Joint Intelligence Organisation – Executive Officer -Private Office and Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC)

The Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) is offering an outstanding opportunity to work on high profile national security issues in support of the Chair of the Joint Intelligence Committee – a Permanent Secretary – and the senior JIO team.

This is a unique experience to the heart of the UK’s intelligence assessment and national security communities and requires candidates who are highly organised, proactive, engaging and comfortable working to a high standard under pressure, both independently and as part of a team.

You can read more about working for the JIO in the information pack attached at the bottom of this advert. 

About the JIO

The Joint Intelligence Organisation (JIO) primarily supports the Joint Intelligence Committee (JIC), the National Security Council (NSC), the Prime Minister and other key decision-makers by providing authoritative, robust all-source intelligence assessment on a vast range of national security and foreign policy priorities. 

Our work covers, and goes beyond, ‘traditional’ national security topics such as geopolitical issues and threats to British interests. We apply a national security lens to issues such as emerging technology, economic and health security, climate change and horizon scanning (for example, identifying and monitoring countries at risk of instability). 

You can read more about working for the JIO in the information pack attached at the bottom of this advert. 

The Role

The candidate(s) will fulfil a critical role within the JIO Private Office, supporting the JIC Chair, Directors and their Private Secretaries, and working across the organisation to ensure that it delivers effectively and efficiently. The Private Office provides direct support to: 

• The JIC Chair, a Permanent Secretary, who is also Head of the Joint Intelligence Organisation and the Prime Minister’s adviser on substantive intelligence matters; 
• The Directors of the Assessments Staff, who are responsible for overseeing the production of all source assessment in support of the Prime Minister and NSC; 
• The Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment/Director of Capability, who is responsible for professionalising the wider UK intelligence assessment community of thousands of intelligence analysts across multiple departments, and building Capability within JIO.

The nature of the role means it must be based in 70 Whitehall, London and is predominantly office-based. This role will require additional hours and flexible working during busy periods for which the relevant allowances are payable.

There may be more than one role available, and we may hold a reserve list for future vacancies.

Responsibilities

If your application is successful, you can expect to be involved in: 

• Managing the day to day business of the JIC Chair or Director, to ensure their time is spent most effectively, including managing their diary and day pack; 
• Support the Private Secretary;
• Building and utilising excellent relationships across Private Offices and teams across HMG, the UK Intelligence Community and international partners; 
• A ‘can-do’, proactive attitude is the most important asset we are looking for in a candidate.

If you have a desire to learn, then we will invest in you to develop your skills and expertise.

Skills and Experience Required 

The successful candidate should have: 

• Proven experience of being adaptable and enjoying working in a fast-paced, stimulating environment;
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with strong attention to detail and the ability to work accurately;
• The ability to effectively manage competing priorities and find solutions to problems under pressure;
• The drive to be an excellent team player who is willing to flexibly work across a wide portfolio.

Desirable Skills 

• Experience in the Private Office of a senior official or minister
• Experience of working in national security, foreign policy or related fields
• Experience of intelligence or all-source assessment
• Experience of, or an interest in, intelligence, foreign policy and national security issues;
• Experience of organisational and stakeholder management at a senior level;

We invest in upskilling our team members to enable them to thrive once they start working with us. As such, if you don’t quite match these desirable skills, don’t let it put you off applying as we will equip the successful candidate with them once you are in post. The application process will seek to gauge potential just as much as current performance.

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

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Annual salary increases will depend upon individual performance and contribution to the organisation’s success. In addition, there will be the opportunity to earn performance related bonuses.

Existing civil servants can take up the post on loan from their parent department for the duration advertised (permission from their parent department would need to be secured in order to take up the post). Those joining on level transfer will retain their current salary. Staff joining on promotion terms will receive up to a 10% increase of their current basic salary or the pay band minimum whichever is the greater. Staff joining on promotion will adopt the modernised terms and conditions of employment which came into force in 2013. 

Pension: There is a choice of excellent pension schemes. More information about pension provisions can be found at www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions

Flexible Working: Flexible working including job-share arrangements may be considered for this role.

Leave allowances: 25 days’ paid leave per annum rising to 30 days after five years’ service. In addition, full-time staff receive eight public holidays as well as competitive maternity, paternity, parental and adoption leave.

Probation: Staff new to the Civil Service will be required to serve a six-month probationary period.

Location: The post will be based in Westminster, London. No relocation costs will be available.

Crisis working: As the JIO and PHIA are at the heart of national security function for the UK, there are occasionally times where we need to respond to incidents of crisis or critical importance. Staff in any role may be asked to work extended or anti-social hours with little or no notice on such occasions.

Equality and Diversity: JIO is proud of a diverse and inclusive work environment, committed to fairness and the promotion of equality of opportunity for all. We know that having a range of experiences, ways of working and thinking makes us stronger and better at developing policy that reflects the needs of every community. We embrace different views and experiences and value the new perspective that people from a variety of circumstances bring to the work we do. We welcome applications from candidates who have not previously worked for the Civil Service, mid- and late-career changers with transferrable skills, people from all backgrounds and circumstances regardless of disability, gender, age ethnicity, LGBT+ identity and socio-economic status.  

Civil Service Code: All civil servants are subject to the provisions of the Civil Service Code which details Civil Service values, standards of behaviour, rights and responsibilities. Go to http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk for more information.

Job contact :

• Name : Vacancy Enquiries
• Email : info.applications@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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