Head of Security Vetting (Operations)

The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) is responsible for welfare, pensions and child maintenance policy. As the UKs biggest public service department, we operate on a scale that is almost unmatched anywhere in Europe and most people in Britain come into contact with us at some point in their lives. The DWP Vetting Team, part of the Personnel Security and Insider Threat Monitoring Team, provide the National Security Vetting (NSV) service for all staff and contractors whose roles attract NSV in DWP., The Head of Vetting (Operations) role sits within the Personnel Security and Insider Threat Monitoring Team. This Grade 7 post will lead the Departments National Security Vetting Team. Ensuring that a robust vetting service is provided to DWP. This is an exciting time to work on this team as we are looking to enhance the vetting services delivered within DWP. The role will require strong stakeholder management and the ability to negotiate with partners such as the Cabinet Office and UKSV (our vetting service provider). Part of the role involves decision making on the most sensitive vetting cases, including high profile individuals. This requires a high level of personal authority and acumen in handling often very sensitive appeals and personnel discussions with individuals. The Grade 7 will line manage 2 SEOs and countersign for 4 HEOs. The team structure is currently being reviewed as we look to develop more effective and efficient vetting services across DWP. The post holder will be expected to engage and influence at a senior level both internally and across partner organisations. The post holder will also work with the Grade 6 and 7 Personnel Security and Insider Threat Monitoring leads on a number of other aspects of personnel security, such as maintaining and enhancing plans, processes and policies for managing the insider threat, supporting leak investigations, providing Ministerial Security advice and guidance, providing travel abroad advice to our staff and partners. Person specification Lead the delivery of a high-quality vetting service

• Provide visible leadership for the DWP Vetting Team, ensuring delivery of high-quality, customer-focused vetting services that support departmental priorities.
• Drive continuous improvement in operational performance, quality assurance, and service standards across pre-employment screening and review activity.
• Develop and implement measures to improve timeliness, consistency and quality whilst maintaining compliance with government personnel security policies.
• Use management information, quality data and risk indicators to identify trends, address performance issues and improve outcomes.
• Act as the senior owner for information handling within the vetting service, ensuring compliance with GDPR, Data Protection legislation and relevant Government Security policies.
Reduce risk through effective personnel security decision-making
• Maintain oversight of vetting decisions, ensuring risks are identified, assessed and managed appropriately.
• Provide expert advice and guidance on personnel security matters, applying sound judgement to complex or sensitive cases.
• Make and support difficult decisions where security concerns are identified, balancing organisational risk, policy requirements and operational need.
• Ensure robust governance, assurance and escalation processes are in place to protect the Department from insider and personnel security risks.
Strengthen personnel security and national security vetting capability
• Act as a subject matter expert in personnel security, vetting policy and national security vetting processes.
• Ensure the delivery of vetting activity aligns with Government Security Group policy, UKSV requirements and departmental standards.
• Promote a culture of security awareness, professionalism and continuous learning across the team.
• Lead the development of policy, guidance and best practice to improve consistency and decision quality.
Deliver an enabling service through partnership working
• Work closely with Recruitment, HR, Investigations, Digital and Security colleagues to ensure vetting supports effective workforce planning and recruitment outcomes.
• Identify opportunities to simplify processes, improve user experience and reduce delays in onboarding whilst maintaining appropriate security controls.
• Champion the use of technology, automation and digital solutions to improve service delivery, efficiency and transparency.
• Build effective relationships with stakeholders and suppliers to ensure vetting services remain responsive to departmental needs.
• Provide assurance to senior stakeholders on the effectiveness of personnel security controls, ensuring readiness for internal and external audits and the timely implementation of recommendations.
L ead people and organisational improvement 1. Create a high-performing, inclusive and professional team environment focused on quality, accountability and customer service. 2. Develop capability within the team, ensuring colleagues have the skills and confidence to manage complex casework and emerging security challenges. 3. Drive a culture of innovation, continuous improvement and evidence-based decision making. 4. Work closely with insider risk colleagues to improve DWP personnel security maturity.,
• A personal statement (maximum 750 words) demonstrating how you meet the essential criteria.
• A 250-word behaviour example on Managing a Quality Service.
• The sift panel will assess your application against the essential criteria, using the information provided in your employment history and personal statement.
Should a high volume of applications be received, a long sift may be applied. In this instance, applications will first be assessed against the Managing a Quality Service behaviour. Candidates who do not achieve the required pass mark will not progress further. Candidates who meet the pass mark will then have their full application, including their employment history and personal statement, assessed against the essential criteria., Please note that DWP will not reimburse any travel, accommodation or subsistence costs incurred in attending interview. Candidates are responsible for any costs associated with their participation in the recruitment process., Prepare a 10 minute presentation with supporting visual aid on the topic: What should an effective National Security Vetting and Personnel Security service look like in a modern organisation, and how would you lead DWP towards that vision? Please cover:
• The role vetting plays within the wider personnel security and insider risk framework.
• Your vision for an effective and enabling vetting service.
• Opportunities for innovation, technology and automation to improve service delivery, quality, efficiency and risk management.
• How you would measure success.
• The key challenges and barriers you would anticipate and how you would overcome them.
• How you would bring colleagues and stakeholders with you on the journey.
As part of this presentation, candidates will be assessed against the essential criteria and the Changing and Improving behaviour.


• Significant experience of leading and improving National security vetting service delivery.
• Knowledge of insider risk principles and the contribution National Security Vetting makes to wider personnel security and insider risk management outcomes.
• Strong understanding of personnel security, pre-employment screening and/or national security vetting processes and associated risks.
• Experience of leading and developing teams to assess, analyse and interpret complex information, applying sound judgement to make proportionate, risk-based decisions
• Ability to analyse complex information and make sound, evidence-based decisions, including in high-risk or sensitive cases.
• Experience of working collaboratively with HR, recruitment, digital and security stakeholders to improve end-to-end services.
• Strong leadership skills with the ability to motivate teams, manage change and drive continuous improvement.
• Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the credibility to influence at senior levels.
Desirable
• Experience of working in an investigative environment, analysing and challenging information.
• Experience of delivering process improvement and transformation initiatives, using technology and automation to improve operational effectiveness and customer experience.
Behaviours We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
• Managing a Quality Service
• Leadership
• Making Effective Decisions
• Changing and Improving, Leadership
• Making Effective Decision
3.Strength based questions A series of strength-based questions designed to explore what you enjoy doing, how you naturally approach situations and where you are most likely to perform at your best.

Alongside your salary of 57,946, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 16,786 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window). DWP have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:
• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave at least 23 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (prorata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 years continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Womens Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.
• DWP Employee Benefits: Discover what we offer
Things you need to know Artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use., If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:
• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.
Disability Confident Scheme If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards. Reasonable Adjustments We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via DWPRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the Reasonable Adjustments 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 youre 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. Integrity, plagiarism and Civil Service Principles The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Examples of plagiarism can include:
• Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own
• Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own, Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.
Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary. Any move to DWP 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 the Childcare Choices Website. For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website . Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. 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. Nationality requirements This job is broadly open to the following groups:
• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) 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. 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) .