Senior Manager Government Security Group

Do you want to help secure His Majesty’s Government and deliver key HMG objectives? In Government Security Group (GSG), we’re at the heart of leading, enabling and assuring Government security. We recruit people who are motivated to help improve and secure HMG – if you’re interested in doing this then read on, especially if you think security isn’t for you. 

 The Government Security Group (GSG) is the centre of the Function, based within the Cabinet Office. GSG is transforming the Government’s approach to protective security to ensure it is fit to meet the challenges of the digital age. These roles offer an exciting opportunity to work in a fast-paced, dynamic team, with a breadth of stakeholders including in other Government departments, the National Technical Authorities and the Agencies, and to contribute to delivering improved security across Government. 

Who are we? GSG is a large, friendly team, based in a number of cities across the UK – Glasgow, London, York, Manchester and Bristol. We come from all backgrounds and walks of life.

We think differently to each other, and we like it that way! We are proud to think outside of the box and work in ways that suit our individual needs best, regardless of role or grade:

• Many of us work compressed hours or part time and we respect individual reasons why. We champion work/life balance, allowing our team to fulfil their commitments. We’ll support you in your passion projects and personal development, with recent examples including writing a book, volunteering and finishing a PhD. 
• We work in a hybrid way, splitting time between home and the office.
• GSG staff come from a range of professional backgrounds providing a blend of skills and experience to deliver our objectives. You don’t need to have a security or cyber background, not all of us do, but we’re connected in our passion for securing HMG. 
• We support our people’s learning and development (L&D): staff receive at least 10 days dedicated to L&D each year. GSG invests £1,500 in team members’ L&D and regularly encourages and supports wider L&D opportunities too.
• We care deeply about Equality, Diversity and Inclusion, and hold ourselves to account as a Government department to ensure we’re representative of the country we serve. Alongside wider Cabinet Office EDI networks, we have our own GSG EDI objectives, workstreams and groups all delivering initiatives and changes to create an inclusive, diverse and happy workforce.  

Our best bits and key objectives: 

• GSG is the strategic centre of the security function. There are around 11,000 of us working in different departments across Government who join together to protect HMG from attacks and disrupt attempts to break our security. 
• We can’t list all our teams here, but as an idea of what you could be working on we have a diverse range of roles and areas such as: 
• Cyber Operations (stopping attacks on HMG systems and infrastructure)
• RED Teaming (exercising our ability and experiences to ethically ‘hack’ government systems to better develop our security)
• Strategy and Policy (developing the rules and guidance on anything from securely sharing with foreign partners/countries to setting risk on vetting and security)
• ROSA (Building SECRET IT to keep our secrets safe for the foreseeable)
• HR/People/Finance functions (managing millions of taxpayer money effectively and proportionally, developing our staff and creating a great culture to work in)
• We have a range of roles and opportunities on offer. You don’t need to be a cyber and/or security expert, we want people who want to be part of our team doing great things, with a passion to deliver HMG objectives and a motivation to learn and develop. We’re committed to tailoring L&D to suit your needs so you’ll have opportunities to strengthen your skills and experiences to progress within GSG and the wider Cabinet Office

This campaign is looking for Senior Executive Officers to work across the following work streams:

SEO Future Working at SECRET Strategy and Delivery Planner

SEO Professions Team Manager

SEO Cyber Learning Manager

SEO Project Support Manager 

Applicants are invited to nominate the specific post and location that they would like to apply for, though the variety of positions on offer will allow us to invite successful candidates to join the team in a role that we feel will suit their individual skills and talents.

These posts are in a national team that works a hybrid work pattern with occasional travel required to London and other national offices.

About the Roles:

Role 1. SEO Future Working at SECRET Strategy and Delivery Planner (1 Post).

This role is advertised at Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester or York.

IT IS NOT ADVERTISED AT A LONDON LOCATION. 

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key part in a team charged with making a real difference to the way Government works in today’s challenging cyber environment.  You will be immersed in a collaborative effort across the defence, national security, civil government and law enforcement communities along with the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC), the UK’s National Technical Authorities (NCSC, NPSA and NACE) and FIVE EYES allies to plan collectively for the introduction of new services to meet existing and emerging requirements that will make a real difference for business conducted at SECRET.

In a small team within GSG, you will support one G7 and one G6, who report to a single SCS1, SCS2 and then to the SCS3 Government Chief Security Officer. You will play an integral part in the development and adoption of this cross-government strategy, capturing and analysing requirements for working at SECRET, and helping translate these into a set of coordinated Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) bids.  

Externally, you will focus on engagement across the broad set of stakeholders to help ensure the smooth running of this complex work.  Internally, you will mirror that approach, working closely with GSG colleagues to help inform a fully joined-up approach across all the directorates.  You will act as the secretariat for the entire project and be intimately involved in developing management reporting and other communications material to inform and support seniors. 

This role offers an excellent opportunity to extend yourself and make a difference.

There will be some requirement to travel within the UK with this role. 

Key Responsibilities 

• Managing the day-to-day detail of all relevant work streams within GSG and of all dependencies on complementary work streams in other organisations to meet time and quality targets necessary to deliver the strategy and plan.
• Organising the engagement with departments and other organisations being undertaken by the team and supporting the G7 on specific engagement tasks where required. 
• Supporting the analysis of captured requirements. 
• Providing the secretariat function for the Secret Interoperability Steering Group (SISG) and such other boards as may be(come) relevant to this area of work.
• Producing stakeholder communications material as required, to include progress dashboards and draft papers for senior decision-making boards.
• Helping in the drafting of any Cabinet Office Spending Review bid to enable this work and supporting the G7 and G6 in co-ordinating complementary bids from other departments. 
• Providing proactive support as required to one G6, one G7 and such others who may join the team. 

The successful candidate will be able to evidence their experience in fields relevant to the services we deliver.

Role 2. SEO Professions Team Manager (2 Posts)

These roles are advertised at Glasgow, York or London   

The Government Security Profession (GSP) Team is responsible for understanding the Security Professions capability needs, and developing a learning and careers offer to ensure that everyone working across the profession can develop the skills they need to have progressive and fulfilling careers. We work closely with our leaders, corporate colleagues, staff networks, other professions and external delivery partners to prioritise and promote investment and engagement in talent acquisition, talent development, L&D, D&I and our employer value proposition.  

Since our inception three years ago, we have developed the Security Profession career framework, a centrally funded training programme, created two in-house Leadership Development Programmes, introduced Level 4&6 Apprenticeship Programmes, designed the Cyber Fast Stream for the Civil Service’s flagship leadership programme and improved the learning offer for our Cyber teams.  

This is a really exciting position for someone who is looking to gain experience in a role which is cross-cutting, as we work with all departments across Government where there is a security presence. You will gain exposure and experience in all aspects of our current talent, leadership and learning portfolio and support our future ambitions. You will also have the opportunity to work on corporate projects, like our D&I and Communications Strategies.

You will lead and deliver continuous quality improvement to talent practises for the full employee lifecycle of security professionals including talent attraction, onboarding, L&D, development programmes, succession planning and talent mobility. The team also develops capability through our coaching and mentoring platforms. 

The successful candidate will be able to evidence their experience in fields relevant to the services we deliver. 

Key Responsibilities:

• Shape and influence delivery by working in partnership to meet the needs of a number of stakeholders across the UK security community, central teams in the Cabinet Office and Civil Service HR.
• Procure L&D content fit for a specialist, professional environment, working with third party suppliers of provision services ensuring value for money and overseeing costs and budgeting.
• Act as subject matter expert providing professional advice and guidance to senior leaders, managers and colleagues to build organisational understanding of equality and diversity, to meet the needs of clients and support the development of inclusive culture.
• Develop a blend of specialist L&D activities that will cover technical training and leadership, with particular emphasis in upskilling core Cyber skills. Using data effectively to understand trends and anticipate future requirements.
• Ensure that every L&D intervention includes robust evaluation of the effectiveness and measurement of return of investment.
• Lead on creative projects including researching new and emerging creative approaches. Work alongside the GSG Communications team to deliver creative production for conferences and events. 
• Chair regular forums, updating on talent initiatives, building trust in how we manage talent. 

Guided by your own career interests and capability, you will manage your own portfolio of one or more of our talent initiatives, ensuring the delivery and quality of: 

• Level 4 & Level 6 Apprenticeships, 
• Cyber Fast Stream,
• In-House Leadership Programmes
• Centrally funded L&D offer
• A comprehensive curriculum for cyber skills
• The Security Profession D&I Strategy
• The Professions team Communications and Marketing Strategy 

Role 3.   SEO Cyber Learning Manager (1 Post).

THIS IS A FIXED TERM APPOINTMENT FOR 12 Months

This role is advertised at Glasgow, London or York.

Working as part of the programme delivering the Government Cyber Security Strategy you will come to the role with cyber technical learning expertise, to identify gaps and opportunities to develop cyber technical skills at all levels delivered through social learning, master class events, qualifications including masters and security awareness offer to upskill civil servants and senior leaders.  

To build on the critical learning support offered within the profession on cyber skills and extending the full range of learning activities to develop cyber skills at all levels in Government. This includes identifying the cyber security skills required now and for the future that supports accreditation in line with the UK Cyber Council.  

The role will also develop programmes supporting career paths into the profession at many entry points, aligned to new cyber standards. It will also include working with our partners across Government to look at building cyber awareness for civil servants and leaders.

Key Responsibilities: 

• Building on the critical learning support offered within the profession around cyber security to meet GSP’s ambition to address key skills gaps in Government Security.
• Ensure that cyber security learning is fully represented across the full range of GSP learning activity.
• Develop an accreditation model working with the UK Cyber Council to pilot key government roles.
• Design accelerated learning programmes, attracting and developing new to cyber skills.
• Working with academia and the private sector to develop schemes to attract cyber expertise to the profession.
• Develop a cyber career path in collaboration with our technical authority and integrate with the UK council to design a clear approach.
• Identify and make alignment between Government cyber security standards and those within the private sector.
• Working with our partners across Government to look at building cyber awareness for civil servants and leaders across diverse Government areas.

Role 4. SEO Project Support Manager (1 Post).

This role is advertised at Bristol, Glasgow, Manchester, York.

IT IS NOT ADVERTISED AT A LONDON LOCATION 

This is an exciting opportunity to be part of the programme to improve cyber security across Government.  This role will lead on providing support and assurance to projects developing plans and business cases. You will also be working with the rest of the team to identify and manage other cross cutting thematic risks that may emerge as the programme develops. This role will evolve over time. As you and the team successfully address the largest issues that we have, you will move on to new challenges.

 Key Responsibility

 The post holder will be responsible for:

• Business case support – Provide guidance and advice to project teams on the requirements and development of business case, using organisational templates and the 5 Case Model from HM Treasury. 
• Seeing the bigger picture of business cases – Ensures that all relevant organisational factors for change are incorporated within a comprehensive business case.
• Plan development – Support project planning activity and work with them to support delivery of the business case benefits and outcomes.
• Plan assurance – Challenge and test project assumptions to ensure that plans are realistic and achievable. Support the project manager to identify options to optimise delivery through resource smoothing, resource levelling and rescheduling of activities.
• Capability development – Support capability building and the use of best practice in planning, business case development and reporting. Provide expert advice for team members and project community.
• Risks and issues – Lead other potential risk areas, working with the Programme Manager and escalating as appropriate to support the wider oversight and delivery of the programme.

Experience (All Roles) – As demonstrated in your CV & Statement of Suitability.

Person Specifications Essential Skills (All Roles):

• Strong management and leadership experience, managing people and performance.
• Effective decision making and stakeholder management skills. Building and maintaining relationships with a wide range of stakeholders
• Ability to manage change and adjust to shifting priorities in a constantly evolving environment.
• Strong planning and organisational skills
• Excellent written & verbal communication skills able to adapt your communication to various different audiences.

Desirable skills (All Roles):

• Experience, interest or understanding, security profession, cyber or information technology across Government.
•   Relevant business/role qualifications or membership of professional bodies.

Locations: 

Each post is advertised at different locations, when selecting locations in the application process, it is expected that you will be based at one of the advertised locations for that role. Do not select a role with a location you are not prepared to travel/commute to and work at on a regular basis each week.

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

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

• Leadership

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service Pension which provides an attractive pension, benefits for dependants and average employer contributions of 27%.
• A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by one day per year up to a maximum of 30.

Job contact :

• Name : GRS
• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : cabinetofficerecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk