Technical Manager
Home Office
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 30th October 2024
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Investigation
Operational Delivery
Quality
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About the job
Job summary
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.
Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.
As part of Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI), Cyber & Digital Capabilities (CDC) provides comprehensive digital forensics services to support Immigration Enforcement operations. This includes, but is not limited to, the capture and preservation of data from digital devices (such as mobile phones, laptops, USB storage media, network storage, and vehicle infotainment systems), as well as the subsequent processing and analysis of resultant data to provide actionable evidence.
Job description
The Technical Manager role will be critical in the research, design, and implementation of all technical methods employed to deliver the forensic services that support CFI cases. This will include overseeing the validation and competency requirements for technical methods, as well as quality assuring these as standard operating procedures which can be reliably applied by our team of Forensic Practitioners, both within and outside of laboratory environments.
The Forensic Science Regulator (“FSR”) has provided clear instruction that all forensic service providers within the criminal justice system become compliant with the FSR Codes and Practice of Conduct (“FSR Codes”) as well as relevant ISO standards (17020&17025) for the conduct of digital forensics activities. The Senior Technical Manager will therefore be responsible for ensuring all technical activities are devised to enable United Kingdom Accreditation Service (UKAS) accredited to the required standard(s) and FSR Code Compliance. The successful application will be expected to keep abreast of all developments in the forensic science field.
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Unit Head, working alongside the Quality Manager and team, the responsibilities of the Technical Manager role shall include, but not be limited to:
• Managing the implementation of all technical procedures used across the Cyber & Digital Forensics capability.
• Detecting, measuring, and forecasting potential challenges and risks associated with technical procedures as technologies change and emerge, considering the impact these may have on Cyber & Digital Forensics services and the requirements of its customers.
• Establishing and maintaining validation and competency frameworks for all digital forensics technical methods, including data capture, processing, and analysis.
• Collaborating with the Quality Assurance team to ensure compliance with FSR Codes and UKAS accreditation requirements is considered throughout all procedural design.
• Maintaining excellent working relationships with Forensic Practitioners working at sites across multiple locations to ensure that technical methods are consistently applied and remain fit for purpose.
• Positively endorsing and nurturing a culture that understands and embraces the requirement to work to quality frameworks and remain committed to continuous improvement.
• Line management of Technical Managers, overseeing their day-to-day responsibilities for maintaining quality standards within lab/technical environments.
• Representing CFI and demonstrating compliance with required standards for given technical methods during external assessment visits conducted by UKAS.
Training
You will receive full training and support to do the job. Training takes place initially in the classroom and then continues on the job with a mentor who supports you until you are fully confident in the role. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support. Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.
Working Pattern
Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.
Person specification
Essential Criteria:
• Demonstrable experience securing UKAS accreditation to ISO/IEC 17025:2017, ISO/IEC 17020:2012, and/or the FSR Codes, for digital forensics services, or an environment which has made significant progress toward UKAS accreditation.
• Experience of contributing to a quality management system, such as the production of standard operating procedures, the conduct of internal auditing, and the development of competency and validation frameworks.
• A sound understanding of common storage technologies, operating systems, and file systems.
• Demonstrable experience of having managed a team or a programme of work to deliver complex technical objectives.
• Confident with technology; ability to quickly adapt to new/bespoke systems and solutions.
• ISO 17025 Lead Auditor Trained.
Desirable Criteria:
• Operational search and seizure experience, particularly the application of digital forensics methods at crime scenes.
• Experience of examining and interpreting unstructured, binary data, and rendering this into a useable format.
• Experience of negotiating and influencing discussions, decisions, and change with internal and external partners and agencies.
Licences
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Managing a Quality Service
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Changing and Improving
Benefits
In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal team achievements.
- 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
- Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
- Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
- This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) of 19.39% of salary, which equates to an additional £8,066 to £8,630 per annum based on salary minimum. Further information can be found on our website.
- See more of our benefits on our careers website.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.
1. Application – by 28th October 2024
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
- a CV detailing Qualifications and Job History
- Personal Statement (maximum 750 words)
- Evidence of the Behaviour 'Changing and Improving' (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour)
The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.
For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.
2. Sift – week commencing 28th October 2024
The sift will be held on the CV, Personal Statement and the behaviour - 'Changing and Improving'.
Should a high volume of applications be received, the sift will be conducted only on the CV and Personal Statement.
The CV and Personal Statement will be scored for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the CV and Personal Statement will progress to a further sift where the Behaviour 'Changing and Improving' will be scored. These candidates will receive a sift score for all elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the CV and Personal Statement will not have their Behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the CV and Personal Statement.
3. Interview – week commencing 18th November 2024
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be:
- Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions
Interviews will be carried out via Teams.
In addition, candidates will be asked to prepare a 5 minute presentation that will be delivered at interview. The presentation will be assessed against the 'Essential Criteria' as listed in the job advertisement. The presentation question/scenario will be disclosed closer to the interviews.
For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.
Problems during the application process
If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.
Location Preferences
You can select up to two locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.
Shift Working
Successful candidates will need to be able to attend for all shifts including early starts, late night finishes, and overnight shifts. These shifts may be outside of public transport operating hours.
Reserve List
A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.
Reserve lists will be held for each location and profession. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location and profession.
Candidates judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has the same Success Profiles elements and essential skills. There is no guarantee that further such vacancies will arise.
All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.
Additional Security Checks
As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks carried out will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.
Further Information
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.
If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring documentation for the purposes of establishing your identity.
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up.
For meaningful security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Visa sponsorship
We do not sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas.
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Feedback
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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
- Email : HORCCampaignTeamIE@homeoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
