UK Ministry of Defence
Parliamentary and Disclosures Assistant Head
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
City of Westminster, London (region), SW1A 2HB
Job Summary
The Defence Intelligence Policy and Secretariat team is a small but extremely busy team that provides critical support to the delivery of DI business by engaging with parliamentary oversight, assuring DI operates within defined legal frameworks, and managing DI’s engagement with external bodies.
We are looking to recruit a proactive, highly organised and effective leader for our Parliamentary and Disclosures sub-team. This team manages Parliamentary Engagement, our obligations to the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC), responses to Freedom of Information (FOI) and Subject Access Requests (SAR), and Legal and other Disclosures.
You will be a vital member of the Policy and Secretariat leadership team ensuring high standards of output are maintained, flex across to support other parts of the team’s responsibilities, and undertake projects to enable the team to adapt to a changing landscape. Alongside your direct line management responsibilities, you will also play a key role in providing effective support, guidance and development opportunities to all staff within the Policy and Secretariat team.
This role is advertised at 37 hours per week (unless part time).
Job Description
In Defence Intelligence (DI) our people solve problems, create understanding and give perspective to the diverse and complex Defence threats and challenges in a rapidly changing world. Together our civilians and military personnel inform decision making in Defence, manage complex finance programmes and develop new technology.
The successful candidate will lead the Parliamentary and Disclosures team and play a central role in ensuring DI fulfils its parliamentary, statutory and disclosure obligations.
Parliamentary Scrutiny
Parliamentary Scrutiny is an essential part of the governance of the Intelligence community and its activities, and this includes DI. The team is responsible for handling DI parliamentary business and correspondence, including:
- Managing the relationship between DI and the Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC).
- Compilation of reports to the ISC, and subsequent redactions.
- Managing incoming visits from Parliamentarians, including the Armed Forces Parliamentary Scheme.
- Supporting outgoing visits from DI to parliamentarians.
- Answering Parliamentary Questions Relating to DI.
- Clearing Ministerial Submissions.
Disclosure
Defence Intelligence Is Often Required To Share Information That It Holds, In Support Of Its Own Work, To Support The Work Of Defence And In Fulfilling Our Legal Responsibilities To Respond To Inquiries And Legal Proceedings. The Team Is The Focal Point For DI Disclosure Matters Including:
- Correctly commissioning requests for holdings across DI and collating returns.
- Ensuring the appropriate clearance and permissions for Disclosure.
- Responsibility for DI engagement with Statutory and Legal Duties such as Public Inquiries, and Freedom of Information requests.
- Disclosure into the public domain, such as press releases, public facing websites and social media and avowing individuals to DI.
- Managing Employment Tribunal Disclosure.
Policy Secretariat Team
DI’s Policy Secretariat Team Is At The Heart Of DI Business; With a Small Team, And An Ever-changing Landscape, Most Recently With The Creation Of The Military Intelligence Services (MIS), The Team Leader Will Play a Central Role In:
- Setting the direction and scope of the team.
- Ensuring robust governance and compliance.
- Identifying and managing competing priorities, whilst ensuring staff well-being.
- Leading and role-modelling effective agile working, especially in times of high demand.
Reasons to use Rodeo
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.
It 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.
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.
In DI we believe your unique experiences, view and understanding of the world could provide a vital perspective and contribution to our work. We recognise that great minds do not think alike and are striving to increase our diversity representation at all levels. As an equal opportunities employer we hire, train and promote people based on merit and inspire to create an inclusive workplace free of discrimination. We also offer flexible working arrangements such as flexi-time, job share and compressed hours.
All jobs advertised in DI are subject to fair and open competition.
Person Specification
You Will Have:
- Experience of dealing with Private Offices, Ministers, and handling parliamentary and/or disclosures casework.
- A good understanding of Parliamentary and legal frameworks such as the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act, Parliamentary Committees, and demonstrable experience of handling complex FOI requests and/or Parliamentary Questions.
- The ability to create high-quality written content, translating complex technical language into clear, straightforward messaging.
- The ability to proactively develop strong relationships, engaging positively with stakeholders and coordinating activity with other teams.
- The ability to make effective decisions and demonstrate good judgement for issues which may require escalation or attract political attention.
- A keen eye for detail and the ability to analyse and interpret complex information, presenting it in an accessible way.
You Will Be:
- A supportive leader and line manager who champions development and diversity, and provides effective direction and guidance to your team.
- An individual with exceptional organisational skills and the ability to manage and deliver multiple and wide-ranging tasking strands across your portfolio.
- A strong team player who is ready and willing to support colleagues and work collegially.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Changing and Improving
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Leadership
- Delivering at Pace
- Managing a Quality Service
Technical Skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Policy Profession Framework; 2.2 Parliament and Law - Practitioner Level. Demonstration of this technical skill should be included in 250 words on the application form.
- Policy Profession Framework 3.2. Governance and Project Delivery - Practitioner Level.
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
- Policy Profession Framework; 2.2 Parliament and Law - Practitioner Level. Demonstration of this technical skill should be included in 250 words on the application form.
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides [here](opens in a new window).
We offer a range of excellent benefits including but not limited to the following:
- A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
- Leave entitlement – 25-day annual leave allowance per year increasing by 1 day per year (maximum 30 days per year). In addition, 8 statutory Bank Holidays and 1 privilege day per year.
- Additional working pattern options – we have a strong culture of flexible working and encourage all employees to have a healthy work/life balance. We offer a wide range of potential working patterns, including part time, job share and compressed hours. These need to be balanced with business needs so they will vary from job to job. If you would like to know more, please speak to the Recruiting Line Manager.
- Professional Development – We are committed to your continued professional and personal development with learning as one of our core values.
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
- We also offer an excellent range of family-friendly benefits, for example, enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave.
- Special Paid Leave to volunteer up to 6 days a year.
- Main Building has a Gym and onsite shop.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
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 https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.
The 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.
Selection Process Details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Applicants should apply for this role online, via the website.
Assessment at sift and interview will be based on meeting any defined skill/qualification requirements along with a Success Profile Element Assessment, as detailed in the job advert. The Success Profile Elements to be assessed will be outlined within the Job Advert. The Civil Service Success Profile Framework is available here:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
Personal Statement
All applicants will need to provide a personal statement, of no more than 500 words, including evidence of the essential and desirable criteria requested within the job advert.
When completing your personal statement, please read and understand the requirements described in the Person Specification section thoroughly,
“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
Skills
Location