CBRN/National Security Senior Analyst

Canary Wharf, London.

Job Summary

Are you looking to contribute to a vital mission to save lives and improve health outcomes for UK citizens?

We are looking for SEO all-source analysts within the All Hazards Intelligence Strategic Capabilities and National Security (AHI-SCNS) Division of the Analysis and Intelligence Assessment (AIA) Directorate. These high-profile roles ensure Ministers, Chief Medical Officers (CMO) and senior decision makers within the Health family and HMG are serviced with timely, informative and accurate strategic foresight and insight from all sources. This includes using publicly available data and closed information sources to enable decision making on key health security issues.

You will join a fast-paced environment with competing priorities and continual opportunities for improvement. You can expect to produce health security assessments on a range of national security-related topics with particular responsibility for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) all-source intelligence assessment, ensuring the health security implications are clear. You will need to forge close working relationships with the national security community, CBRN experts across government, and public health subject matter experts in UKHSA and the wider One Health family.

Working for your organisation

We pride ourselves as being an employer of choice, where Everyone Matters promoting equality of opportunity to actively encourage applications from everyone, including groups currently underrepresented in our workforce.  

UKHSA ethos is to be an inclusive organisation for all our staff and stakeholders. To create, nurture and sustain an inclusive culture, where differences drive innovative solutions to meet the needs of our workforce and wider communities. We do this through celebrating and protecting differences by removing barriers and promoting equity and equality of opportunity for all.  

Job Description

The Analysis and Intelligence Assessment Directorate enables UKHSA to achieve its mission by providing trustworthy analysis and assessment on national and global public health issues, covering infectious and non-infectious public health threats. We also improve the capability and efficiency of the Agency by improving the standards of analysis, setting standards and developing tools and resources, including pioneering development of Artificial Intelligence to public health issues. 

Our mission is to empower decision-makers, support policy development, and inform the public through trustworthy innovative data, analysis and insight. We collaborate to conduct high-quality analysis and intelligence assessment, collect data, and communicate evidence with impact. We improve analysis and insights across the organisation, by building capability, setting standards, developing tools and resources, and providing expert advice. Our work has a clear impact on the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation’s activities.

We strive to be a trusted source for innovative, world-class health analysis and assessment capability, from data to decision-making.

This is an exciting time to join a growing capability within the All Hazards Intelligence Strategic Capabilities and National Security (AHI-SCNS) Division of the Analysis and Intelligence Assessment (AIA) Directorate in UKHSA. You will join a small but growing UKHSA all-source assessment cadre.

As a CBRN/National Security Senior Analyst you will

• Produce chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) all-source assessments, ensuring your outputs are aligned with UKHSA and government priorities.
• Develop links, build productive relationships and work closely with other teams in UKHSA, the One Health family, and wider government partners, navigating the complex national security and CBRN landscape and its diverse stakeholders.
• Influence internal and external stakeholders and represent the Division, Directorate or Agency. This might sometimes involve conveying deeply complex or uncertain information in an understandable way.
• Support your Grade 7, Grade 6 and DD to make decisions on the direction and delivery of the work area, identifying opportunities and anticipating future requirements.
• Have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the broader Directorate’s all-source assessment cadre, including ensuring work meets Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment (PHIA) standards.
  
  

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Producing all-source assessments, particularly on CBRN/National Security topics, drawing out their associated public health implications to inform response and senior policy activity.
• Collating and assessing information from a range of sources including UKHSA held information, open-source, and closed information from other government partners and international colleagues.
• Communicating and clearly presenting key insights, both written and verbal, up to the most senior levels. Supporting, or sometimes delivering, briefings for the UK’s Chief Medical Officers, their Scientific Advisors, Ministers and other senior decision makers, or representing the Agency externally at HMG meetings.
• Successfully managing your time, working at pace to progress tasks, delivering high quality and timely products for customers and seniors.
• Supporting the Division and Directorate on drafting responses to Parliamentary Questions, FOI requests, or inquiries as required.
• Supporting the continued development of the Division and Directorate.
  
  

The Analysis and Intelligence Assessment Directorate enables UKHSA to achieve its mission by providing trustworthy analysis and assessment on national and global public health issues, covering infectious and non-infectious public health threats. We also improve the capability and efficiency of the Agency by improving the standards of analysis, setting standards and developing tools and resources, including pioneering development of Artificial Intelligence to public health issues. 

Our mission is to empower decision-makers, support policy development, and inform the public through trustworthy innovative data, analysis and insight. We collaborate to conduct high-quality analysis and intelligence assessment, collect data, and communicate evidence with impact. We improve analysis and insights across the organisation, by building capability, setting standards, developing tools and resources, and providing expert advice. Our work has a clear impact on the quality, effectiveness and efficiency of the organisation’s activities.

We strive to be a trusted source for innovative, world-class health analysis and assessment capability, from data to decision-making.

This is an exciting time to join a growing capability within the All Hazards Intelligence Strategic Capabilities and National Security (AHI-SCNS) Division of the Analysis and Intelligence Assessment (AIA) Directorate in UKHSA. You will join a small but growing UKHSA all-source assessment cadre.

As a CBRN/National Security Senior Analyst you will

• Produce chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) all-source assessments, ensuring your outputs are aligned with UKHSA and government priorities.
• Develop links, build productive relationships and work closely with other teams in UKHSA, the One Health family, and wider government partners, navigating the complex national security and CBRN landscape and its diverse stakeholders.
• Influence internal and external stakeholders and represent the Division, Directorate or Agency. This might sometimes involve conveying deeply complex or uncertain information in an understandable way.
• Support your Grade 7, Grade 6 and DD to make decisions on the direction and delivery of the work area, identifying opportunities and anticipating future requirements.
• Have the opportunity to contribute to the development of the broader Directorate’s all-source assessment cadre, including ensuring work meets Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment (PHIA) standards.
  
  

Key Responsibilities Include:

• Producing all-source assessments, particularly on CBRN/National Security topics, drawing out their associated public health implications to inform response and senior policy activity.
• Collating and assessing information from a range of sources including UKHSA held information, open-source, and closed information from other government partners and international colleagues.
• Communicating and clearly presenting key insights, both written and verbal, up to the most senior levels. Supporting, or sometimes delivering, briefings for the UK’s Chief Medical Officers, their Scientific Advisors, Ministers and other senior decision makers, or representing the Agency externally at HMG meetings.
• Successfully managing your time, working at pace to progress tasks, delivering high quality and timely products for customers and seniors.
• Supporting the Division and Directorate on drafting responses to Parliamentary Questions, FOI requests, or inquiries as required.
• Supporting the continued development of the Division and Directorate.
  
  

Person specification

Essential Role Criteria:

• Either:
• Professional experience of one or all aspects of CBRN (which could be from a policy, diplomatic, technical, clinical, or professional academic background).
• Or professional all-source intelligence assessment experience.
  
  

Comfortable producing qualitative assessment and dealing with uncertainty, ensuring outputs are policy-relevant and have clear ‘so what?’ implications for the decision-maker.

• A qualification in a field with substantial qualitative assessment and be able to demonstrate relevant qualitative assessment experience in your career.
• Experience of working at pace across multiple projects and to competing deadlines.
• Ability to communicate with both peers and seniors (written and verbal) and develop positive and productive relationships with stakeholders.
• Hold, or be willing to undergo, Developed Vetting. The successful applicant must be a UK National and successfully complete the Developed Vetting
• At Working Level or above on the all-source intelligence assessmentprofessional development framework and be willing to develop further along this pathway whilst in the role.
  
  

Desirable Role Criteria:

• Either:
• Professional experience of one or all aspects of CBRN (which could be from a policy, diplomatic, technical, clinical, or professional academic background).
• Or professional all-source intelligence assessment experience.
• Experience of working with the national security, intelligence assessment and/or CBRN communities.
• Experience producing presentations, Word reports, use of MS Teams, and information systems across a range of classifications.
• Previous successful completion of the New Analyst Programme (NAP), or the Government Intelligence Assessment Training (GIAT), or the Defence Intelligence Assessment Course (DIAC), or the City and Guilds Level 3 in Intelligence Analysis, or equivalent professional experience gained though, for example, military Reserves service
  
  

Alongside your salary of £44,852, UK Health Security Agency contributes £12,993 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%
  
  

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application & Sift

You Will Be Required To Complete An Application Form. You Will Be Assessed On The Listed (7) Essential Criteria, And This Will Be In The Form Of A:

• Application form (‘Employer/ Activity history’ section on the application)
• up to 1000 word supporting statement.
  
  

This should outline how your skills, experience, and knowledge, provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria.

The Application form and supporting statement will be marked together.

Longlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will longlist into 3 piles of:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
• Meets no essential criteria
  
  

The following will be taken through to the next stage:

• Meets all essential criteria
• Meets some essential criteria
  
  

Shortlisting:

In the event of a large number of applications we will shortlist on the following:

• Either professional experience of one or all aspects of CBRN (which could be from a policy, diplomatic, technical, clinical, or professional academic background); Or professional all-source intelligence assessment experience.
• Hold Developed Vetting. The successful applicant must be a UK National.
  
  

Desirable criteria may be used in the event of a large number of applications / large amount of successful candidates.

If you are successful at this stage, you will progress to interview & assessment

Please do not exceed 1000 words. We will not consider any words over and above this number.

Feedback will not be provided at this stage.

Please note you will not be able to upload your CV. You must complete the application form in as much detail as possible. Please do not email us your CV.

Stage 2: Interview (success profiles)

You will be invited to a (single) remote interview.

Behaviours, technical, and experience will be tested at interview.

You will be asked to deliver a 5 minute presentation. The subject of this will be sent to you prior to interview. We will ask additional technical questions based on the Professional Head of Intelligence Assessment (PHIA) professional development framework to understand if you are at Working level. You can read more about this framework on the Gov.uk website.

The Behaviours Tested During The Interview Stage Will Be:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions – Lead behaviour
• Working Together
• Delivering at Pace
  
  

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Eligibility Criteria - External 

Open to all external applicants (anyone) from outside the Civil Service (including by definition internal applicants).  

Location

This role is being offered as hybrid working based at our Core HQ in London.

We offer great flexible working opportunities at UKHSA and operate using a hybrid working model where business needs allow. This provides us with greater flexibility about how and where we work, to get the best from our workforce. As a hybrid worker, you will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of your contractual working hours (approximately 3 days a week pro rata, (averaged over a month). Our core HQ offices are modern and newly refurbished with excellent city centre transport link and benefit from benefit from co-location with other government departments such as the Department for Health and Social Care (DHSC).

Future location

UKHSA is investing in a new state-of-the-art National Biosecurity Centre in Harlow, Essex, which will eventually bring together teams currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale and Porton Down. For more details, please see: Huge biosecurity centre investment to boost pandemic protection - GOV.UK.

The new facilities will start becoming operational in the mid-2030s, with full completion by 2038. Staff will move in phases as facilities become available. If you're appointed to a role currently based at Canary Wharf, Colindale or Porton Down, please note that we'll continue investing in these sites for the next decade. As we get closer to the transition, we'll provide full information about relocation support available to staff.

Security Clearance Level Requirement 

Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check.  

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is Developed Vetting.  

For meaningful National Security Vetting checks to be carried out individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 10 years as the role requires Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.  UK residency less than the outlined periods may not necessarily bar you from gaining national security vetting and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder / Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice. 

Reasonable Adjustments

The Civil Service is committed to making sure that our selection methods are fair to everyone. To help you during the recruitment process, we will consider any reasonable adjustments that could help you. An adjustment is a change to the recruitment process or an adjustment at work. This is separate to the Disability Confident Scheme. If you need an adjustment to be made at any point during the recruitment process you should contact the recruitment team in confidence as soon as possible to discuss your needs.

You can find out more information about reasonable adjustments across the Civil Service here: https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/reasonable-adjustments/

International Police check

If you have spent more than 6 months abroad over the last 3 years you may need an International Police Check. This would not necessarily have to be in a single block, and it could be time accrued over that period.

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Link Below:

Artificial intelligence and recruitment , Civil Service Careers

Internal Fraud check

If successful for this role as one aspect of pre-employment screening, applicant’s personal details – name, national insurance number and date of birth - will be checked against the Cabinet Office Internal Fraud Hub and anyone included on the database will be refused employment unless they can show exceptional circumstances. Currently this is only for External candidates to the Civil Service.

Careers website

Please visit our careers site for more information https://gov.uk/ukhsa/careers

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.

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 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.

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).

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 : Gurkamal Bhambra
• Email : gurkamal.bhambra@ukhsa.gov.uk
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ukhsa.gov.uk
  
  

Further information

The law requires that selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit on the basis of fair and open competition as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles, and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance, you should contact UKHSA Public Accountability Unit via email: Complaints@ukhsa.gov.uk If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: Visit the Civil Service Commission website: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk