Head of Election Security and Preparedness

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

- 339474**Salary**:

- £57,091-
- A Civil Service Pension with an average employer contribution of 27%**Job grade**:

- Grade 7**Contract type**:

- Permanent**Type of role**:

- Policy**Working pattern**:

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

- 1Contents

Location

About the job

**Benefits**:
Things you need to know

Location
- LondonAbout the job

**Job summary**:
**Please note that, as the role requires regular working with the intelligence services and other security agencies, as well as access to secure IT systems, it is a London-based role only. Applicants must also hold Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.**

The Elections Directorate is a welcoming and inclusive team. We are responsible for a challenging and dynamic policy landscape, always in the public eye, covering electoral policy and law. This includes how elections are run, who can participate and how elections and campaigning are regulated.

The Joint Election Security and Preparedness (JESP) Unit is a joint endeavour between the Elections Directorate in the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC) and the Government Security Unit in the Cabinet Office. The JESP Unit is a small team dedicated to leading government work on electoral security. The Unit takes a strategic approach to identifying and mitigating election security risks and improving preparedness. This includes horizon-scanning to get ahead of emerging risks and technological developments.

The Unit delivers on its objectives directly and through others, leading a community of officials that draws together expertise from across government departments and the security and intelligence community as well as local government, third-party suppliers, and political parties.

**Job description**:
**You will be responsible for**:

- Working with the G6 lead to manage the JESP Unit, ensuring that the team provides an effective central coordination function for the programme and directly managing three HEO / SEO staff.
- Building and maintaining a strong network among Whitehall teams and the UK intelligence community with an interest in the work of JESP, bringing together expertise from across government and delivering against programme objectives. Developing relationships with key stakeholders in the electoral sector including local authorities, third party suppliers and the Electoral Commission.
- Working closely with policy and operational teams across government and external delivery partners to lead the identification and treatment of electoral risks. Managing a robust process to identify and track delivery of mitigations and leading direct delivery of mitigations where relevant.
- Working closely with the Defending Democracy Taskforce to sight and update Ministers on progress, escalating risks where necessary. Leading on preparing the DLUHC Minister for Taskforce meetings and on supporting their engagement with other ministers and external stakeholders.
- Maintaining strategic oversight of developments in international elections and in academic research, identifying emerging issues and insights and integrating these into the team’s understanding and work.
- Leading the coordination of the government response to electoral security related incidents, including through the operation of the election cell. Lead a cross-government communications strategy relating to election security and oversee the response to media enquiries and parliamentary questions.
- Creating an open, supportive and inclusive environment, and help make the JESP Unit a great place to work.

**Person specification**:
**E**ssential**:

- Experience working in a technical and fast paced environment or policy area
- Strong stakeholder relationship management skills
- Effective people management and leadership skills
- Experience of working closely with ministers or senior officials

**Desirable**:

- Knowledge or experience of security policy, or working with the national security community
- Knowledge or experience of electoral administration

**Behaviours**:
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

- Seeing the Big Picture
- Working Together
- Developing Self and Others

**Benefits**:

- Alongside your salary of £57,091, Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities contributes £14,022 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%

Things you need to know

**Selection process details**:

- This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.**We are for everyone**

**We would strongly recommend that applicants get