Department for Energy Security and Net Zero
Deputy Security Officer
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London
Job Summary
ICS
The Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) is a shared corporate service. It provides corporate services (HR, Finance, Digital, Commercial, Security and Estates) across the Department for Energy Security & Net Zero (DESNZ) and the Department for Science, Innovation & Technology (DSIT).
Our team of over 400 professionals will be leading the way in how these functions will be delivered in the future. Our ambition is to be the leading provider of integrated corporate services for government and set the standard for quality, efficiency, and innovation in our field.
We offer great working benefits including a world-class pension, flexible working options and a career where your learning and development is taken seriously. We are enormously proud to be a Disability Confident Leader employer. We support candidates with adjustments throughout our recruitment process. Information about disability confidence and just some examples of the adjustments that you can request can be found in the reasonable adjustment section below.
Find Out More
You can also follow our LinkedIn Careers Page: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/desnz-careers/
Job Description
Are you interested in joining a high-performing team of security professionals? This is an excellent opportunity for an organised, flexible and motivated individual to develop specialist security knowledge and contribute to a critical service across government.
You will join the ICS Department Security Unit (DSU), a friendly and diverse team with expertise across cyber, information, business continuity, personnel and physical security. The DSU manages and regulates access to sensitive material and plays a key role in supporting secure government operations.
This is an important and influential role requiring strong organisational skills, sound judgement and the ability to deliver a professional service to users. You will become a valued member of the Government Security Profession and will be encouraged to explore the wider security environment as part of your ongoing development.
Alongside your role, there will be an opportunity to undertake the Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship, which will develop your administrative services, developing you to become an effective member of the team and wider department. A detailed overview of what knowledge, skills and behaviours apprentices can expect to develop can be found at:
https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeship-standards/st0070-v1-0
Person specification
Key Responsibilities
This role supports the secure administration and control of the ICS service, helping DESNZ and DSIT staff access sensitive material and facilities promptly, reliably, and securely. You will deliver an efficient, high-quality service to users and act as a key point of contact for related matters.
The Key Responsibilities of this role are to:
- Manage the secure administration, storage and control of DESNZ and DSIT secure facilities and sensitive material, protecting assets through robust access controls and ensuring facilities and equipment are maintained.
- Build effective working relationships with government authorities, analyse information, establish resilience processes and provide informed guidance.
- Manage a busy meeting room booking system, balancing multiple requests and prioritising Ministerial meetings.
- Deliver high-quality inductions and professional training to users at all levels, including Director Generals and Ministers.
- Support informational management compliance across DESNZ and DSIT by overseeing the use of security documentation and associated actions.
- Investigate and issue low-level breach notifications to DESNZ and DSIT staff in line with policy.
- Manage a busy, administration focused workload with regular customer interaction, including handling frequent and repeat queries, while proactively improving ways of working.
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Essential Criteria
We are keen to hear from candidates with a genuine interest in security, including those with transferable skills from other sectors or disciplines.
The Ideal Candidate Will:
- Bring a positive, enthusiastic approach and enjoy working in a small team.
- Communicate clearly, take a proactive and customer-focused approach and respond confidently to last-minute requests.
- Stay organised, manage competing priorities and balance inbox work with prompt support for in-person customer needs.
- Use an analytical approach to make sound decisions, resolve issues and identify improvements.
This role requires Developed Vetting (DV) clearance, so candidates must be willing to complete the DV process.
In order to meet the nationality requirement for access to sensitive material this post is open to UK nationals only. As the post holder will have access to sensitive information, there are limitations on traveling to a small number of countries, and we will undertake security checks as part of the recruitment process.
Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.
This is primarily an office-based role with the opportunity to work remotely for one day per week. We would also need you to reside within a 1.5-hour travel distance to the London office for the provision of emergency assistance as required when on call.
About The Apprenticeship:
The successful candidate will have the opportunity to undertake the Level 3 Business Administrator Apprenticeship. The apprenticeship will typically take around 18 months to complete. The Business Administrator Apprenticeship will focus on developing individuals' administrative services, whilst encouraging the apprentice to support and engage with wider parts of the team and wider organisation.
A Detailed Overview of What Knowledge, Skills and Behaviours apprentices can expect to develop can be found at: https://skillsengland.education.gov.uk/apprenticeship-standards/st0070-v1-0
Apprenticeship & Role Eligibility Requirements:
As there is an opportunity to undertake an apprenticeship, there are additional eligibility requirements to consider before applying. To undertake the apprenticeship, the candidate will need to be:
- Living in England
- Not in full-time education
- Have achieved or be willing to work towards as part of the apprenticeship Level 2 Maths and English or equivalent
- Not hold a higher qualification in a similar area as the apprenticeship (for example, a Master’s Degree in Business Administration). If you hold qualifications at Level 3 or higher, please check your qualification with the vacancy holder.
Due to the nature of the clearance needed for the role, this role is only suitable for individuals aged 18 or over.
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Desirable Criteria
- Work collaboratively across teams and departments, supporting others’ development where appropriate.
- Build effective relationships, engaging and negotiating with key stakeholders and staff at all levels.
- Promote strong staff engagement and demonstrate high standards of security behaviour, with the ability to develop and follow security processes and policies.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
- Changing and Improving
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Managing a Quality Service
- Working Together
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £34,835, Department for Energy Security & Net Zero contributes £10,091 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).
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero offers a competitive mix of benefits including:
- A culture of flexible working, such as job sharing, homeworking and compressed hours.
- Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- A minimum of 25 days of paid annual leave, increasing by 1 day per year up to a maximum of 30.
- An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
- Access to a range of retail, travel and lifestyle employee discounts.
Office Attendance
The Department operates a discretionary hybrid working policy, which provides for a combination of working hours from your place of work and from your home in the UK. The current expectation for staff is to attend the office or non-home based location for 40-60% of the time over the accounting period.
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.
Selection Process Details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.
After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test and a Civil Service Numerical Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.
Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 8th October 2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.
Online Test Maintenance
You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.
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