Assistant Head Global Issues, Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge

Assistant Head Global Issues, Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge

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Assistant Head Global Issues, Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge

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City of Westminster, London (region), SW1A 2HB
Job Summary
Are you interested in defence and security but not sure if the UK Ministry of Defence (MOD) is right for you? Or are you working in the department and want to do things differently? Then we’d love to hear from you.
These roles sit in an innovative team at the heart of the MOD whose purpose is to challenge departmental planning and provide alternative thinking directly to the Secretary of State. SONAC (Secretary of State’s Office of Net Assessment and Challenge) was set up to test conventional ways of thinking about defence and security, put analysis at the heart of decision making, and drive new ways of doing things.
We are independent of the departmental structure, giving us the freedom to pursue the issues we think matter most. To do this, we need a diverse team of people from a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences, to provide varied points of view and bring different approaches to the team.
SONAC Has Two Core Functions:

• Net Assessment – We assess the balance of advantage between the UK (with our allies) against our adversaries now and in the long term. We look at both current imbalances to inform existing plans and strategies, as well as long-term advantage to shape the future strategic direction of Defence. We use methods including wargaming, academic outreach, intelligence analysis, policy analysis and historical analysis.
• Challenge – We ensure the departments strategies are fit for purpose through a range of challenge activities including; red teaming of key MOD strategies and policies, wargaming, bringing external expertise into the department and writing ad hoc challenge papers.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.
Job Description
In this role you will lead a team to deliver both short- and long-term Net Assessment and challenge. You will be responsible for liaising with key stakeholders in the department, across government and outside government to identify key problems for examination. You will set the priorities for your team, balancing long term analysis with short term support to the department.
You will need to be build networks across the policy, strategy, intelligence, analysis and academic worlds, identifying issues of interest or concern to UK Defence, and find innovative and compelling ways to analyse those issues and present recommendation and findings to decision makers and ministers.
You will be part of the SONAC leadership team, developing the skills of your team, setting the future direction of SONAC and managing SONAC’s budget and external outreach programmes.
You will lead on SONAC’s support to National Security and reviews, as well as leading your team’s analysis of core strategic issues, including the role of technology, cross-cutting issues such as deterrence and escalation and strategic advantage, as well as overseeing our Middle East team.
In this role you will lead a team to deliver both short- and long-term Net Assessment and challenge. You will be responsible for liaising with key stakeholders in the department, across government and outside government to identify key problems for examination. You will set the priorities for your team, balancing long term analysis with short term support to the department.
You will need to be build networks across the policy, strategy, intelligence, analysis and academic worlds, identifying issues of interest or concern to UK Defence, and find innovative and compelling ways to analyse those issues and present recommendation and findings to decision makers and ministers.
You will be part of the SONAC leadership team, developing the skills of your team, setting the future direction of SONAC and managing SONAC’s budget and external outreach programmes.
You will lead on SONAC’s support to National Security and reviews, as well as leading your team’s analysis of core strategic issues, including the role of technology, cross-cutting issues such as deterrence and escalation and strategic advantage, as well as overseeing our Middle East team.
Person specification
Skills gained in a wide range of contexts are valuable and transferable to our work.
Essential Criteria:

• Interest in international security, strategy or defence issues.
• Experience in policy, strategy, academia or analysis.
• Strong leadership skills
• Evidence of a proactive approach to problem solving
• Strong communication skills

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience with Defence Strategy/Policy, Futures analysis, technology policy/research or Strategic Analysis;
• Middle East and North Africa expertise is a bonus but not essential
• Language skills – SONAC does a significant amount of international engagement

Behaviours
We\’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Alongside your salary of £59,690, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,292 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 employer contribution of 28.97%

The team is located in Westminster. We work flexibly, with a mix of remote working and work from the office, but due to classification of the work we do, there will be a requirement to attend the office approximately three days a week. We welcome applications from those with flexible working patterns.
The post does not offer relocation expenses.
External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.
Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.
Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.
Any move to MOD 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 Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Experience
At Sift, you will be assessed the following:

• Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.
• Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability in no more than 500 words.

Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
Please refer to the Job Description, and Essential and Desirable Criteria, and explain how you consider your skills, qualities and experience make you suitable for the role.
Should there be a high number of applicants, the sift will be conducted on the Making Effective Decisions behaviour and Statement of Suitability .
At Interview, You Will Be Assessed Against The Following:
Behaviours

• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Presentation

• To assess your communication skills, we will ask you to present on a relevant global issue at the interview stage.

Experience

• We will also ask you questions about how your experience is relevant to the role.

If you are interested in joining the team but are unsure whether you have the “right” professional background, or if we can accommodate your working pattern, please get in touch. Current and past team members have included a broad mixture of backgrounds within and beyond Government.
Successful candidates who do not hold the necessary clearances will be made provisional job offers and asked to undergo our vetting procedures. Once the relevant clearances have been obtained, a formal job offer will be made and start dates can be discussed. Should candidates fail to obtain the relevant clearances the provisional job offer will be rescinded. Candidates should note this process can take several months.
The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.
The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equality of opportunity. There is a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. If you need to advise us that you need additional help or reasonable adjustments for the recruitment process, please contact: .
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came in to effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
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).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :

• Name : Ben Short, Deputy Director, SONAC
• Email :

Recruitment team

• Email :

Further information
Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email:

Seniority level

• Seniority level

  Director

Employment type

• Employment type

  Full-time

Job function

• Job function

  Other

• Industries

  Defense and Space Manufacturing

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