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About the job
Job summary
About Us
MI5 and MI6 are part of the UKs Intelligence Services. We work together to safeguard the UKs 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, youll deliver impact at the heart of national security, all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive.
Job description
The Role
It’s an exciting time for Behavioural Science in the UK Intelligence Community. Were expanding our Occupational Psychology team to support our core purpose: continuous improvement, and our commitment to Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI). The Occupational Psychology team sits within the Corporate Psychology team: a centre of excellence in the application of Psychology and Behavioural Science to the central corporate functions of HR, Organisational Development and Change, EDI, Recruitment, Wellbeing, and Vetting.
Our highly respected team now has some opportunities for specialists in Organisational Development (OD) and Assessment. The Occupational Psychology Team is a community of skilled, enthusiastic, collaborative, and highly supportive Occupational Psychologists and specialists who are experienced in applying professional expertise to our unique range of settings.
Join our team and, drawing on your expertise in applied HR and Organisational Design (OD) settings, youll partner with a broad range of stakeholders and provide highly valued, people-focused advice, training, and consultancy across a fascinating range of roles, contexts, and challenges. Its not just varied work, its also vital: youll be at the heart of one of our most important services. Here, youll be exposed to the kind of challenges you simply wont find anywhere else. Its highly rewarding and youll enjoy substantial scope to expand your knowledge and skills.
In addition to working with stakeholders to resolve their needs, youll contribute your behavioural science expertise to a host of projects: everything from leadership development and talent management to employee engagement and behaviour change techniques. Youll use evidence-based methodologies to gather and analyse qualitative and quantitative data (for example, structured interviews, focus groups, questionnaires, qualitative analysis, and multivariate statistics).
Whatever the task or project, youll further embed EDI in our culture and champion behaviour changes across the Intelligence Services. Youll also drive innovation in your field, which means keeping up to date with trends.
Your exact role and location will depend on your preferences and experience, but key areas of focus will involve collaboration with:
– MI6 HR teams to co-create effective and innovative people solutions, and/or
– Our shared recruitment team, responsible for recruiting into MI5, MI6 and GCHQ.
Wherever you join us, you can expect plenty of time to engage with peers, enjoy Continuous Professional Development (CPD), and apply your expertise in all three organisations, in both corporate and operational functions.
Person specification
About You
As an Organisational Development or Assessment Specialist, youll bring knowledge and applied experience, drive and enthusiasm, and a collaborative approach. Passionate about your work and inspired to help non-specialists develop their behavioural science knowledge, youll aim to improve other peoples understanding.
Your credentials include a CIPD level 7, MSc (or equivalent) in Occupational or Business Psychology, Human Resource Management, Organisational Development or similar. Youll also have a talent for stakeholder management and delivering complex solutions in a range of HR contexts. Skills in areas such as OD, Change, Training Design, Behaviour Change, Leadership Development, Talent Management, Analysis, EDI practice and Assessment for Selection would be welcome (but are not essential).
You may be an HR professional with a social science background, an Occupational Psychologist, a Behavioural Scientist or another kind of people-related specialist. Whatever your background, youll thrive on collaborating to make an impact at individual, team and organisational levels.
Benefits
Training & Development
We offer continuing professional development (with financial support), peer collaboration, and regular opportunities for learning from across the UK Intelligence Services behavioural science community. Join us and you will also be affiliated with our Joint Behavioural and Social Science (JBaSS) community, a broader team of Practitioner Psychologists and Behavioural/Social Scientists from a diverse range of specialities. Whats more, therell be the flexibility to work across other functions as the Occupational Psychology capability develops.
Rewards and Benefits
Youll receive a starting salary of £43,172-£57,615 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.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
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 website:
https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity
https://www.SIS.gov.uk/explore-careers.html
Were Disability Confident
MI5 and MI6 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWPs Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our Offer of Interview (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:
Passing the eligibility stage
Meeting essential criteria for the role at the application form stage
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
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. Its an interview to explore your life and experiences, and its 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:
https://www.SIS.gov.uk/apply-now.html
https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). Its something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here:
https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/vetting
https://www.SIS.gov.uk/apply-now.html.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you cant take any recreational drugs and youll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
The role is based in London, so youll 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
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
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).
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Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Recruitment
- Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk
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