Deputy Head of Middle East

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

- 367685**Salary**:

- £68,790 - £75,000- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%**Job grade**:

- Grade 6**Contract type**:

- Loan**Length of employment**:

- 2-year loan**Business area**:

- CO - National Security Secretariat - The National Security Secretariat (NSS) keeps the UK safe, secure and prosperous by bringing together the UK’s national security community, providing high-quality support to the Prime Minister and the National Security Council and maintaining centre-to-ce**Type of role**:

- Policy**Working pattern**:

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

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- 70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS.About the job

**Job summary**:

- We are currently looking to recruit into one Grade 6 position in the Middle East team. Sitting within the NSS, the International Affairs Unit (IAU) is a friendly, fast-paced part of the Cabinet Office, covering the full range of international foreign policy and security challenges. Working to the Deputy Director, you will be responsible for managing and supporting the team to fulfil these functions. You will have particular policy leadership in relation to some elements of our portfolio, and will build your own network of contact across HMG.
- We support the National Security Council (NSC), the Prime Minister, National Security Advisor and Deputy NSAs across all international policy issues working closely with teams across Whitehall, to drive forward the PM’s priorities and ensure that departmental work is effectively co-ordinated. These are exciting, stretching, and dynamic roles in high performing teams that develop, coordinate, and drive the strategy at the top of the UK’s foreign policy agenda.
- NSS recognises that we have responsibilities outside of work - so that we not only work hard, but we work smart - whether that’s full time, part-time or flexi-time, where possible and taking account of business needs. However, you may be expected to flex your portfolio at short notice to support that. It also involves working anti-social hours for short periods of time.

**Job description**:
You will head up a team of two Grade 7s and two SEOs responsible for leading NSS’s work on Iran, the Levant, and regional security issues and to work flexibly across the wider Middle East portfolio as required.

You will work closely with Departments to ensure the UK’s National Security Council strategies for the region respond to changing global and regional dynamics; readiness to work on crisis response to major international crises; ensure HMG is delivering against these NSC strategies; advise the PM, the NSA and his Deputies on policy and crisis issues; oversee cross-government preparation for major PM engagement with counterparts in the region, including inward and outward visits; lead briefing for individual engagements (including at PM, NSA and DNSA level) with the countries on your patch.

Middle East policy remains high on the UK’s security and prosperity agenda. We regularly shape Ministerial decision making and provide briefing and advice to the PM and NSA on challenging policy issues, often to very short deadlines. This requires us to harness the collective capability, expertise and resources of government, drawing on and building excellent relationships with stakeholders. You and your team are not required to be the deep experts across the entire region, but you are expected to know who is, and build productive and collaborative relationships with them that will allow you to draw on and act as an intelligent customer for their expertise at short notice and to the highest standard.

This role requires a self-starter, strong networker and solid team player, able to work through others, to be successful. A strong performance in seeing the big picture, combined with proven experience in delivering at pace, are essential for the role, as are exceptional written and spoken communication skills. Working directly with No10 and the NSA team, this is a fantastic opportunity to hone your performance across all behaviours, and develop experience at the heart of government.

The Middle East team has a new restructure and a culture built around shared trust, respect and responsibility; a commitment to feedback, learning and improving, and delivering excellent work; championing diversity and inclusion, and a spirit of curiosity, energy and good humour. As a member of the team and Directorate’s senior management, you will be expected to contribute to maintaining and building that culture.
- Duties and responsibilities:_

NSS’s Middle East work is fast-moving and priority-driven. You should therefore expect to be flexible and adaptable in your approach to work. Examples of likely duties and responsibilities include:

- Leading or supporting cross-HMG development and implementation of relevant country / regional