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Vetting Officer

Department for Energy Security & Net Zero

Department
Department for Energy Security & Net Zero
Location
Birmingham, Salford, Bristol, Cardiff, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Darlington
Openings
1 post
Grade
EO
Salary
£30,940 to £35,710
Closing
7 days left
Profession
Administration, Operational Delivery
Contract
Permanent
Security clearance
SC
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
Apply on Civil Service Jobs

Job summary

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/

What they’re looking for

  • The key responsibilities of this role are: -
  • Facilitating the transfer of existing security clearances in coordination with UKSV and departmental process, primarily for staff joining the department who already hold NSV.
  • Attend and support with internal security briefs alongside the Senior Personnel Security Manager, and Personnel Security Manager.
  • Close management of the team’s multiple shared inboxes, working across all additional workstreams.
  • Manage and maintain multiple trackers and databases, including data entry, data validation and data analysis.
  • Continuous management of the team's SharePoint site holdings, ensure relevant content is filed and stored in accordance with internal policies, government security classifications, and data protection regulations.
  • Support audits and implement corrective actions where necessary.
  • Develop and maintain up to date desk instructions and process documents for the Vetting Administration Officer and Vetting Officer roles.
  • Identify service issues and trends and raise to line manager and seniors as required.
  • Undertake initial review of complex vetting cases where additional decision making is required, escalating as appropriate.
  • Performing appropriate secondary duties across the Personnel Security Team, as the need arises by the management team, to maintain cross-functional security resilience and as part of your development.
  • As part of the Department Security Unit, demonstrate leadership by modelling best security practices and promoting a strong security culture.
  • As a member of the regional Personnel Security Team, you may be required to travel to other offices to participate in training sessions and team engagement activities.
  • Essential Criteria
  • We would love to hear from you if you have a genuine interest in security and improving departmental security culture.
  • Our ideal candidate will:
  • Be an excellent communicator with a customer-focused approach, able to work within a small team
  • Proven ability to work with high accuracy and attention to detail
  • Experience in using MS Office
  • Have a flexible, team player attitude, encouraging collaborative team and cross department working
  • Experience in supporting colleagues in a team environment to achieve set objectives
  • Experience of working under pressure handling multiple tasks and prioritising your own workload
  • A willingness to undergo National Security Vetting in order to achieve SC, including ongoing adherence to the standards and behaviours expected of a clearance holder
  • Desirable Criteria
  • Security experience and knowledge of vetting or supporting a vetting service would be useful, but not crucial, as we can offer the training you need. If you have not worked in a vetting role before but have strong administrative, organisational and other transferrable skills, you should still apply.
  • A history of working in a customer-focussed environment
  • A proven ability to deliver an ‘at volume’ service consistently and at pace
  • An understanding of the principles of data protection and a strong commitment to confidentiality and discretion when handling sensitive personal or organisational data
  • Additional Information
  • Successful candidates must pass disclosure and barring security checks. If successful, you must also hold or be willing and able to obtain security clearance to SC level. You do not need to already hold SC to apply. We will sponsor you through the process but any offer will be conditional until SC is obtained.
  • Individuals applying for security clearance should usually have been continuously resident in the UK for the following periods immediately before the clearance is launched:
  • SC – 5 years
  • DV – 10 years
  • If you have spent more than six months resident outside the UK within these timeframes then you are still encouraged to apply. Eligibility for security clearances will be assessed on a case by case basis but in some instances, it may not be possible to take forward applications from those who do not meet residency requirements.
  • Note: If a large number of applications meet the minimum standard, an interview wait list may be created for this position. This means that if you have met the minimum requirements at sift you may be placed at a ‘Hold’ status for up to 12 months and if we are able to invite you to an interview we will be in touch.

Behaviours you’ll be assessed on

This advert says the panel will score you against these behaviours at EO level. Each one links to worked examples.

Job description

This role is based within the Integrated Corporate Services (ICS) Departmental Security Unit (DSU), which delivers protective security and business continuity support and assurance to our departmental customers through a shared service approach.

This role is within the Personnel Security team, run by a Grade 6 Security Adviser for Physical and Personnel Security, manages vetting administration, including sponsoring, assessing and confirming clearances. The team also manages the Overseas service, and insider risk programme activities.

The team has a positive, welcoming, and inclusive culture, and we are looking for pro active and engaged team members to join us and help to deliver a high-quality security service to our department customers and partner organisations.

You will be a part of the Government Security Profession. There are a wide variety of roles, specialisms and career paths for Government Security Professionals who work throughout the Civil Service helping to protect the UK Government and our citizens both at home and overseas.

Please contact the vacancy holder if you would like to discuss this role in further detail.

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)

Selection process

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 Numerical Test and a Civil Service Judgement 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 7th September 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 Maintence

You will be directed to the Talogy - True Talent – Scheduled Maintenance Window Webpage for online tests during an outage.

Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 4pm and Midnight on Sunday 30th August 2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

Applications will be sifted on behavioural statement, CV, and personal statement.

In the event of a large number of applicants, applications will be sifted on the personal statement only.

The interview will consist of behaviour and strength-based questions.

Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Further Information

Reasonable Adjustment

We are proud to be a disability confident leader and we welcome applications from disabled candidates and candidates with long-term conditions.

Information about the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and some examples of adjustments that we offer to disabled candidates and candidates with long-term health conditions during our recruitment process can be found in our DESNZ Candidate Guidance. A DESNZ Plain Text Version of the guidance is also available.

We encourage candidates to discuss their adjustment needs by emailing the job contact which can be found under the contact point for applicants section.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

A location based reserve list of successful candidates will be kept for 12 months. Should another role become available within that period you may be offered this position.

Candidates who meet the minimum benchmark may be placed on a Reserve List for consideration for similar roles, including those at a lower grade. Candidates who narrowly miss the benchmark and are not placed on the Reserve List may still be considered for an offer in a similar role at a lower grade.

Please note terms and conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.

Any move to the Department for Energy, Security and Net Zero 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; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

DESNZ does not normally offer full home working (i.e. working at home); but we do offer a variety of flexible working options (including occasionally working from home).

DESNZ cannot offer Visa sponsorship to candidates through this campaign. DESNZ holds a Visa sponsorship licence but this can only be used for certain roles and this campaign does not qualify.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

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