HM Revenue & Customs
Head of Physical Security & Resilience

How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Summary
Explore the world of HMRC Estates, where we lead the way in government property transformation. As a key player in one of the UK's largest property programmes, HMRC Estates offers safe, inclusive workplaces and exceptional career development opportunities. Our team is dedicated to delivering high-quality, user-friendly services that enable our colleagues to thrive in an environment where they truly belong. Watch the video below to meet some of our team and come and discover a career in your hands at HMRC.
Build a Career in Property with HMRC Estates
Professional Services & Estates Assurance is a Deputy Director (SCS1) led team of subject matter experts and specialist engineers covering, Construction, Digital, Data & Analytics and the Professional Services Team (Fire, H&S, Security, BIM, Sustainability & Building Services). Providing specialist advice, guidance, assurance and statutory compliance.
The Head of Physical Security & Resilience is responsible for the Physical Security specialism across Estates, anticipating challenges, providing strategic direction, driving performance and building the capability required to ensure the security of HMRC’s assets (staff, information, estate) and assuring HMRC is aligned to Government Security Minimum Standards. The role is also the Head of Security Profession for Estates.
Job Description
This is a critical role in Estates, responsible for the following:
- Threat & Risk Assurance (TaRA) process
- Physical Security Design Standards (PSDS)
- Departmental Security Health Check (DSHC) Physical section
- Strategic direction for physical security improvements
- Level 2 Physical Security Assurance
Physical Security and Resilience encompasses setting the standards across HMRC for:
Physical measures
- Hostile Vehicle Mitigation – HVM
- Walling & Door Systems
- Glazing
- Perimeter measures (Fencing & PID systems)
Electronic measures
- Access Control Systems (AACS)
- Intruder Detection Systems (IDS)
- Video Surveillance Systems (VSS)
- Integration of systems
Person Specification
The Role Will Require An Individual From a Security And/or Engineering Background Who Is Able To Work Alone Or As Part Of a Team, While Exhibiting Diplomacy, Honesty And Integrity. They Will Require Academic / Professional Qualifications / Accreditation As Follows:
- Degree or equivalent in relevant subject(s).
- Member or Fellow of a relevant security professional body such as CSyP; Security Institute; RSES.
Reasons to use Rodeo
I’m in my final year doing Economics and I don’t know whether to apply for grad schemes now or do a masters first. What do you think?
Honest answer — it depends on where you want to end up. A lot of top grad schemes (Big 4, civil service, banking) don’t need a masters. Let’s look at the ones you’d be competitive for now, and we can decide if a masters actually adds anything.
Also worth knowing: most autumn 2026 applications are open now. Timing matters more than you think.
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
Graduate Consultant — 2026 Scheme
Why you're a good match
StrongYour economics background and your summer at a regional bank line up with what PwC looks for on the consulting scheme. Applications close in four weeks.
See breakdownIt searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Why you're a good match
You’ve got the grades and the economics background, and your bank internship is exactly the experience this scheme looks for. Apply soon — deadlines close within the month.
Experience fit
Your summer at the bank plus your econometrics coursework map directly to the day-one responsibilities on this scheme — client modelling, market briefings, and deal support.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
The successful candidate will have to undertake the role of subject matter expert, and so applicants must already have the requisite knowledge and experience as they will not be afforded time to learn on the job.
Essential Criteria
- Applied physical security - Expert
- Risk understanding and mitigation - Expert
- Protective security - Practitioner
- Threat understanding - Practitioner
- Legal & regulatory environment and compliance - Working
- BIM; REVIT; CAD - Working
- Ability to travel UK wide in role.
- Capable of operating efficiently across a wide variety of differing business areas.
Desirable Criteria
The Ideal Candidate Will Be Able To Demonstrate They Have Successfully Developed And Implemented Physical Security Strategies Within Large / Complex Organisations, And Will Have Circa:
- Extensive General Security experience.
- Built Environment Security experience.
- Hold a Security/ Engineering qualification such as CEng / IEng.
Additional Security Information
This role requires the successful candidate to hold or be willing to hold Security Check (SC) clearance
Qualifications
Degree or equivalent in relevant subject(s).
Alongside your salary of £58,541, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,959 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).
HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.
We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.
Benefits
- Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
- Family friendly policies.
- Personal support.
- Coaching and development.
To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service (opens in a new window)
Selection process details
How To Apply
As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:
- A name-blind CV including your Job History, previous Skills and Experience and Qualifications.
- A 500-word Personal Statement to demonstrate both Essential Criteria and Person Specification as detailed in the advert.


Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Please complete a separate statement (Max 250 words) for the Desirable Criteria where applicable. This is not essential for the role but may be considered by the vacancy-holder where candidates have the same scores at interview.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on your CV.
At full sift your CV and your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.
We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.
Interview
During the panel interview, you will be assessed on Experience. You will be asked questions relating to your experience regarding GovS 007 framework.
Interviews will take place via video link.
Sift and interview dates to be confirmed. Please note that circumstances may arise that require the planned interview format to change. We will endeavour to provide you with as much notice of any change as possible.
Eligibility
Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. Mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we may not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, or have withdrawn yourself in error and need your application reinstated whilst the campaign is still live, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’.
To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.
Exceptionally, candidates who are not successful at this grade may be considered for appointment to similar roles at a lower grade where the eligibility criteria are met. If this applies, we will contact you directly.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
Name : HMRC Estates Professional Services Team
Email : Brendan.murray@hmrc.gov.uk
Recruitment team
Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London