build experience, you’ll work with our senior staff to learn the ropes and help provide the CyberSecurity service to the WRA. Below is the list of things your role will cover over the course of your employment here.

We don’t, of course, expect you to know how to do these things right now that’s what training is for! You’ll have a training path defined and will work over the first two years of the Apprenticeship to gain the skills required to perform these duties.

CyberSecurity:

• Assist in Monitoring Cyber Security Alerts - Help monitor, triage and resolve daily security alerts, logs, and incident notifications.
• Support Vulnerability Management Activities – Help identifying, tracking, and helping to remediate vulnerabilities.
• Help with Cyber Awareness & Phishing Readiness Activities -Assist in maintaining the organisation’s cyber learning platform, supporting phishing simulations, user training, and helping drive cyber‑aware culture.
• Contribute to Security Documentation and Knowledge Bases -Assist in maintaining cyber security runbooks, incident logs, configuration documentation, asset registers and alert playbooks.
• Shadow incident handling and SOC activity – observe investigations, alerts and incident calls to understand how real incidents unfold.
• First responder training – work with our cybersecurity partners to undergo first responder training and the basics of digital evidence preservation and investigation.
• Participate in Disaster Recovery and Continuity exercises - Help prepare for and support DR‑related tasks such as updating documentation, validating processes, or assisting during testing of cyber‑related recovery plans.
• Work across the Digital Teams on cross-functional security tasks - Support collaboration across IT Ops, Data, Governance, and Development teams — for example assisting with secure configuration checks, access reviews, and small remediation activities.

The most important thing you’ll be doing in this role, of course, is learning. You’ll have an interest in technology in general and a desire to learn how the CyberSecurity world operates. We’ll expect you to attend your University course, pass your exams, and develop your skills – with the expectation that you’ll continue to grow into a valuable and integral part of the Digital team at the WRA.

Candidate Information Session

If this seems like a role you’d be interested in, join us for our virtual Candidate Information Sessions. You’ll meet the Line Manager, get an overview of the role as well a feeling for what it’s like to work at the WRA. We’ll also talk through our benefits and provide helpful tips for your application with us. Please register for one of the sessions below:

Register here for 11.30am on 27th May: Business Wales Events Finder - Candidate Information Session - Digital Apprentice - Cyber Security Analyst

Register here for 15.00pm on 27th May: Business Wales Events Finder - Candidate Information Session - Digital Apprentice - Cyber Security Analyst1

Qualifications

Eligibility for University - BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions (Cyber Security) - University of South Wales

Typical A-Level Offer

BCC - CDD (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical Welsh BACC Offer

Pass the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Diploma with Grade C/D in the Skills Challenge Certificate and BC - CD at A Level (this is equivalent to 104-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical BTEC Offer

BTEC Extended Diploma Distinction Merit Merit - Merit Merit Pass (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points).

Typical IB Offer

Pass the International Baccalaureate Diploma with higher grades of between 655-445 (this is equivalent to 112-80 UCAS tariff points)

Additional Requirements

GCSEs: The University normally requires a minimum 5 GCSEs including Mathematics and English at Grade C or above, or their equivalent but consideration is given to individual circumstances

Equivalent international qualifications are acceptable. In general, international applicants will need to have achieved an overall IELTS grade of 6.0 with a minimum score of 5.5 in each component.

Languages

We’ve undertaken an objective assessment of the Welsh language skills needed to undertake the duties of this role. For this role:
Welsh language skills - Welsh skills are not essential. This means that you do not need Welsh language skills to undertake this role and these skills won’t be assessed during the recruitment process. How-ever, we actively encourage all staff to learn, or improve their Welsh language skills and offer a range of opportunities to suit everyone.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,302, Welsh Revenue Authority contributes £7,909 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• 31 days annual leave + Bank holidays, and 2 Privilege days
• Flexible and hybrid working
• Generous employer pension schemes with a contribution of upto 28.97%
• Tusker car scheme
• Vivup Cycle2Work and advances of salary for season Travel Tickets
• Lifestyle Benefits offering discounts on shopping, restaurants and entertainment
• Wellbeing hour each week
• Access to subsidised sports groups
• Generous family-friendly leave policies
• Free Welsh language courses and time off to learn
• Access to a range of staff diversity networks
• Free counselling and support service via our Vivup Employee Assistance Programme and Your Care Health platform
• A thriving culture that’s described as innovative, collaborative and kind.

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

We’ll always be clear about how we assess your application, at each stage of the process. This will usually include:

• Assessment of your Application Form and CV against the relevant Success Criteria
• A panel interview (if you’re successful at the initial sift stage) Interviews will take place in person.
• If any additional assessments are needed for this role, such as a test or presentation at interview, we’ll let you know in advance.
• Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted using the lead behaviour, Changing and Improving

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Leader so we’ll ask you if you need any adjustments at each stage of the recruitment process. So that we can support you in a way that works for you, we’ll offer a pre-interview accessibility chat to anyone that declares a disability or needs any adjustments. This will take place with someone who is independent of the recruitment process and you won’t be placed at any disadvantage as a result of needing adjustments.

A reserve list may be held for this role for applicants that have scored above the appointable threshold at interview. This means that if a similar vacancy becomes available in the next 12 months we may contact you to offer you the role.

We recommend you review the job description (or candidate pack) under the 'attachments' section before completing your application.

Success criteria

Behaviours

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Developing Self and Others

Identify gaps in own and team’s skills and knowledge, and seek learning opportunities.

Yes

No

Changing and Improving

Look for ways to use technology to achieve efficient and effective results.

Yes

Yes

Strengths

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Precise

You concentrate on detail and make sure everything is accurate and error free.

No

Yes

Improver

You look for better ways of doing things and enjoy coming up with new and original ideas.

No

Yes

Experience

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Experience of using Microsoft applications, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

Yes

No

Qualifications

Criteria

Assessed in personal statement and CV

Assessed during interview or assessment

Meet the course entry requirements –detailed on: BSc (Hons) Digital and Technology Solutions (Cyber Security) - University of South Wales

Yes

No

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.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

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 : WRA Recruitment Team
• Email : Recruitment@wra.gov.wales
• Telephone : 03000254000

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@wra.gov.wales

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. See the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles where this is set out.
If you feel your application has not been treated in line with the recruitment principles, and you wish to complain, you should contact the Head of HR.
Email: hr@wra.gov.wales
If you’re not satisfied with our response, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Digital Apprentice - Cyber Security Analyst (FINAL) Opens in new window (pdf, 390kB)Disgrifiad swydd - Prentis Digidol – Dadansoddwr Seiberddiogelwch cy_gb (FINAL) Opens in new window (pdf, 320kB)