NCSC Small Organisations Resilience Officer Ref. 2814

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Technology Roles
Cheltenham, London
Permanent
Starting salary of £36,836 plus National Security Payment of £2,330 subject to mandatory training. London Allowance of £6,250 for London contracted employees.

At GCHQ, we unlock the complex world of data and communications to keep the UK and its citizens safe, both in the real world and online. Working closely with our British Intelligence partners in MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from threats including serious organised crime, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. A role in GCHQ means you’ll have varied and fascinating work in a supportive and encouraging 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 Economy and Society Resilience team is one of four Resilience teams in the NCSC. Directly contributing towards the delivery of HMG’s National Cyber Strategy, the team provides cyber security support, guidance, products and services to a wide range of sectors including businesses, educational organisations and charities. The team prides itself on being diverse, friendly and supportive, and is regularly one of the highest scoring teams for “engagement” in the staff survey. We are currently recruiting for a GC09 Small Organisations Resilience Officer to join the team.

The Small Organisations Resilience team works to empower small organisations in the UK to enhance their cyber resilience and prevent cyber attacks from causing them harm. The Small Organisations Resilience Officer will work with the team to deliver this vision and will contribute to cross-NCSC projects which are developing a variety of interventions to protect and empower small organisations online. This will require engagement with government partners, law enforcement and industry, as well as working with colleagues across NCSC.

A substantial amount of work can be delivered from home but travel to London or Cheltenham will be required. 

We are open to receiving applications from people who wish to work flexibly, part-time or in job share roles, and are willing to consider reducing the scope of the role to accommodate this.

Job Description

What will the successful candidate be doing?

The Small Organisation Resilience Officer will support our work with a wide range of partners in industry, other government departments and law enforcement to develop and deliver interventions which improve the cyber resilience of small organisations.

The responsibilities of the role will include:

•    Supporting delivery against the NCSC business plan and the Small Organisations Programme. This includes helping to develop and disseminate a suite of cyber security guidance, products and services for small organisations. 
•    Working with partners within HMG, law enforcement and industry to ensure a consistent approach to the dissemination of guidance, products and services to small organisations both nationally and locally.
•    Representing the NCSC externally at a range of different meetings and events with partners and stakeholders. 
•    Writing and delivering presentations, reports and briefings as required. 
•    Working closely with NCSC colleagues to further develop the suite of cyber security guidance, products and services for small organisations. Working across NCSC to ensure your work maximises impact and efficiency across the department.
•    Ensuring the principles of Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are included in every action undertaken.
•    Measuring and reporting progress against team Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) to demonstrate the impact of the work to enhance cyber resilience for small organisations.
•    The scope of these responsibilities may be subject to change as the work of the team evolves to meet requirements of HMG’s National Cyber Strategy and the NCSC’s Business Plan.


Person Specification

We are looking for candidates who are enthusiastic, proactive, organised team players who can comfortably engage with a wide variety of external and internal stakeholders. Previous external relationship management experience is essential, and the candidate should be willing and able to represent NCSC externally, attending meetings and presenting both in person and online as required. Training and support will be provided. 

The role is not technical and previous cyber security experience is not essential, however a demonstrated ability to engage with partners on technical subjects would be beneficial. There may also be opportunities to use relevant technical skills and knowledge in the role and to more broadly support the NCSC’s objectives. The NCSC’s Cyber Security Development Framework is available to support colleagues’ development and informal learning via colleagues also provides a proven route to cyber literacy.

GCHQ Competency Requirements

•    Communication and Knowledge sharing - Higher
•    Corporate Vision and Efficiency - Intermediate
•    Change and Innovation - Intermediate
•    Analysis and Decision Making - Intermediate
•    Contribution to Delivery - Higher
•    Managing the Customer Relationship - Intermediate
•    Working with and Leading Others - Intermediate

You can familiarise yourself with the general competencies we use to assess the aptitude of candidates here - Recruitment Process


Benefits we offer

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

You’ll receive a starting salary of £36,836 plus an annual National Security Payment of £2,330 subject to mandatory training. A London Allowance of £6,250 is applicable for London contracted employees. 

Potential opportunity to qualify for a skills payment.

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.
•    A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Selection Process

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’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.

The role is based in Cheltenham or London so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. 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.


What to Expect

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

On the application, you will be asked to provide a personal statement, please explain why you are suitable for the role and the skills and experience you will bring (up to 250 words).

•    Application sift
•    Interview
•    If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment subject to vetting.

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.

We’re 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:

•    External Relationship Management Experience
•    Application sift – you will need to meet the minimum criteria for the competencies listed for the role.

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:

Our Vetting

To work in this role, you will need the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community must go through and it can take some time. As part of the DV process you will be asked to fill in a detailed questionnaire and attend an interview with a vetting officer. In your interview the vetting officer will have a thorough, compassionate, and honest discussion with you about you as a person and your life experiences, to ensure holding a DV clearance is right for you. You don’t need to do any preparation for your vetting interview, just be honest and be yourself. All applicants for DV are treated impartially and consistently, irrespective of gender, race, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics.


The closing date for this role is: 11:55pm 28th March 2023.

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.

This Program / Vacancy is closed to applications.