We encourage applications from people from all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the wider society that we serve. We pride ourselves on being an employer of choice. We champion diversity, inclusion and wellbeing and aim to create a workplace where everyone feels valued and a sense of belonging. To find out more about how we do this visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice/about/equality-and-diversity.
About this role
A Commission that serves the people of Northern Ireland
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery (ICRIR) is being set up to provide information to families, victims and survivors of Troubles-related deaths and serious injury, and to work towards reconciliation for all parties.
I accepted the role of Chief Commissioner because I believe this is worth doing. The people of Northern Ireland and all those affected by the Troubles need the legacy of the past to be properly dealt with. Previous attempts to address this have failed but that doesn’t mean we can simply give up.
The importance of reconciliation is known by all those who have been affected by the Troubles and its legacy. For each and every person, that will mean something different. I want the new Commission to be designed in the way that best serves the people of Northern Ireland.
I believe we have a real opportunity here to deliver the answers that people are looking for. To do this, we need to build an independent organisation that’s founded on integrity, expertise and fairness.
Sir Declan Morgan, Chief Commissioner-designate
Who we are
The Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery will be established by the Northern Ireland Troubles (Legacy and Reconciliation) Bill which is in its final stages of becoming law. The primary role of the Commission will be to provide information to families, victims and survivors of Troubles-related deaths and serious injury and to promote reconciliation.
The Commission is being established as an independent, arms-length body. It will be classified as a Non-Departmental Public Body. The ICRIR Programme Secretariat, an autonomous business unit of the Northern Ireland Office, is supporting Sir Declan Morgan to undertake preparatory work for the Commission, and once it is established, staff may transfer into the ICRIR. In advance of this, we are building the teams and the capabilities the new Commission will need.
The Commission will have its HQ in Belfast and further operational sites in Northern Ireland and London. Travel to all locations will be required, but hybrid working arrangements will help us support a range of flexible working patterns. This is an exciting opportunity to join an organisation with a unique and vital remit.
About this role
Job title: Security Adviser Grade 7
Number of roles: 1
Salary: The national salary range is £54,358 – £61,585. London salary range is £58,847 – £66,670. Your salary will be dependent on base location.
The successful candidate will adopt the terms and conditions of the NIO for the length of their appointment. Neither Detached Duty terms nor relocation costs will apply to this post.
Location: Our main operational base will be Belfast, with a small office presence in London. Applications from candidates based in Northern Ireland or London are welcomed.
Please note these roles are not part of the Northern Ireland Office and will be based in our offices in May Street, Belfast. Until the Commission is legally established in December, some details on our listings will refer to the Northern Ireland Office’s departmental headquarters in Erskine House.
Occasional travel between our two offices will be required. You may also work from your home address, in line with guidance on hybrid working and with the agreement of your line manager. However due to the nature of the role regular office attendance will be required.
Contract type:
This role is being offered on a Fixed-term/Loan basis for a 12-month loan with a possible extension.
Duration: 12 months
Security level: You will need to be cleared to DV level or be able to achieve this level of clearance. Already holding clearance would be an advantage.
Closing date: 6 November 2023
Job description
The role will set up the security function within the corporate division of the newly formed ICRIR. The role is expected to work across multiple workstreams, supporting the over-arching strategy and vision of the organisation. This will include opportunities to work closely with and across other workstreams such as information management, IT and estates. The role will set up policies and processes for security and be responsible for management of services.
This is an exciting opportunity for an ambitious security professional to develop their career in a role where there’s the opportunity to set policy, innovate and create a security function for a new organisation. The role heads up the new Security team, reporting to the COO.
The successful candidate will be strategic in approach, ensuring the Security function supports demanding delivery objectives through the products it supports. The successful candidate will use knowledge and expertise to gain credibility to support the senior management team in ICRIR.
This is a fantastic opportunity for an ambitious professional to develop their career and gain a wide breadth of experience. As a key part of our leadership team, you will be a member of the wider Corporate Services senior management teams.
Duties and responsibilities
The organisation will be responsible for delivery of a high quality and efficient service, which enables the business of ICRIR to meet and manage our regular encounter of threats.
The post holder will be responsible for managing the overall security posture of the body when formed, providing advice to staff and operational incident response to security related incidents. The team will be responsible for protection of our people, sites and infrastructure from a range of complex and challenging threats, ranging from protesters through to counter-intelligence issues.
It is anticipated that the postholder will engage constructively with security experts within the public sector/Govt to ensure the highest standards of security are met. The role will offer the opportunity to develop, lead and manage a varied portfolio of work. You are expected to develop strong working relationships with teams across the organisation, responding to security matters as they arise, seeking solutions and providing advice based on the broader security risk profile. As part of our wider stakeholder engagement, you are encouraged to develop working relationships across public Sector and Government.
The postholder will be expected to be flexible and willing to take on emerging issues as necessary; duties may include but may not be limited to the activities listed below:
- The role is a specialist role and will provide a spectrum of support, guidance and advice across the organisation.
- Develop, devise and implement Personnel and Physical Security policies, protocols and procedures
- Responsible for leading, managing and providing direction to the Business Units to ensure that policy, processes and legislation are adhered to, whilst simultaneously working with the public sector and government security experts to ensure that strategic direction is appropriately aligned.
- Support the wider leadership team and executive team where required providing insight, analysis and solutions to issues within the Security environment.
- Able to influence up to board level with both internal and external stakeholders Responsible for overseeing the development of a postitive security culture, end to end incident management response process and overseas travel policy.
- The role holder should be confident in working with public sector and government security partners and utilising technology to streamline processes and enhance customer experiences.
- Provide periodic reporting to demonstrate progress along business plan milestones and management key performance indicators.
- Control budgets and financial costs ensuring management unit and service providers budgets / costs are met in line with expectations.
- Prioritise physical and personnel security work strands, setting and ensuring adherence to KPIs.
- Lead on the Departmental Security Health Check response, reporting back to the parent department on current standards and plans for improvement (physical, personnel and incident management). Ensure a cross cutting response to threats and incidents, proactively briefing and emplacing technical support.
- Responsible for management of the cryptographic account, cyber security policy, physical security and incident management.
Person specification
Essential criteria:
The successful candidate will have:
- significant experience working in highly secure environments in government or industry.
- Outstanding interpersonal/communication skills demonstrating the capacity to work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to engender trust, cooperation and buy in
- Proven, demonstrable experience of developing, influencing and implementing policies across boundaries and through multi-discipline teams to deliver successful outcomes.
- Outstanding leadership and management skills, with the ability to mentor, motivate and drive the performance of the Security team remit and outputs.
- The capacity and capability to apply good judgement and respond to complex, dynamic situations.
- A high degree of resilience and personal credibility, and confidentiality. Together with enthusiasm and commitment to deliver.
- Proven and demonstrable experience of managing and delivering projects within taut time frames and budgetary limitations.
- Essential to hold or be able to achieve DV clearance.
Desirable criteria:
- A good understanding of the political and security environment in Northern Ireland.
- Specialist expertise in cyber security and / or Information Security.
- Experience of managing contracts and acting as an intelligent customer.
- Membership of the Security Institute or equivalent accredited body.
Selection process
You can apply for this post through Civil Service website at civilservice.gov.uk
We recruit using Success Profiles. More information on behaviours and success profiles can be found here.
The selection and interview process will consist of two stages.
Sift
Please provide a CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any gaps within the last two years.
Please also provide a statement of suitability (max 1000 words) setting out your key skills and experience against the essential and desirable criteria listed in the person specification.
Interview
At your interview, you will be assessed on the following success profile behaviours:
- Managing a quality service
- Working Together
- Changing and improving
- Seeing the big picture
If you have any questions or would like an informal chat about the role before applying, please contact: [email protected]
Expected timeline
We will try and offer as much flexibility as we can, but it may not be possible to offer alternative dates for assessments or interviews. You are therefore asked to note the below timetable. Please note that these dates may be subject to change.
Closing date for applications: 6 November 2023
Sift: W/C 6 November 2023
Interviews: W/C 20 November 2023
Please note that if you are successful in your application, you will be asked to list any interests you have which may be relevant to this role and consider any potential conflicts of interest.
Our recruitment process
All applications for employment are considered strictly on the basis of merit. This job description should not be taken as constituting conditions of employment.
Additional information received after the closing date will not be considered. Failure to provide sufficient information in support of an application prior to the closing date will not be considered as grounds for an appeal if an applicant is not shortlisted for interview.
Guaranteed Interview Scheme
We operate the Guaranteed Interview Scheme, details of which are attached to the application form for this post.
Merit lists
If we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list from which further appointments can be made for a period of 12 months. This may include roles at a lower grade. If you don’t want to remain on the reserve list, please contact [email protected] to be removed.
FAQs
Is this role suitable for part-time working?
This role is available for full-time, or flexible working arrangements (including job share partnerships).
Where will the role be based?
[For roles where the base is negotiable – The post can be based in Belfast or London. Whichever office you choose to be based in, weekly travel to our other office may be required to support delivery of key objectives. Relocation costs will not be reimbursed, however, travel costs between Belfast and London can be reclaimed as an expense.
Can I claim back any expenses incurred during the recruitment process?
No. Unfortunately we will not be able to reimburse you, except in exceptional circumstances and only when agreed in advance.
What nationality do I need to hold in order to apply?
To be eligible for employment to this role you must be a national from the following countries:
- The United Kingdom
- The Republic of Ireland
- The Commonwealth*
- A European Economic Area (EEA) Member State
- Switzerland
- Turkey
Certain family members of EEA, Switzerland and Turkish nationals are also eligible to apply regardless of their nationality. (*Commonwealth citizens not yet in the UK, who have no right of abode in the UK and who do not have leave to enter the UK are ineligible to apply.) For further information on whether you are eligible to apply, please visit Gov.UK.
Reserved for UK nationals
Certain posts, notably those concerned with security and intelligence, might be reserved for British citizens. This is not a reserved post.
Is security clearance required?
Yes. If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to DV level. Information about the vetting process can be found online.
What reasonable adjustments can be made if I have a disability?
We are committed to making reasonable adjustments in order to support disabled job applicants and ensure that you are not disadvantaged in the recruitment and assessment process.
If you feel that you may need a reasonable adjustment to be made, or you would like to discuss your requirements in more detail, please contact [email protected].
Do you offer a Guaranteed Interview Scheme for Disabled Persons?
Disabled applicants who meet the minimum selection criteria in the job specification are guaranteed an interview. Selection will be on merit. If you wish to claim a guaranteed interview under the Disability Commitment, please indicate this in your application. It is not necessary to state the nature of your disability.
Is this recruitment guided by Civil Service Commission principles?
This recruitment is not overseen by the Civil Service Commission. However, the recruitment process will still be governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. More detailed information can be found on the Civil Service Commission website.
What do I do if I want to make a complaint?
The law requires that selection is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, contact mailto:[email protected] in the first instance.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Commission, please visit their web pages:
http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitment/complaints/
https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/code/
What should I do if I think I have a conflict of interest?
Candidates must note the requirement to declare any interests that might cause questions to be raised about their approach to the business of the ICRIR. If you believe that you may have a conflict of interest, before submitting your application please contact [email protected].
Data sharing
We will ensure that we will treat all personal information in accordance with data protection legislation, including the General Data Protection Regulation and Data Protection Act 2018.
The legal basis for processing your personal data
Processing is necessary for the performance of a task carried out in the public interest.
Personal data are processed in the public interest because understanding employee experiences is important to inform decisions taken to improve these experiences, and ultimately organisation performance.
Sensitive personal data is personal data revealing racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious or philosophical beliefs, or trade union membership, and the processing of genetic data, biometric data for the purpose of uniquely identifying a natural person, data concerning health or data concerning a natural person’s sex life or sexual orientation.
The legal basis for processing your sensitive personal data
Processing is necessary for reasons of substantial public interest for the exercise of a public body: it is important to know if groups of staff with specific demographic characteristics have a better or worse experience, so that appropriate action can be taken to level this experience.
Processing is of a specific category of personal data and it is necessary for the purposes of identifying or keeping under review the existence or absence of equality of opportunity or treatment between groups of people with a view to enabling such equality to be promoted or maintained.
Please note if you are successful in your application, your sensitive personal data will be used as part of the on-boarding process to build your employee record.
For further information please see the GDPR Privacy Notice.
Our offer
We offer a pleasant, modern, hybrid working environment which supports a range of flexible working arrangements, offering a good work/life balance. These include flexible/ alternative working patterns, part-time and job-share options.
You can choose whether to work from our Belfast or London office, although occasional travel will be required to both. Unfortunately relocation costs cannot be reimbursed.
Benefits
Pension
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package. ICRIR are developing a competitive pension scheme where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension.
Season ticket and bicycle loan
Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket or a new bicycle.
Generous annual leave and public holiday allowance
25 days annual leave on entry, increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after five years’ service. This is in addition to eight public holidays.
Staff wellbeing
Flexible working: There may be access to Flexible Working Schemes allowing you to vary your working day as long as you work your total hours.
Generous paid maternity and paternity leave which is notably more than the statutory minimum offered by many other employers.
Childcare benefits (policy for new employees as of 5 April 2018): The government has introduced the Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Working parents can open an online childcare account and for every £8 they pay in, the government adds £2, up to a maximum of £2,000 a year for each child or £4,000 for a disabled child. Parents then use the funds to pay for registered childcare. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers, so please check how the policy would work for you here.
Onsite facilities: Opportunity to use onsite facilities including fitness centres and staff canteens (where applicable).
Personal development
Whatever your role, we take your career and development seriously, and want to enable you to build a successful career. It is crucial that our employees have the right skills to develop their careers and meet the challenges ahead, and you’ll benefit from regular performance and development reviews to ensure this development is ongoing. As an ICRIR employee, you’ll be entitled to a large range of benefits.
Inclusion and diversity
We value and support all our people and are committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse workforce. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, cultures and experiences.
We are a new organisation and are using this opportunity to build a supportive and inclusive culture. We will develop strong and proactive staff networks, special leave policies for hospital appointments, reasonable adjustments put in place for those who need them, and diversity talent programmes to help everyone, irrespective of background, to achieve their potential.
We want all our people to feel valued for who they are and we are confident that you will find the Independent Commission for Reconciliation and Information Recovery a warm, welcoming and inclusive place to work.
