Defence Nuclear Enterprise Resilience, Response and CNI

The Defence Nuclear Organisation (DNO) is responsible for the provision of the nuclear deterrent, encompassing our submarines and nuclear warheads, while also advising on UK nuclear planning and fostering international co-operation on nuclear matters. With a multidisciplinary team of over 700 professionals, the DNO brings together expertise in science, engineering, finance, policy, programme delivery, and more. We work in partnership with the Royal Navy, the Submarine Delivery Agency and the Atomic Weapons Establishment as the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE).

Here at DNO we strongly believe that diversity and inclusion is not only the right thing to do but is also essential for a thriving and successful organisation. We have a culture where differences are celebrated, and our people feel supported, included and empowered. Join us and be part of an organisation that truly values diversity and inclusion and makes a positive impact on the world.

The mission of the DNO’s Security and Intelligence Division is to enable the DNE to be secure and assured now and into the future.

You will be responsible for leading a cross-DNE programme to lead and deliver a comprehensive approach to the identification and resilience of our critical systems and infrastructure, our approach to homeland defence, defence readiness, and leading a risk, threat and hazard agnostic approach to emergency and incident preparedness, planning, response and recovery.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week.

Hybrid and flexible working can be considered for this post but will need regular workplace attendance due to security constraints. Candidates are encouraged to discuss options with the recruiting line manager before submitting an application.

Leading a team to:

Refresh and maintain our understanding of critical infrastructure and systems across the Defence Nuclear Enterprise (DNE), including but not limited to:

• Refreshing and renewing and overseeing our existing understanding of critical infrastructure and systems across Defence Nuclear.
• Refreshing, renewing and overseeing our understanding of our wider critical infrastructure and system dependencies (including wider defence and civil critical national infrastructure (CNI)).

Deliver a cross-DNE approach to identifying, assessing and managing our resilience risks. including but not be limited to:

• Leading and overseeing cross-enterprise policy, guidance and support to support and enable programmes to assess and identify resilience risks with due regard to the full range of potential threats, risks and hazards.
• Ensure this fully considers potential risks and challenges that would result from the full range of potential National Security Risk Assessment (NSRA) risks.
• Leading and maintaining mechanisms for aggregating this into a cross-enterprise understanding of our resilience risks and mitigations, as part of wider risk management and governance.
• Lead and support work to manage, mitigate and plan for these risks, working closely with programme teams.
• Lead DNE input into cross-MOD and HMG defence readiness and homeland defence planning and legislation.

Review and then take leadership and management of our cross-DNE incident and emergency planning, preparedness, response and recovery mechanisms, including but not be limited to:

• Review and refresh our existing planning and arrangements to manage the full range of potential incidents, working closely with relevant specialists across safety, security and beyond.
• Oversee the delivery, testing and maintenance an appropriate set of emergency and incident plans, mechanisms, ways of working and operational structures that can be stood up in the event of an incident.
• Taking a leadership role should incidents occur, acting as a focal point for standing up relevant structures and mobilising relevant specialists and subject matter experts.

Undertake and lead wider resilience, risk and security projects and programmes as required.

As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional 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.

Open to UK nationals only.

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

Candidates will be required to provide CV details to include job history; qualification details and previous skills and experience.

Candidates will be required to provide a statement of suitability in no more than 100 words that sets out your motivation for applying and shows how your skills and experience meet the essential/desirable requirements for the role.

At sift, you will be assessed against your CV, Statement of suitability and the following Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating & Influencing

If a large number of applications are received, the sift will be based on the CV, Statement of suitability and the lead behaviour Leadership. However, evidence should be provided against all the Success Profile Behaviours requested.

At interview, you will be assessed against your Experience and the following Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Making Effective Decisions
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Communicating & Influencing

The interviews will be conducted in person, MOD Main Building, London.

Further Information:

Candidates who are found to meet an acceptable standard at interview but are not successful in this advertised post may be considered for similar roles within the Business Unit.

The Defence Nuclear Organisation plays a vital role in supporting the delivery of the UK’s independent strategic nuclear deterrent. To help enhance security, staff working for the DNO are encouraged to always exercise a high level of discretion in sharing information or talking about their work. As part of the application process, we ask that you do not tell anyone other than your partner or close family member about your application to join the DNO. You should not mention your application on social media or discuss it with anyone else at this stage.

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.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.

Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.