Senior Policy Adviser

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 284197**Salary**:

- £41,000**Job grade**:

- Senior Executive Officer- C1**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Business area**:

- MOD - Head Office & Corporate Services**Type of role**:

- Policy
- Security**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time**Number of jobs available**:

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- LondonAbout the job

**Job summary**:
**Summary**

The Directorate of Security and Resilience (DSR) mission is to support the delivery of Defence outputs by protecting our people, assets and information in the UK and overseas. DSR is responsible for setting resilience and security policy for Defence and provides advice on how to counter and mitigate the key threats and hazards faced by Defence from a wide range of threats including: hostile state actors; terrorist organisations; and serious and organised crime groups. DSR delivers the MOD’s security policy on: the Defence Nuclear Enterprise; culture and training; physical; personnel and vetting; policing and guarding; resilience and business continuity; and industry. DSR leads the Security Function within Defence, led by the Chief Security Officer of the MOD, who also acts as the Head of Profession for Security in Defence.

The DSR Vetting team covers three specific areas of responsibility:

- Setting Defence vetting policy, working with the Government Security Group in the Cabinet Office to influence government vetting policy, and interpreting it for the MOD and its partners;
- Vetting delivery - maintaining close contact with UKSV and our internal vetting stakeholders to oversee the vetting service; and
- Leading the vetting casework team that makes vetting risk decisions for MOD civil servants and Defence industry personnel
- This position is advertised at 37 hours per week

**Job description**:
This post leads on MOD’s vetting policy. Whilst the Cabinet Office is the lead department for vetting policy across HMG, this post is responsible for:

- Redesigning MODs vetting operating model, including is decision makers, funding avenues and risk appetites.
- designing MODs vetting reform programme under the direction of MODs Chief Operating Officer.
- working with the Cabinet Office to ensure Vetting policy enables MOD while protecting our security and interpreting the policy for Defence. This role will be a key point of contact with Cabinet Office.
- representing MOD’s position in development of Government national security vetting policy, including the vetting transformation programme and delivery stabilisation programme.
- Interpreting Government policy on vetting for Defence and resolving policy questions.
- Delivering vetting secretariat and internal comms.

Internally, the role will need to work closely with security stakeholders in the three military services and in other business units in MOD to understand MOD security risks and to interpret and explain the vetting policy for a Defence audience.

This is an exciting time to join MOD Vetting; a significant amount of reform is ongoing and the post holder will be expected to assist delivery of project strands related to improving Vetting data, forecasting, and Defence’s Vetting operating model.

**Person specification**:
**Responsibilities**
- Representing MOD’s views in Cabinet Office transformation programmes and policy discussions
- Liaising across Whitehall, with other security cluster vetting departments
- Building relationships with vetting policy stakeholders across MOD, to understand the security risks MOD faces
- Making recommendations about implementing the policy in Defence settings
- Writing the MOD’s vetting policy guidance and ensuring it continues to be accurate and to support MOD business
- Assisting Defence stakeholders with vetting policy queries, including the Principal Security Advisers for the main business units (TLB and Enabling Organisations)
- Undertaking Secretariat work such as responding to Treat Official and Ministerial Correspondence, and developing internal communications on vetting issues

There are other policy issues waiting to be resolved which the postholder will give advice on and there is broad scope to shape the role by getting to understand the risks being faced, and stakeholders relative priorities.

This post is based in MOD Main Building, but there is scope for flexible working. The rest of the team currently splits their time between working in MOD Main Building and Homeworking. There is an expectation to be in Main Building at least once a week.

**Skills and Experience**

Essential Skills:

- Due to regular engagement at senior levels, the post holder must demonstrate strong interpersonal and organisational skills.
- The post holder needs be a self-starter and be able to proactively identify emerging issues and have an aptitude for seeking out solutions to them.
- Good writing skills are essential
- Good IT skills

Desirable Skills:

- Excell