UK NACE Principal Security Skills and Behaviours SME

Job summary

FCDO SERVICES

Principal Security Skills and Behaviours SME

£62,561 plus a location allowance of £1,750 and excellent benefits

Based in Hanslope Park, Milton Keynes with occasional travel to London and overseas sites

Free shuttle bus available between central Milton Keynes and Hanslope Park

At FCDO Services we protect the UK’s interests at home and overseas. We design and construct secure government buildings and courier diplomatic packages worldwide, safeguard government tech and a whole lot more. Our work is as varied and vital as it gets, but we never lose sight of our people. Their skills, aspirations and growth mean as much as the global mission we’re on. In our world, it all matters.

Primarily based at Hanslope Park with occasional travel to London, with some travel overseas.
The successful candidate must hold DV+ clearance or be willing to undertake such clearance.

Job description

Beyond our worldwide work in construction, logistics, and more, we're also home to the UK National Authority for Counter Eavesdropping (UK NACE). Working at the cutting edge of technology, the teams at UK NACE guard against technical espionage, provide policy advice to the government, investigate threats, and more – all to protect our nation's secrets. Now, you’ve got the opportunity to join them.

Keeping the nation’s secrets, secret

Working on one-of-a-kind projects

Vital to national security

It all matters

Use all your leadership skills as you help protect the UK from security threats

When you join our small and supportive team in this new role you’ll lead the development, implementation and maintenance of Technical Security skills for UK NACE. As one of the country’s three National Technical Authorities, we operate across-government, and along with our colleagues at the NCSC and NPSA, help to set the relevant approaches and standards. Working to define skills and behaviours, you’ll provide strategic leadership and expert advice to ensure practitioners and capabilities remain effective against evolving threats. We’ll also expect you to help shape the future direction of the technical security specialisation, collaborating with technical threats and operational teams to ensure skills frameworks remain effective, and to develop, enhance and promote UK NACE recommended technical security skills standards across government and industry.

Working closely with your colleagues, you'll translate technical standards into practical guidance, skills frameworks, and career development opportunities. By developing professional pathways aligned with our technical security needs, you'll help ensure the profession has the skills and capabilities required to meet current and future demands. With this in mind, you’ll build relationships with universities, academic institutions and industry to enhance opportunities and promote technical security qualifications, and champion innovation, professional development and continuous improvement. Representing UK NACE with HMG and our international partners, you may also be asked to represent our organisation at governance boards, professional forums and other events.

Develop your career as you support our global mission

To be a success in this significant role you’ll be a recognised technical security professional with practical experience in Technical Surveillance Counter Measures, and the ability to influence senior stakeholders while driving outcomes in complex security, government, defence or industry environments. Capable of developing, implementing and maintaining professional standards, competency frameworks and workforce capability programmes, we’ll also expect you to possess the skills to apply technical security countermeasures in operational environments.

Your excellent interpersonal and communication skills will allow you to build your credibility and engage with a diverse range of stakeholders, and your collaborative approach will see you sharing your knowledge, supporting your less experienced colleagues, and briefing senior managers and customers. When it comes to qualifications, a degree would be an advantage but isn’t essential – we’re more interested in your knowledge of the fundamentals that underpin our work – these include radio frequency theory, applied physics, electronic and electrical theory, thermodynamics, digital signal processing, acoustics, mechanics and the built environment. This is an exciting opportunity to shape how we manage new services as you take your career to the next level with the UK’s most important security organisation.

Discover the support you need to grow your career further

But we’re always looking to improve – just like you. That’s why when you join us, expect to receive a competitive salary, generous holiday entitlement and a Civil Service Pension. Along with this, you’ll also have access to training and other development opportunities to help grow your career with us. Our offices have an on-site gym, nursery, café, and restaurant, and we offer interest-free loans on season tickets and bikes to help you get there. It's a great set of benefits made to support all you do, and all you need.

Want to see your future team’s work in action? Step into our Virtual Embassy and select a guide to take you round to see how we deliver for government customers and how you could help. Explore the embassy now at virtual-embassy.fcdoservicescareers.co.uk

Every single colleague must be security cleared before joining us. If you’re successful in your application, we’ll ask you to undergo our vetting process to achieve Developed Vetting (DV) clearance. You can find out more about vetting at fcdoservicescareers.co.uk/how-to-apply/

To find out more about our benefits and our organisation, please visit fcdoservicescareers.co.uk

Closing date: 4th October 2026

It takes a diverse team to protect a diverse world

The vital work we do takes an incredible community of colleagues, with different skills, backgrounds, cultures and identities. We support every individual, so that you always know you’re welcome and valued. It’s what makes us a Disability Confident employer. And why we’re recognised as a ‘Carer Confident’ workplace. And it’s how you know you’re joining an inspiring, inclusive organisation.

Person specification

• Recognised technical security professional with significant expertise and practitioner experience in Technical Surveillance Counter Measures (TSCM).

• Experience of influencing senior stakeholders and driving outcomes in complex security, government, defence or industry environments.

• Experience in developing, implementing or maintaining professional standards, skills frameworks, competency frameworks or workforce capability programmes.

• Practical experience of applying technical security countermeasures in operational environments.

• Excellent communication, engagement and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence at all levels.

• Degree level or equivalent knowledge of relevant engineering and scientific fundamentals that support and underpin TSCM activities and technology such as RF theory, applied physics, electronic/electrical theory, acoustics, thermodynamics, digital signal processing, mechanics, and built environment.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Recognised technical security professional with significant expertise and practitioner experience in Technical Surveillance Counter Measures (TSCM).
• Experience in developing, implementing, or maintaining professional standards, skills frameworks, competency frameworks or workforce capability programmes.
• Experience of influencing senior stakeholders and driving outcomes in complex security, government, defence or industry environments.
• Degree level or equivalent knowledge of relevant engineering and scientific fundamentals
• Excellent communication, engagement and stakeholder management skills, with the ability to build credibility and influence at all levels.
• Practical experience of applying technical security countermeasures in operational environments.

We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:

• Recognised technical security professional with significant expertise and practitioner experience in Technical Surveillance Counter Measures (TSCM).
• Experience in developing, implementing, or maintaining professional standards, skills frameworks, competency frameworks or workforce capability programmes.
• Experience of influencing senior stakeholders and driving outcomes in complex security, government, defence or industry environments.
• Degree level or equivalent knowledge of relevant engineering and scientific fundamentals

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,561, FCDO Services contributes £18,123 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).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension
• A leave allowance of 25 days per annum
• 9 days per annum public and privilege days

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, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply for this role, you will be asked to provide your CV, a personal statement, and provide answers to some job specific/technical skills.

Your CV and personal statement will not form part of the assessment they will provide an insight into your work history and experience.

Your CV should include:

• no personal identifying details
• career history with key responsibilities
• achievements
• qualifications

Your personal statement should outline your interest in the role.

Candidates will only be sifted on answers provided to the technical/ job specific questions which are outlined in the application form.

Those that are successful will be invited to a Face to face interview.

At the interview you will be asked a blend of questions on technical/job specific skills and behaviours.

You will need to complete a job specific exercise, assessment, or presentation along with the interview questions.

Candidates who are judged to be close to meeting the criteria may be considered for other positions in FCDO Services which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

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 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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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 : Fcdoservices.recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk
• Email : Fcdoservices.recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : Fcdoservices.recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should contact FCDOServices.Recruitment@fcdo.gov.uk in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from FCDO Services, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For more information, please visit their website.

Attachments

Candidate Pack- UK NACE Principle Security Skills and Behaviour SME.. Opens in new window (pdf, 1880kB)