Senior Chartered Occupational Psychologists London, England
Job description
About Us
MI5 and MI6 are part of the UK’s Intelligence Services. We work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests and businesses from various threats at home, overseas and online, including cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. Working across our vital missions, you’ll deliver impact at the heart of national security, all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive.
The Roles
It's an exciting time for behavioural science at the UK’s Intelligence Services. In 2022-23 we’ll see a crucial expansion in our occupational psychology teams, in support of our core purpose, continuous improvement, and our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity in all that we do.
We have a number of Senior Chartered Occupational Psychologist roles available in various parts of our community:
MI5's Corporate Psychology team: Recruitment and Selection – based in London
MI5’s HR team – based in London
MI6’s Corporate Psychology team: HR & Organisational Development - based in London
Although these are three distinct roles, we recognise that there is a common set of core skills and essential criteria. For this reason, applicants should submit a single application and will be automatically considered for all three roles. Applicants will be invited to express any preferences at a later stage in the selection process.
Successful applicants will become part of an enthusiastic and highly collaborative community of Occupational Psychologists, who apply their specialist expertise to our unique settings and challenges. There’s a strong ethos for continuing professional development (with financial support), peer collaboration and regular opportunities for shared learning across our behavioural science community.
Each of the three roles is aligned to a core team, as detailed below. However, successful applicants will also be affiliated with a broader team of Practitioner Psychologists and Behavioural/Social Scientists from a diverse range of specialties, with the flexibility to work across other functions as our occupational psychology capability develops.
1. Senior Chartered Occupational Psychologist
MI5’s Corporate Psychology team: Recruitment and Selection – based in London
As a Chartered Occupational Psychologist with expertise in applied HR settings, you’ll provide highly valued knowledge and applied expertise through working in partnership with our central recruitment service. In collaboration with other members of the Occupational Psychology team, you’ll design and develop high quality and innovative recruitment processes, and provide specialist expertise to advise, guide and train recruiters and hiring managers on key areas such as best practice in assessment, equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI), fairness and consistency.
- Work closely with a broad range of partners and customers, using the consultancy cycle to understand their recruitment needs and challenges, and to identify appropriate, evidence-based solutions based on occupational psychology research, equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) advice and best practice assessment methods
- Design and develop assessment systems and exercises in collaboration with Recruitment teams, using best practice methodologies (e.g. Situational Judgement Tests, online exercises, roleplay and written exercises, various styles of interview questions)
- Undertake job analysis and other evidence-based methodologies to identify important selection criteria, using a range of methods (e.g. interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, qualitative and quantitative analysis)
- Provide the recruitment teams with expert knowledge in EDI considerations in the recruitment context, optimising fairness and upholding standards
- Design/deliver learning and training in best practice assessment methods (e.g. assessment skills, interview design, job analysis workshops)
- Conduct and evaluate individual candidate assessment, including a range of personality-based measures
- Evaluate recruitment processes and assessment stage benchmarking using evidence-based practice, qualitative and statistical analysis techniques
- Provide quality assurance to assessment and selection processes (e.g. monitor and support assessors)
- Keep up to date with innovations and trends in recruitment, selection and EDI, in theory and practice (e.g. academic research, CIPD/BPS conferences) and seek to share and apply learning internally
- MSc in Organisational or Occupational Psychology or equivalent
- Data analysis skills. Ideally you should be proficient in MS Excel and be able to conduct statistical analysis using Excel, SPSS or similar statistical packages
- Experience and expertise in the following areas:
- Customer/stakeholder consultation at all stages of the consultancy cycle
- Delivery of complex requirements in an assessment context
- Design, delivery and quality assurance of selection processes for a variety of occupational groups and levels
- Pro-EDI innovation/intervention in an assessment/recruitment context
- Job analysis research and capability framework development
- Individual personality assessment delivery
- Best practice evaluation and validation in the assessment context
- Assessor/recruiter training
- Chartered Occupational Psychologist (HCPC Registered)
- BPS accredited test user in Occupational Ability and Personality testing (Level A and Level B)
- In-house consultancy experience
- OP Chartership supervisor and assessor experience
- Excellence in EDI-related knowledge and practice in an occupational context
- Delivery of OP expertise in a security context
- Expertise and experience in additional field(s) of OP (i.e. in a non-assessment and selection context)
- For Assessment Specialist roles, OP Chartership and BPS accredited test user status in Occupational Ability and Personality Testing (Levels A and B) are desirable rather than essential
2. Senior Chartered Occupational Psychologist
MI5’s HR team – based in London
MI5’s HR department seeks to create an inclusive, adaptive organisation with simple, effective corporate services that enable our current and future people to grow and thrive while keeping the country safe. As a Senior Occupational Psychologist with expertise in applied HR settings, you’ll collaborate with HR Professionals to provide essential advice and expertise to the MI5 HR community.
Rather than being embedded within a specific delivery team, your work would be project-based, pivoting as required to focus on the highest priority deliverables. This would give the successful applicant exposure to a range of work within HR, as well as the opportunity to work with our partners, MI6 and GCHQ, as many of our solutions are now being designed and implemented consistently across the UK’s Intelligence Services.
As a Senior Occupational Psychologist, you will bring to this role your knowledge and applied experience, your drive and enthusiasm for the role, and your ability to work well as part of a team. Although based in the MI5 HR team, you would also have the opportunity to engage with the wider Occupational Psychology community across the UK’s Intelligence Services, providing excellent opportunities for peer engagement and CPD activities.
- New Selection Model/Deployment Changes
- Design of the new internal selection assessment materials, utilising our new competency framework
- Design and delivery of training for hiring managers and independents
- Quality assurance and evaluation of new processes
- Future Internal Selection Model
- Work across the UK’s Intelligence Services with stakeholders at a strategic level to shape our new approach to internal selection across the three organisations, leading on MI5's requirements
- Play a key role in defining a joint approach to defining and measuring strengths, skills and aptitudes for use in the future selection process
- Undertake research, including job analysis and other evidence-based methodologies to identify important thematic role criteria
- Leadership & Talent
- Lead on developing our new 360 process for Senior Leaders
- Support in developing and refining our central leadership talent process
- Design from scratch how MI5 can best identify and develop talent at junior grades
- Performance Development
- Support the design of how MI5 embeds the use of competencies across performance development, talent and wider HR processes
- Monitor the use of the new competency framework, working with our partners MI6 and GCHQ to identify shared changes required following rollout
- Chartered Occupational Psychologist (HCPC Registered)
- MSc in Organisational or Occupational Psychology or equivalent
- BPS accredited test user in Occupational Ability and Personality testing (Level A and Level B)
- Experience and expertise in:
- Customer/stakeholder consultation at multiple stages of the consultancy cycle
- Delivery of complex occupational psychology requirements in a broad range of HR contexts
- Development of pro-EDI innovations/interventions
- Job analysis research and capability framework development
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis, with proficiency in MS Excel and ability to conduct statistical analysis using Excel, SPSS or similar statistical packages
- In-house consultancy experience
- OP Chartership supervisor and assessor experience
- Excellence in EDI-related knowledge and practice in an occupational context
- Experience and expertise in organisational development and change
- Delivery of OP expertise in a security context
3. Senior Chartered Occupational Psychologist
MI6’s Corporate Psychology team: HR & Organisational Development - based in London
The MI6 Corporate Psychology team is a centre of excellence in the application of psychology and behavioural science to the central corporate functions of Vetting, Recruitment and Wellbeing. This highly respected and collaborative team are now seeking a Chartered Occupational Psychologist to provide valued expertise across the full breadth of MI6 HR functions.
As a Senior Occupational Psychologist with expertise in applied HR and organisational development (OD) settings, you’ll collaborate with HR Professionals and other Occupational Psychologists to provide essential advice and expertise to the MI6 HR community.
You will bring to this role your knowledge and applied experience, your drive and enthusiasm and your ability to work well as part of a team. You will have a natural ability and interest in developing the behavioural science knowledge of non-psychologists, with the aim of augmenting the quality and efficacy of other people’s knowledge and understanding.
- Work closely with a broad range of partners and customers, using the consultancy cycle to understand their HR needs and challenges, and to identify appropriate, evidence-based solutions based on occupational psychology research, equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) advice and best practice
- Provide occupational psychology and organisational development expertise to a broad range of HR project work that may include (but not be limited to):
- talent management and career development, both internal within MI6 and across the Joint Behavioural and Social Science (JBaSS) community
- leadership development
- behaviour change techniques across organisational change, communications and strategy
- internal assessment and selection
- employee engagement
- appraisal development
- Further embed our commitment to equality, diversity and inclusivity (EDI) across our people practices and working culture
- Champion of behaviour change approaches across the UK’s Inteligence Services’ behavioural science teams and other government departments
- Drive and utilise internal and external occupational psychology, HR and behaviour change research and innovation
- Chartered Occupational Psychologist (HCPC Registered)
- MSc in Organisational or Occupational Psychology or equivalent
- BPS accredited test user in Occupational Ability and Personality testing (Level A and Level B)
- Experience and expertise in:
- Customer/stakeholder consultation at multiple stages of the consultancy cycle
- Delivery of complex occupational psychology requirements in a broad range of HR contexts
- EDI-related knowledge and practice in an occupational context
- Organisational development and change
- Qualitative and quantitative analysis, with proficiency in MS Excel and ability to conduct statistical analysis using Excel, SPSS or similar statistical packages
- In-house consultancy experience
- OP Chartership supervisor and assessor experience
- Experience and expertise in organisational behavioural change
- Job analysis research
- Delivery of OP expertise in a security context
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £54,495 - £57,615 (depending on role) plus other benefits including:
- 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
- Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Excellent pension scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
- Paid parental and adoption leave.
- Flexibility for partial home working (2-4 days per week dependant on business need).
Equal Opportunities
At MI5 and MI6 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our websites:
https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity
https://www.MI6.gov.uk/explore-careers.html
We’re Disability Confident
- Passing the eligibility stage
- Meeting essential criteria for the role at the application form stage
What to Expect
- The first thing we will ask you to do is complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria. If you do meet these criteria, we will then ask you to fill out a full application form where you will need to create a log in and provide your full name, email address and a memorable password.
- Our recruitment team will conduct a sift of your application. Successful applicants will be invited to an assessment centre where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate key behaviours relevant to the role.
- If you pass this stage, we will then start the vetting process, which includes a Security Interview. This interview is an important part of the selection process. It’s an interview to explore your life and experiences, and it’s not a competency or capability-based interview.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Before You Apply
To work at MI5 and MI6, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
For roles based in London, you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. A loan is available to support people relocating to London.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Right to Withdraw Statement:
Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
