UK Based Overseas Security Advisor

Job summary

The Integrated Protective Security Command (IPS) is responsible for securing the NCA to protect the public. IPS safeguards the NCA from the full range of security threats that target the Agency, our officers and our assets, to enable the organisation to achieve its operational objectives, both domestically and overseas.

IPS officers provide specialist security services to the Agency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to mitigate security risks. People are at the heart of the NCA and IPS play a key role in ensuring the Agency stays at the forefront of combating serious and organised crime.
IPS are responsible for the security of people, processes, technology and standards, operating across the NCA to support operational and non-operational teams, along with the Command team, to ensure the Agency remains resilient and retains public confidence in a volatile and complex threat landscape.

This Business Area is comprised of seven vital capabilities: Business Continuity and Disaster Recovery, International Security, Operational Security, Physical Security, STRAP & Supply Chain Security and Technical Security.

The NCA Operational Security Team works within the NCA Integrated Protective Security command. Our role is to maintain relationships with all NCA areas of business, being operationally focused in providing pragmatic operational security advice and guidance to enable the NCA to conduct its U.K and overseas operations safely and securely.

Our core role being to help protect all NCA staff, its operations/investigations, assets, capabilities and reputation.

Job description

We are recruiting 2 Grade 3 Overseas Security Advisor's to join our team, The successful candidates will provide specialist international security advice to either Europe, Africa or the Americas regions.

The NCA has Officers based across the globe in what is called the International Liaison Officer (ILO) network. These ILOs lead UK law enforcement engagement with international partners. They gather and share intelligence, and lead operational activity to disrupt SOC.

The NCA International Liaison Officer (ILO) Network comprises 163+ officers, including ILOs and specialist roles. These officers are deployed in 50 countries worldwide, providing a coverage of over 130 countries. Some of these Posts are located in higher threat or fragile environments. The security for these Officers is supported from the UK by a team of Overseas Security Advisors. This necessitates regular engagement with the ILO network and their respective International Desks. The Overseas Security Advisor will routinely travel to ILO Posts to ensure security standards and support implementation of threat mitigation measures (personnel and physical security). The Overseas Security Advisor may be required to travel to ILO Posts in response to security or critical incident (FCDO Crises Management and NCA BCP Invocation).

NCA Overseas Security Advisors deliver independent specialist security and risk management advice to key partners in the NCA, including ILO Network, International Department and NCA Senior Leadership Team. The provision of expert and impartial security guidance ensures NCA international staff, buildings, assets and information are protected from a range of threats, including espionage, terrorism and crime.

Overseas Security Advisors are responsible for the NCA Overseas Security Assurance regime. This identifies and promulgates best practice and organisational learning through a ‘check and challenge’ process. The Overseas Security Advisor is responsible for planning and coordinating the Overseas Security Assurance visits across the ILO networks, drafting comprehensive reports on Country specific threats/risks and related security compliance. The Overseas Security Advisor will make recommendations to enhance NCA overseas Post’s security posture. Where appropriate, to review overseas security incidents and other organisational risks to assess and help minimise impact on NCA international operations . The expectation is that the Overseas Security Advisor will deploy regularly overseas, around 80-120 days per annum (typically 1-2 weeks at a time, with longer deployments based on business need).

Partnerships –
The NCA Overseas Security Advisor is expected to develop and maintain partnerships with key security stakeholders across the one HMG overseas platform. This ensures mutual understanding of the country specific threats and agree mitigation measures to enable overseas staff to perform their duties. This will entail participation in work streams and strategic projects that impact upon the security position of NCA overseas operations.

Please Note - There may be a future requirement to participate in an on-call rota. If required, this will be for one week at a time (Mon-Sun) at a recurrence of several times per year.

If you do perform on-call duties, where eligible, you will be entitled to an On-Call allowance for each session you are on call

Duties and Responsibilities

Single Point of Contact for Operational Security - Act as the first point of contact to advise the NCA ILO network, Regional Desks and International Managers on overseas security management.

Identify and review threats - Identify and review threats to NCA International operations, recommending appropriate mitigation measures and controls

Assess Security Incidents - Review overseas security incidents when they occur, assess associated risks and make informed recommendations to minimise the impact on both UK and International operations. Provide response and support to NCA BPC invocation and related FCDO Crises Management

Promote a culture of Risk and Security - Promote a culture where operational risk is recognised, valued and practiced throughout International deployments & global operations, investigations and projects

International security standards promotion - Establish and promote systems and security processes ensuring good practice and common standards are shared and implemented across the international network

Assurance and compliance - Provide independent second line defence areas for audit, assurance, review and compliance

High Risk deployment advisory support - Where appropriate, provide advice for written risk assessments for the organisation and/or senior management to assist in the process of authorising high-risk deployments (both within the United Kingdom and overseas)

Collaborating with Others - Maintain close relationships with key UK partner agencies, in particular the FCDO, Partners Across Government and MOD

Risk Assessment Guidance - Assessment and delivering advice on the completion of Operational Deployment Plans, Travel Risk Assessments and NCA International deployment Risk Assessments

Responding to security events - To provide operational security risk mitigation advice to teams and business units both in the UK and abroad, to ensure operational and other activity is conducted with reduced likelihood of compromise

Person specification

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Knowledge and understanding of global threats - Detailed understanding of global threats to the UK, including country specific threats (espionage, organised crime and terrorism)

Gathering and reporting Sensitive Intelligence - Excellent knowledge of intelligence gathering and protection of sensitive source reporting

Risk Management Principles - Thorough understanding of risk management principles

Experience of Managing Risks - Good understanding of risk management relating to intelligence handling

Legislation - Good knowledge of UK legislation and associated international operations

Security Assurance - Knowledge of security assurance

Organisational Skills - Organisation and planning

Communication - Excellent interpersonal skills

IT Skills - Information technology

Report Writing - Experience in conducting detailed independent assurance regimes and resulting reporting/recommendations

Decision Making - Experience in effective decision making with accountability for decisions made reporting/recommendations

Background in law enforcement - A Background in law enforcement/military or other relevant government department. Ideally with previous experience of operating overseas in fragile environments

Analysing Information - Experience of analysing and assessing information from a range of sources

Behaviours

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

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,575, National Crime Agency contributes £16,100 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.

If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).

Other benefits include:

• Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
• Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
• Housing schemes - Key Worker status
• Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway , Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
• Staff support groups/networks
• Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)

Further information is available on the NCA Website.

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.

How we will assess you

Your application will be assessed against the following:Experience - This will be assessed:Experience Criteria - will be assessed by 500 word examples on:

• Experience of assessing and managing International security threats and risks within law enforcement, defence or national security?

• Experience in effective decision making with accountability for decisions made

• Experience in conducting detailed independent Security assurance regimes and resulting reporting/recommendations

A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.

Longlist

In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.

- Experience of assessing and managing International security threats and risks within law enforcement, defence or national security? .

Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.

You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.

We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.

Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.

For guidance on the application process, visit:
NCA Applying and Onboarding

Assessment 1

The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.

Success Profiles at Assessment

Behaviours

• Seeing the Big Picture

• Communicating and Influencing

Experience

• Experience of assessing and managing International security threats and risks within law enforcement, defence or national security?

• Experience in effective decision making with accountability for decisions made

• Experience in conducting detailed independent Security assurance regimes and resulting reporting/recommendations

Assessment OutcomeOutcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.

In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:

1. Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
2. If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
3. If still tied, application sift scores will be used

Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.

Vetting requirements - SC Enhanced

Prior to commencing the role, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance and then achieve both DV Enhanced and DV STRAP clearance within the first 12 months in post.

Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records. We encourage all candidates to visit the NCA Careers Page for more information.Full advert details for this vacancy can found on the advert on the NCA Recruitment Portal. Please follow the link to apply at advertisers' site

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

Security

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.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 : The Recruitment Team
• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk

Further information

If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email: Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk (quoting the vacancy reference).
If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.