NCSC Senior Events Manager Ref. 3284

About us

GCHQ is an intelligence, cyber and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ you’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
 
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, is the UK Government’s lead authority on Cyber Security. The organisation is at the heart of the Government’s Cyber Security Strategy and has the aim of making the UK the safest place to live and work online. 

The NCSC Events team excels in delivering high-profile stakeholder events which have a reputation for quality of delivery, professionalism, inclusivity and strong promotion of the NCSC brand.

Job Description

We’re looking for a forward-thinking and dynamic Senior Events Manager to join our energetic, fast-paced, and collaborative team. Reporting to the Head of Events, you’ll lead a team of three to deliver our annual programme of events. This includes the NCSC’s flagship conference, CYBERUK, large-scale internal events, and other key stakeholder events throughout the year.

You’ll oversee the planning and execution of event marketing for CYBERUK utilising email, social media, website, and advocacy tools. 

Responsibilities include creating communication plans, and copywriting web and email content, ensuring adherence to brand identity guidelines across all channels. Furthermore, the role involves overseeing delegate management including identifying the target audience, handling invitations, managing the applications/approval process, coordinating delegate communications, and managing onsite registration. 

Additionally, you’ll oversee the sponsorship campaign, working closely with our events delivery partner and senior communications leadership. 

A key responsibility will be to manage the process for recruiting and approving sponsors and exhibitors for CYBERUK, which contributes around £1.6m to the event budget. You’ll also lead the team to manage the end-to-end delivery of other internal and external events at the London HQ and around the UK.

This role offers a fantastic opportunity for professionals eager to advance their careers by leading a dynamic and agile team within a larger organisation. It provides the chance to shape and grow the team, making a significant impact. 

What will the successful candidate be doing?

You’ll oversee essential aspects of the CYBERUK 2025 event project, focusing on sponsor and exhibitor evaluation coordination, and interactions with NCSC alongside our event delivery partner and communications planning. 

And regularly champion the use and development of event software tools, including an event registration platform and Dynamics (CRM) Customer Relationship Management. You’ll ensure events are designed and delivered as inclusively as possible, in line with NCSC’s (EDI) Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion objectives. And manage event data in line with GDPR compliance, completing some data analyse and visualisation to help with event evaluation. 

This position involves reviewing and drafting event branding and communications, including creating graphic design briefs for external event partners. The role requires acting as a point of contact and source of expertise for event delivery, providing training, tools, and frameworks to help colleagues across the business deliver successful events.

You’ll be responsible for and manage budgetary spending for events, coordinating with the commercial team as needed. Line manage 2 x Senior Event Officers directly and 1 x Event Officer indirectly, and handle finance requisitions for events-related expenses (training provided). There’s an expectation that you’ll participate in training and attend relevant conferences to enhance professional and personal development, focusing on areas like event best practices, events technology, cybersecurity, and government communication skills.

Who Will Love This Job:

This role is perfect for someone looking to take their first step into a leadership position within a larger team. If you’re passionate about events, especially within the technical industry, and have experience managing or mentoring a team, this opportunity is for you. 

We value individuals who are supportive of their team’s growth and development have a motivated personality with excellent attention to detail and enjoy working across multiple teams on various projects. If you’re happy to travel, enjoy onsite event management, and love getting involved in all elements of a project, you’ll thrive in this role.

The successful applicant will need to have:

We’re seeking a candidate with substantial experience in events and/or events-focused account management. The ideal candidate will have a keen interest in event management and marketing, with a passion for technology and cybersecurity. 

Experience in line managing or mentoring, with a proven record of team development, is essential. You should have experience working with an agency to deliver complex events or similar projects and proficiency in event management tools and other tools such as CRM and polling.

An understanding of budgeting and cost management, with the ability to manage third-party vendors, brief, liaise and manage costs, is required. You must possess meticulous organisation and prioritisation skills, with the ability to juggle multiple projects and events in parallel. 

A collaborative teamwork and stakeholder engagement style is crucial, along with flexibility to work varied hours and travel to events or other locations, with occasional nights away from home. Evidence of stakeholder and customer relationship management is necessary and experience in branding, digital marketing, and content creation would be beneficial.

GCHQ Competencies

The NCSC will assess you against competencies used by the UK Intelligence Community. These competencies are based closely on the Civil Service Behaviours. The Level 3 competencies you will be assessed against are:

•    Driving Innovation and Change (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Changing and Improving)
•    Communicating and Influencing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Communicating and Influencing)
•    Making Effective Decisions (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Making Effective Decisions)
•    Delivering Outcomes (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Delivering at Pace)
•    Providing Customer Value (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Managing a Quality Service)

Further information on Civil Service Behaviours

Benefits and Rewards

At NCSC and GCHQ, we are proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment that is designed to encourage open minds and attitudes. As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential. With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we’ll enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.

You’ll receive a starting salary of £50,937. 

For roles based in London, you’ll receive an additional £6,250 London Allowance. 

Other benefits:
•    25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
•    An environment with flexible working options
•    Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
•    Interest-free season ticket loan
•    Cycle to work scheme
•    Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
•    Paid parental and adoption leave.
•    Excellent pension scheme - Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Equal Opportunities

At GCHQ 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.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html

Disability Confident

GCHQ are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s 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:

•    Proven experience in delivering events or managing complex projects – assessed at application sift. 

•    Proven time-management skills and the ability to perform effectively under pressure –  assessed at application sift 

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

•    Online Application
•    Application sift
•    Interview

If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment.

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 to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work at GCHQ, 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 is 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 cannot take any recreational drugs and you will need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discretely.

The role is based in Cheltenham, London or Manchester, so you will need to live within a commutable distance of any of these locations. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.

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.

The closing date for this role is: 29th August 2024

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.