Governance Support (UKSV)

Job summary

Could you help shape the future of governance in UKSV?

Governance is the cornerstone of UKSV ensuring rigorous, transparent Vetting, safeguarding sensitive information and maintaining public trust in our national security work. It enables accountability across the organisation and supports joined-up, timely actions across Government. This varied, important work developing and monitoring governance frameworks, risk registers, audits and assurance activities across government. The UKSV Governance team provides secretariat and administrative support to the decision-making boards across the organisation both internally and to our customers.

Job description

The UKSV Governance Officer will support the secretariat function to coordinate board requirements, raise issues and assist on escalation reporting. Your daily duties will include but not be limited to:

• Delivering excellent secretariat support to boards and committees to ensure effective running, including carrying out key administrative duties
• Accurately draft minutes of boards and committees to ensure these are done effectively and timely ensuring transparency of decision making
• Managing a forward look of agenda items, in-meeting facilitation, and capturing actions, minutes and decisions when required
• Managing proof papers working with paper authors to ensure the drafting of good quality, impactful papers which support effective discussions for decision making
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with stakeholders across decision making boards and the incremental change portfolio
• Commissioning actions and outputs on behalf of the Private Office
• Collaborating with programmes and projects to manage procedures relating to reporting requests

Person specification

As a Governance Officer within UK Security Vetting, we are looking for people who have the following expertise and attributes:

Essential:

• Excellent organisation and communication skills, particularly when working with multiple stakeholders
• Experience of operating flexibly, working at pace, planning and prioritising to meet tight deadlines
• An exceptional level of integrity with a proven ability to deal with sensitive material
• The ability to remain calm in challenging situations
• Understand and have the ability to see the bigger picture
• A team ethic and ability to build strong relationships with others
• Possess a very good working level knowledge of Google/MS tools, especially Slides/PowerPoint and Sheets/Excel

Desirable:

• Previous Governance/secretariat experience
• Knowledge of vetting processes

Additional information:

Cabinet Office policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. For some roles, due to their nature and the business need, this may be up to 100%. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a Quality Service
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,727, Cabinet Office contributes £8,611 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 which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and employer contributions of 28.97%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

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.

Application process

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a personal statement and Behaviour statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

At the sift stage you will be assessed on the Behaviours and Experienceelements of the Success Profiles.

You will be asked to provide a 250-word statement on the Behaviours Managing a Quality Service and Working Together.

Please provide a personal statement of no more than 500 words. It should provide a summary of your skills and achievements to show that you have the relevant experience, skills and attributes required for the role. Please detail your experience relevant to the role and carefully consider the criteria listed in the person specification.. Information is available on the application process (including what Civil Service Success Profiles is) and how to write your personal statement.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Behaviour, Managing a Quality Service. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

Selection process

At interview, you will be assessed on the Behaviours, Experience and Strengthselements of the Success Profiles.

The Behaviours being assessed are Managing a Quality Service and Working Together.

The Strengths assessed will be relative to the requirements listed in person specification and Behaviours being assessed so please read the advert carefully and consider what Strengths might be relevant to the role.

Your interview is expected to be conducted face to face, however there may be occasions where this will change. You will be notified of the location if you are selected for interview.

Expected timeline (subject to change)
Expected sift date – week commencing 10th April
Expected interview date/s – week commencing 5th May in Glasgow and week commencing 11th May in York
Interview location - Interviews will be held face-to-face in Glasgow and York

Reasonable adjustments

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service at: cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Further information

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.

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

Please note that this role requires SC clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. This is not an absolute requirement, but supplementary checks may be needed where individuals have not lived in the UK for that period. This may mean your security clearance (and therefore your appointment) will take longer or, in some cases, not be possible.

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

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.

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

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

Any move to Cabinet Office 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. Determine your eligibility at: https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.

A reserve list will be held for a period of 12 months, from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Cabinet Office 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.

Feedback

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

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 : UKSV Resourcing Team
• Email : uksv-resourcingteam@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.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 in the first instance you should contact Government Recruitment Service by email at : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission at info@csc.gov.uk. For further information on the Recruitment Principles and bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website at: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk.

Attachments

2026-02-24 Governance Support Job Pack.pptx Opens in new window (pdf, 6474kB)2022-11-04 Cabinet Office Employee Offer (7) Opens in new window (pdf, 344kB)2025-07-24 Cabinet Office Terms and Conditions - External (5) Opens in new window (pdf, 82kB)