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Job summary

We are seeking a highly organised and professional person to join the Northwood HQ STRAP Office, located at Northwood Headquarters. As part of a small team of four civil servants within the wider Northwood HQ Command Team, you will play a key role in delivering high-quality administrative support in a fast-paced customer facing environment.

The office based role requires an individual with exceptional organisational and communication skills, who can prioritise work and deliver results whilst working under pressure.

The post involves transmitting security clearances, maintaining databases, controlling access to secure areas and covering key duties during colleagues’ absences.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Job description

The post holder will play a vital role within a busy STRAP office responsible for safeguarding STRAP material, assets, and information at Northwood HQ. This position involves enforcing STRAP policy and providing assurance of compliance with Cabinet Office STRAP Policy, ensuring the highest standards of security are maintained.

As the STRAP Office Admin Support, you will be instrumental in supporting the efficient operation of the Northwood HQ STRAP office through a range of administrative and security related tasks. Your responsibilities will include triaging multi-user email inboxes across various IT systems, promptly assigning and managing correspondence to appropriate team members. You will regularly engage with external STRAPSO’s to ensure the correct security clearances are dispatched and received between organisations.

A key aspect of the role is maintaining and regularly updating the Northwood HQ STRAP database to ensure data accuracy and security. Additionally, you will provide essential cover for the HQ Briefing Officer and the other AO grade colleague during their absences. Due to the sensitive nature of the work and the security classification of the systems involved, this role is strictly office-based.

The role will suit someone who has the ability to manage competing priorities and a high workload efficiently, while maintaining attention to detail and security compliance. We require someone who is able to communicate clear and concise security guidance and instructions to a diverse range of audiences, including senior military and civilian personnel.

Full on-the-job training will be provided, and the successful candidate will be required to attend a two-day STRAPSO course, which includes an overnight stay.

Responsibilities

• Securely receive and transmit STRAP clearances for Northwood HQ personnel.
• Maintain accurate records of all personnel who have attended STRAP induction at Northwood HQ.
• Triaging multi-user email inboxes across various IT systems, dealing promptly with emails.
• Staff the front-desk dealing with face-to-face customer queries.
• Maintain and update the compartment database to ensure data accuracy and security.
• Conduct debriefs for departing personnel.
• Control and monitor access to secure areas within Northwood HQ.
• Enforce STRAP policy.
• Attend meetings as directed by the HQ Briefing Officer.
• Opening and close-down procedures for the HQ STRAP Office.
• Provide cover for the HQ Briefing Officer by conducting STRAP inductions for new joiners.
• Cover for the other AO grade during their absence by managing and sending out-of-area clearance signals.
• Perform a range of administrative duties including electronic and paper filing and record keeping.

Person specification

Essential Criteria:

• Sole British national.
• Office-based role with no remote working.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Ability to work efficiently and at pace.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office applications.
• Excellent organisational skills.
• Ability to work independently and manage own workload.
• Ability to manage customer expectations to ensure adherence to security policies.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience in STRAP security or related security discipline within the MoD.
• Experience in a military environment.

Behaviours

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,866, Ministry of Defence contributes £8,072 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 with an employer contribution of 28.97%

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD 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/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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.

In person interview at Northwood HQ. Dates TBC but likely to be the first two weeks in September.

At sift and interview, you will be assessed against the following Behaviours:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Managing a Quality Service

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.

There may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all DCS candidates that meet the minimum criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as a high volume of applications, seasonal demand, or peak periods, the employer may wish to limit the overall number of interviews offered to both DCS and non-DCS applicants.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Cyber & Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) generates and operates specialist capabilities, ready to fight across all domains to make the UK secure at home and strong abroad.

Always on, we are across every UK operation, delivering the capabilities you don’t usually see - or those you can’t.

From cyber warriors and medics to intelligence analysts, special forces, educators, and Defence attachés, our collective expertise delivers the warfighting edge Defence needs to deter threats and secure the nation today and prepare for tomorrow.

CSOC unites Defence’s cyber and specialist capabilities under a single, military command alongside the Royal Navy, British Army, and the Royal Air Force - acting as the UK’s fourth Military Command. For more information, please see here.’

Cyber and Specialist Operations Command (CSOC) is going through a significant transformation programme which aims to design the way in which the new Military Command conducts its business and delivers for Defence and the nation. As a consequence of this, posts within CSOC are/or may become subject to review and potential changes as we continuously improve across the period of the transformation programme. These changes may be minor or could be more substantive and will generate new opportunities. Throughout, the Command’s transformation programme is committed to following the MOD’s framework on managing and supporting people through the change process and places an emphasis on early and open consultation and engagement with the Command’s personnel and Trade Unions.

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 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

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 : Emily Knox
• Email : Emily.Knox102@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-Resourcingteam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

CSOC Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1777kB)MOD Candidate Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 25kB)Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (docx, 31kB)