Cyber Assurance Risk Advisor
Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government
Apply before 11:55 pm on Friday 4th October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
Here at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. (MHCLG), we work on things that make a real difference to people’s lives.
Whether it's through the homes we live in, the work of our local councils, or the communities we’re all part of, our work is at the top of the political agenda. We have ambitious and far-reaching outcomes to achieve this year and, if you’re thinking of joining us, there’s never been a more exciting time.
We have over 3,500 staff who are based in 20 offices across the UK.
As a cyber assurance risk advisor for MHCLG you’ll sit within the heart of our internal cyber security team, part of the technology function within the digital directorate, who are responsible for cyber security, core IT digital tools, networks, SAP and IT infrastructure/hosting. You will be part of a team that is growing to meet the needs of the Department as it further embraces cloud technologies and products. Cyber is responsible for the overall cyber security of the Department’s services, applications and suppliers so has a broad remit and a mission to keep us safe from a variety of threats plus help others build and deliver services securely.
We aim to provide high quality digital services using a mix of internal and external teams to deliver evergreen cloud services. Delivering this responsibility comes with a high demand for adoption of new technologies, systems and applications that require security review and scrutiny to ensure the department operates in a safe and secure environment.
The primary responsibility of this cyber role is to review third party suppliers and products, such as SAAS applications, however, will also include occasional involvement in the review of IT systems, services and applications developed or purchased by the department, identifying any security issues, design flaws and making security recommendations in line with industry security best practices and the HMG Security Policy Framework. Supported by our technical teams, architects and engineers you will provide high quality cyber security advice and guidance across all matters relating to proposed digital services, applications and suppliers.
Job description
We particularly welcome candidates from an ethnic minority background and other underrepresented groups to apply, as we work to continually improve our ability to represent the places and communities we support through our work.
Find out more about what it's like to work in a digital, data and technology role at MHCLG including our culture, ways of working, career progression and staff benefits. You can also read the MHCLG Digital blog to learn about the work we're doing.
As a Cyber Assurance Risk Advisor, you’ll:
- analyse security requirements, taking account of both internal and external guidance, policy and regulations
- assist with developing /promoting information security policies to achieve security outcomes within a defined scope and in line with cross-government policies and the new GovAssure service
- assist with designing and implementing security awareness campaigns
- be part of the assurance process, identifying security threats, vulnerabilities and hazards to the department’s suppliers, systems, services, or processes to inform risk assessments and design of security features
- use your increasing knowledge and expertise in assurance to make decisions on the levels of risk the Department is being exposed to and recommendations of how to remediate these within particular systems, suppliers, applications or services
- support and conduct cyber security risk assessments, cyber security audits and cyber security incident management
- support cyber security operations processes in accordance with organisational policies and standards and business requirements
- assist in managing contracts, suppliers or services related to cyber security
- work with other teams to help them create services that are secure by design
- promote good cyber security practices across the Department and support product teams to ensure their services continue to be secure as they are run and updated to meet new business requirements
Person specification
We will use the essential criteria below to evaluate you during the recruitment process. Make sure your CV and cover letter details how you meet the criteria.
As a Cyber Assurance Risk Advisor you'll have:
- at least two years experience in information security, information assurance, or a related role
- hold recognised and relevant qualifications. This may include qualifications such as CISMP or ISO27001 Internal Auditor, however this is for a guide only.
- an understanding of information security principles, concepts, and best practices
- knowledge of relevant laws, regulations, and industry standards, such as GDPR, NIST, ISO 27001, NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework etc.
- knowledge of risk assessment methodologies and tools in cyber security
- familiarity with security principles and technologies for cloud hosted services such as AWS, Azure and SaaS
- excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to effectively communicate complex security concepts to non-technical stakeholders
It would be great if you’re also keen in developing your cyber security and technical design skills further. We actively support your learning and development in achieving additional qualifications that enhance your skillset.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
- 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
CV and Cover Letter Declaration
We recruit based on your knowledge and skills, and not background, gender or ethnicity - this is called name blind recruitment.
Please remove references to your:
- name/title
- educational institutions
- age
- gender
- email address
- postal address
- phone number
- nationality/immigration status
You will need to merge your CV and covering letter into one document. When submitting your application Applied will ask you to upload a CV, when doing this you should upload your merged document of your CV and covering letter.
Most of our campaigns utilise multiple assessors and so it is possible that your application would be viewed by different assessors.
In the event that we receive a large number of applications, we may conduct an initial sift using the lead sift question listed in the advert. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
Lead sift question (Experience) - Confirm you have at least 2 years direct relevant experience, and describe the process you would use to conduct a cyber security assurance review of a third Party SAAS product?
At sift, through your CV and covering letter we will be assessing:
- Experience
- Technical
Your covering letter should be no more than 1 page referencing how you meet the criteria set out in the person specification.
The interview will be of a blended nature consisting of experience, technical and behaviour based questions as listed in the advert. Candidates will be assessed against the following behaviours:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Communicating and Influencing
- Delivering at Pace
In full the campaign will test the below Success Profile Elements:
Experience: Experience questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the person specification
Technical: Technical questions will be based around the essential skills and criteria as listed in the person specification
Behaviours: Making Effective Decisions, Communicating and Influencing, Delivering at Pace
We do not consider direct CV applications – you must apply for this role via the application link on Civil Service Jobs:
Please note that near miss offers may be made at the lower grade to candidates who do not meet the grade criteria for this campaign.
Group 1 DDaT roles
MHCLG has implemented the DDaT capability framework for Group 1 roles. Applicants that are successful at the sift stage will be required to complete a capability assessment at interview.
MHCLG will honour completed capability assessments for this role from other Government Departments for existing Civil Servants. Please provide a copy of your capability assessment to the Hiring Manager when applying. If you have any queries on pay, please contact the Hiring Manager.
Salary is determined by performance at interview, within the range advertised. Each experience or technical skill is assessed between 1-3, representing working towards, at or above the job level requirements. You are awarded a proficiency level accordingly, and you will be given opportunities at least once a year to re assess your capability and progress through the pay scale within your grade. An additional digital allowance may be payable depending on level of assessed capability.
Candidates moving from another government department have the option to retain their current salary where the principle for implementation is there is no detriment where existing pay exceeds the indicative level. Where individuals are at a lower salary than their assessed level, they will receive an upward adjustment.
SEO Group 1 DDaT salary
- The salary for this role will between £42,466 - £46,199 (National) depending on the proficiency level assessment.
- An additional digital allowance may be payable depending on the level of assessed capability up to £6,665
- For applicants in receipt of existing allowances, we will assess each case individually and aim to match the digital allowance implemented with no detriment.
- For existing civil servants, the usual policy on level transfer and promotion will apply and is non-negotiable
Benefits
Transfers across the Civil Service on or after 4 October 2018:
Any move to MHCLG from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk.
For further information about the benefits available to MHCLG employees, please see the attached Candidate Pack.
Location
- Wolverhampton
- Darlington*
- Manchester
- Birmingham
- Bristol
- Leeds
There may be opportunities for candidates to work flexibly depending on the business needs. This will be discussed with the vacancy manager on a case-by-case basis if you are successful for the role.
*Please note: The Darlington Economic Campus is a pioneering new cross-government hub which will bring together people across departments and public organisations to play an active role in the most important economic issues of the day. The work of the Campus will make a real difference to people both across the UK and internationally. There will be substantial career opportunities and exciting prospects - a career at the Campus means you will be working at the heart of Government, with access to the benefits and fantastic opportunities offered by the civil service. This role is based at MHCLG and we will be joined on the campus by:
- HM Treasury
- Department for International Trade
- Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
- Office for National Statistics
- Department for Education
For further information on the DEC, please take a look at the attached DEC candidate pack.
Sift and Interview dates
Sifting is envisaged to take place from Monday 07/10/2024 with interview dates to be confirmed. All interviews are currently being held remotely via videocall.
Reserve List
In the event that we identify more appointable candidates than we currently have posts available, we will hold applicant details on a reserve list for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made. This may include roles at a lower grade. Candidates placed on a reserve list will be informed of this. Due to the length of time CTC checks can take, our HR Shared Services team will contact reserve list candidates for London based roles to commence CTC checks. Those candidates who do not wish to remain on the reserve list should contact recruitment@levellingup.gov.uk to be removed from the reserve list.
SC (Security Check):
Important note
Successful candidates for roles based in our 2 Marsham Street building must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Security Check and the process can take up to 8 weeks to complete.
Please note that successful candidates will need to pass the Security Check – this requires you to have been resident in the UK for the past 5 years. Please refer to the MHCLG Notes on Security Clearance section of our Candidate Pack for further information on Security Check (SC).
Candidates should also note that with effect from 1st August 2018 the department will also check all applicants who are successful at interview, against the Internal Fraud Database (IFD) held by the Cabinet Office. In accordance with the Civil Service Internal Fraud Policy, any applicant who is included on the IFD will be refused employment by MHCLG. Please see the Candidate Pack for further information on the Internal Fraud Database.
Before starting your application it’s very important to make sure that you are eligible to apply and meet the Civil Service nationality requirements. All candidates are expected to read the information provided in the MHCLG candidate pack regarding nationality requirements and rules
Candidate Pack Information
Please see attached Candidate pack for further information.
Internal Fraud Database
The Internal Fraud function of the Fraud, Error, Debt and Grants Function at the Cabinet Office processes details of civil servants who have been dismissed for committing internal fraud, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned. The Cabinet Office receives the details from participating government organisations of civil servants who have been dismissed, or who would have been dismissed had they not resigned, for internal fraud. In instances such as this, civil servants are then banned for 5 years from further employment in the civil service. The Cabinet Office then processes this data and discloses a limited dataset back to MHCLG as a participating government organisations. MHCLG then carry out the pre employment checks so as to detect instances where known fraudsters are attempting to reapply for roles in the civil service. In this way, the policy is ensured and the repetition of internal fraud is prevented.
For more information please see- Internal Fraud Register
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : Digital Data Jobs Recruitment Team
- Email : digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : digitaldatajobs@communities.gov.uk