DWP Entry Level Security Professional Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Job description
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Business area
Type of role
Operational Delivery
Policy
Project Delivery
Security
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Are you:
- ready to do critically important work that is both interesting and varied?
- seeking a new challenge working at a level of scale and complexity rarely found elsewhere?
- someone who excels at building effective working relationships to solve real world problems?
- a curious person with a willingness to learn new skills, gain professional qualifications and be supported in progressing your career goals?
DWP security are looking for highly motivated people with a passion to challenge themselves in a targeted learning environment – an environment that will provide training, coaching and experiences aimed at:
- rapidly develop a broad baseline of organisational and security knowledge
- growing a range of transferrable skills towards a new professional specialism
- providing targeted experiential and technical training, all supported by expert coaches and mentors
We are an organisation with national coverage, we operate with geographically dispersed teams. Because we are committed to working together flexibly, it is possible that travel to other DWP offices with occasional overnight stays may be required as part of the job. One of the advantages of being an exemplar employer is we are committed to working flexibly and this includes being considerate of wellbeing and family life when making decisions about travel and overnight stays.
Additionally, because of the confidential and sometimes top-secret level information that security professionals handle, it is important for the successful candidates to be willing to undertake SC level security clearance prior to taking up duty. Details on what this means can be found here: National security vetting: clearance levels - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
Job description
The successful candidates will benefit from an initial full-time 13-week immersive training programme, aimed at rapidly developing a baseline of organisational knowledge and supporting early development of essential technical security skills. This will be delivered through a blended programme of classroom, on-line and experiential learning.
During this initial training programme, you will have to opportunity to put your current skills to use, whilst developing new ones - skills unique to the Government Security Profession. You will be supported by a dedicated programme team on your development journey, as well as a mentor and a range of subject matter experts, who will help you to progress through the timetable.
The first part of the programme has been designed to build capability at pace, with lots of support, so that you rapidly increase your understanding and knowledge of DWP business and the role that security plays in enabling its safe delivery. Through this experience, we will introduce you to the variety of roles and career paths available to you as a new member of the DWP security profession community.
There are no requirements for qualifications – our successful applicants will receive a comprehensive learning offer and onward learning experience, including the opportunity to take certificated training in the following Security courses:
CISMP, NIST Awareness, SANS SEC301
On completion of the initial training period, you will move into a team in one of the priority specialist areas within Security and Data Protection, where you will continue to develop your skills and acquire security qualifications required to help you to continue developing in your new role. You will be fully supported during this time through a blend of in-role coaching from your Line Manager, advice and guidance from a independent senior mentor and sponsor, as well as pastoral support from the Security Profession Capability Team who run the development programme.
You will then be posted to work in one of the following specialist security teams to continue your development:
Cyber Resilience Centre (CRC) provides a single point of contact for cyber security monitoring, threat/vulnerability assessment and incident response. Protecting the personal information we hold about citizens that enables colleagues to serve customers effectively.
Data Protection Office ensures DWP has data protection policies, procedures, and guidance in place to meet the needs of the department, wider government, and citizens.
Enterprise Security Risk Management team help identify and manage all security risks and supports policy changes.
Security Policy and Compliance Services creates and develops security policies; sets Security professional standards and provides a range of services aimed at growing the maturity of the Department’s security posture.
As you continue along your career path as a new security professional you will remain supported on your learning journey to gain new skills and experiences, specific to your new role. We consider ourselves to be a learning organisation and have a very comprehensive career development offer here in DWP Security. We invest in learning that will both improve in-role capability as well as help you to achieve personal career aspirations.
Applications are welcome from candidates with a desire to work part time or job share. However, please be aware that you will need to be prepared to attend on a full-time basis for the initial 13-week training period. Your pay will be adjusted to reflect this temporary adjustment. In these circumstances you will be given details of your revised times of attendance for the period of the training event by your line manager. Time off in lieu may be taken as an alternative to payment at the discretion of your manager, subject to the needs of the programme and applications will be considered on a case-by-case basis.sible to candidate)
Person specification
Essential Criteria:
Demonstrate a commitment to personal and professional development:
- self-motivated and curious, someone who seeks and acts on feedback to improve performance.
Have strong interpersonal skills:
- able to communicate in an authentic and engaging way to influence colleagues and stakeholders.
Be comfortable working in a changing work environment:
- enjoys working flexibly and has the energy to solve business problems through collaboration with colleagues.
Be able to make effective decisions:
- able to apply reason and make sensible situational judgements.
Responsibilities:
Key responsibilities for the level of this role include, but are not restricted to, the following:
Skills & knowledge:
Skills associated with the range of roles at this level include the ability to motivate employees, manage people, financial and/or other resources, and to communicate effectively with a broad range of people at different levels, (both inside and outside the organisation).
Problem solving:
You will be required to act independently and where necessary, be innovative in devising solutions to problems as they arise. This may involve changing the way work is done or considering which one of a number of approaches to take in tackling a problem, threat or risk. For instance, in operational areas, this may include revising or removing steps in a work process to increase efficiency and improve value for money, redistributing resources across work areas because of changes in priorities and dealing with unexpected increases in workload. In policy areas it may involve identifying the potential effects of a particular course of action and submitting options, within a broader framework of policy or guidelines. In more specialist jobs you may have to carry out investigative work, or research, to identify problems and recommend possible solutions.
Decision making/autonomy:
The level of the advice, the type of decision to which you contribute and the influence exerted on decision makers will vary depending on the nature of the job and the degree of specialist knowledge you build in-role. Jobholders can be expected to regularly provide information and advice and to suggest or recommend a course of action based on their own research and analysis.
Management of resources:
This is a management role and so generally includes responsibility for team performance, employee performance and development, for general personnel and in some cases, financial management at unit level.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Developing Self and Others
- Working Together
- Communicating and Influencing
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Developing Self and Others
Benefits
- 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 average employer contribution of 27%
- Family friendly work policies
- Flexible working hours
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension
- 23 days Annual Leave and Bank holidays from day 1 of employment (25 days’ post qualifying period)
- Paid training courses to gain relevant qualifications
- Discount schemes
- Travel to work schemes/loans Salary Information
Existing Civil Servants:
For existing Civil Servants normal Civil Service rules on successful appointment will apply. Those who secure a new role on lateral transfer will maintain their current salary. Existing Civil Servants who gain promotion will move to the bottom of the next grade pay scale or 10% increase in salary whichever would be the greater.
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work at home will be determined primarily by business need but personal circumstances and other relevant circumstances will also be taken into account. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working, including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas
If you would like further information on this vacancy and would like to meet the recruitment team and hear about the benefits of joining Security and Data Protection, register for the Eventbrite Coffee and Chat on Monday 27th March 16:00 17:00 DWP Entry Level Security Professional Tickets, Mon 27 Mar 2023 at 16:00 , Eventbrite
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Stage 1: Civil Service Judgement Test - On-line Assessment
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 03/04/2023. If you fail to complete the online test and written application before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website
Stage 2: Application (& sift)
As part of the application process you also will be asked to complete a CV & 1000 word personal statement and a 250 word lead behaviour of Developing Self and Others (from civil service success profiles). The panel will use the information relating to your employment/education history (your CV) and your personal statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge. When giving details of your employment/education history, you should therefore include details of the work and projects that you have been involved in, and your key achievements.
Applications must include:
1. A completed Personal Details application form.
2. A brief curriculum vitae* detailing education and full employment history.
3. A 1000 word personal statement outlining how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job advert.
4. 250 words lead behaviour: Developing Self & Others
More information in the attachment below
A NOTE ON ANONYMISATION *Due to DWP’s use of anonymised recruitment practices it is not possible for applicants to upload/attach a CV; any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form. Please ensure you provide sufficient information to enable to sift panel to make an informed judgement about your suitability for this role. IMPORTANT INFORMATION Please include all other information that you would customarily provide when presenting a CV/cover letter, as the sift panel use this information to assess your application. DWP operates an anonymised recruitment process. When entering information relating to your employment history you will be asked to remove any personal details that could be used to identify you. This relates to name and contact details which might usually appear on your CV/Cover letter. Failure to do so will result in your application being withdrawn.
This job role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work. The number of days that anyone will be able to work from home will be determined primarily by business need, but personal circumstances will also be considered. If you are successful, any opportunities for hybrid working including whether a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for you, will be discussed with you prior to you taking up your post.
Stage 3 – Group discussion exercise - briefing for this will be provided in advance. Successful applicants will be invited to book a group discussion exercise via MS Teams. This on-line session will last up to 2 hours and will involve being set a topic for discussion and with reference material with options to do your own research. Applicants will be observed and assessed on how they perform during the discussion, how they interact with others, reasoning, judgement, adaptability and their behaviour as outlined in the Communicating & Influencing Success Profile
Only candidates that have been successful at the previous stage will be invited to interview.
Stage 4 – Interviews – via MS Teams The final stage of the process will be an interview where you will be assessed against the Civil Service behaviours outlined in the advert. You will also be assessed on strength based questions as part of the interview process.
Sift and Interview information:
Applications will be sifted at regular intervals from the date the posts are advertised, so please apply as soon as you can, do not wait until the end of the campaign. Sifting for this role will be concluded as soon as possible after the advert closes. Sifting – w/c 3rd April
Assessment Centre sessions: Tues 25th, Weds 26th April, Weds 3rd, Thurs 4th May
Interviews: Weds 17th, Thurs 18th, Tues 23rd, Weds 24th, Thurs 25th May
The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. If evidence of plagiarism is found your application will be withdrawn.
Further Information
Find out more about Working for DWP
A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.
You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.
For meaningful checks to be carried out, you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. Whilst a lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance, and expectation of UK residency may range from 3 to 5 years. Failure to meet the residency requirements needed for the role may result in the withdrawal of provisional jobs offers.
Any move to DWP 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
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 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 [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing.
DWP takes development seriously. Our aim is for our colleagues in these roles to be appropriately skilled and qualified – as determined by the business. To support this aim you may be required to undertake a work based qualification, which may be in the form of an apprenticeship, which will support you in further developing your professional knowledge and skills for this role and your future career development. The qualification can be undertaken in work time, you agree to take this job on the basis that you may be required to undertake a work based qualification; a candidate’s failure to participate fully in the professional programme, once appointed, may be a breach of their employment contract.
Important
If you hold a level 3 qualification (2 A levels or equivalent) then please bring your certificates with you to the interview if you have them.
Reasonable Adjustment
At DWP we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.
We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:Contact Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
Complete the “Reasonable Adjustments” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team :
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service Commission.
