NCSC Cryptographic Ordering, Production, Distribution and Accounting
GCHQ
Apply before 11:55 pm on Wednesday 23rd October 2024
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About the job
Job summary
GCHQ is an intelligence, cyber and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ you’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, is the UK Government’s lead authority on cyber security. The organisation is at the heart of the Government’s cyber security strategy and has the aim of making the UK the safest place to live and work online.
We have an exciting opportunity to join the United Kingdom Key Production Authority (UKKPA), part of the National Cyber Security Centre. UKKPA produces the technology that allows our customers to keep their information secure.
Our mission is unique, and we understand that you may not have encountered work like UKKPA’s before. You’re not expected to come with a wealth of experience or knowledge, but if you have a passion and aptitude for learning new skills, this could be the role for you and the start of building your career within the NCSC and GCHQ.
We offer a structured training path and on-the-job training with a supportive team to help you develop your skills. You’ll receive guidance every step of the way.
Flexible Working Hours: we understand the importance of work-life balance and offer flexible working options to suit your needs. While homeworking is limited and not guaranteed due to the nature of the role, we support full-time, part-time (minimum 3 days) and compressed hours working patterns.
Job description
The UKKPA provides a crucial service across Government and industry, supplying a multitude of customers with essential cryptographic key material. You’ll handle orders for equipment and materials that help customers secure their information. This includes the generation and production of materials using our computer-based production systems to ensure our customers can keep their information safe. Additionally, you’ll prepare and package physical products for dispatch, distribute electronic products and maintain product records, you’ll manage customer accounts and use an electronic order management system for daily customer liaison.
Day-to-day, the role is varied, involving routine tasks and opportunities to participate in major change projects focused on transitioning traditional physical products to electronic formats.
Person specification
The ideal candidate will bring a vibrant enthusiasm for working within a varied team, utilising IT-based production systems in a secure facility. You’ll have keen attention to detail, ensuring the delivery of high-quality products to a unique customer base. Strong analytical thinking and problem-solving skills are essential, along with excellent customer engagement skills. Robust literacy and numeracy competencies, demonstrated by at least a Grade 4 or above in GCSE Maths and English or equivalent experience, are required. A good knowledge of MS Office is also necessary.
The working day can be varied, so you’ll need to be a team player who can turn your hand to a variety of different tasks as the occasion demands. You’ll enjoy carrying out routine work while being eager to learn new skills to tackle more complex aspects of the role. You might have just left education or are looking for a new career. This is an entry-level role, so it’s a chance to develop new skills and get lots of support along the way.
GCHQ Competencies
The NCSC will assess you against competencies used by the UK Intelligence Community. These competencies are based closely on the Civil Service Behaviours. The Level 1 competencies you’ll assessed against are:
- Continuously Developing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Developing Self and Others)
- Communicating and Influencing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Communicating and Influencing)
- Making Effective Decisions (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Making Effective Decisions)
- Delivering Outcomes (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Delivering at Pace)
- Providing Customer Value (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Managing a Quality Service)
Further information on Civil Service Behaviours
Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £25,856 plus other benefits including:
- 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
- Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Cycle to work scheme
- Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
- Paid parental and adoption leave.
- Excellent pension scheme - Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Equal Opportunities
At GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website:
Disability Confident
GCHQ are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:
- Demonstrate enthusiasm for working in a diverse team, utilising IT-based production systems in a secure facility. Assessed at CV sift.
- Demonstrate good literacy and numeracy skills, e.g., GCSE Math’s and English at Grade 4 or above, or equivalent experience that shows you can perform at this level. Assessed at CV sift.
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
- Online Application
- Application sift
- Interview
- If successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer of employment.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process, to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6-9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Before You Apply
To work at GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discreetly.
The role is based in Cheltenham, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, with anyone other than your partner or a close family member.
The closing date for this role is: 23rd October 2024 at 2355hrs
Right to Withdraw Statement:
Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
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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 : ncsc recruitment
- Email : ncscrecruitment@ncsc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : ncscrecruitment@ncsc.gov.uk
