DIO – Ministry of Defence Guard Service – Security Officer Shift Worker
Job Description
Full Job Description
Business area
Type of role
Security
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Job description
The Challenge
Do you want to join the 2021 Government Security team of the year and be part of our Gold Standard security service?
The Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS) provides high quality security services at approximately 100 MOD sites across Great Britain. The MGS has guarded the Defence Estate for over 25 years including high profile locations such as MOD Main Building in London and His Majesty’s Naval Bases at Portsmouth, Devonport and the Clyde. We provide access control, military working dogs, control room operations and other security services. We play a vital role supporting the Defence Mission and work to protect the defence estate and personnel from crime, terrorism, espionage and sabotage threats.
The MGS is part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and employs over 2,500 staff. MGS Officers are often the first point of contact with the MOD for employees, visitors and contractors and we pride ourselves on our professional, customer-focused culture.
All our Security Officers are required to have excellent customer service skills and must be willing to go above and beyond to support security operations across the defence estate. Due to the high profile and strategic locations of the sites we guard, it is essential our Security Officers have a strong work ethic, are able to work as part of a team, are observant to threats and are capable to challenge and de-escalate difficult situations if required. We also require our Security Officers to have good written and verbal communication skills. Our Officers must have resilience and remain positive and friendly in all weather conditions and on all occasions.
We provide our staff with a market leading salary, excellent sickness benefits, together with a defined benefit civil service pension. Free full uniform will be provided.
We are a growing organisation with opportunities for good quality staff to progress their security careers.
The MGS holds the Committed to Equality Gold Standard and we positively encourage applications from all under-represented communities and from all types of working backgrounds.
See more information about the MGS, please read the candidate pack and watch our Security Officer YouTube video https://youtu.be/nzSK9OPOoDI
About MGS
The Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS) is a professionally qualified body of Civil Servants who provide unarmed guarding services at approximately 100 MOD sites across Great Britain. The MGS has guarded the Defence Estate for over 25 years including high profile locations such as MOD Main Building in London and His Majesty’s Naval Bases at Portsmouth, Devonport and the Clyde. The MGS plays a vital role supporting the Defence Mission and works closely with its security partners
The MGS is part of the Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and employs over 2,500 operational and support staff. The MGS is managed by a Head Office team, dispersed strategically around the country.
MGS officers are very often the first point of contact with the MOD for employees, visitors and contractors and we pride ourselves on a customer-focused culture, working to DIO’s Values as well as our own core values of honesty, integrity, professionalism and efficiency.
We are passionate about the services we deliver and work hard to keep pace with developments in the security industry, as we seek to be the unarmed guarding provider of choice. The MGS holds the Committed to Equality Gold Standard and we positively encourage applications from all under-represented communities.
Person specification
Main Responsibilities
The key duties of a Security Officer are as follows.
Please note that these duties can vary from site to site.
- Controlling vehicular and pedestrian access and exit to/from site
- Issue of passes using site IT systems
- Reporting of environmental issues
- Issue and receipt of keys
- Patrolling on foot and in a vehicle
- Searching of vehicles, baggage, personnel, buildings and open areas
- Escorting visitors
- Traffic management
- Checking identity on site (ad hoc)
- Writing reports on breaches of security or defects and maintaining daily logs
- Referral of complaints
- Reporting MGS infrastructure defects
- Dealing with demonstrators and intruders as directed by those holding operational control
- Safeguarding classified information and material
- Cooperating with other security providers
- Collaborating with emergency services and invoking emergency procedures
- Operating and monitoring security systems; CCTV and alarms etc
- Operating and communicating effectively over the telephone and/or radio
- Reporting safety hazards and accidents in accordance with current instructions
- Carrying out, if required, initial action at the scene of any incident
- Other tasks commensurate with the grade
Desirable Experience & Skills
A background, qualification or demonstrable interest in the delivery of site security and/or customer service will be an advantage.
We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.
Travel Requirements
Where close area working arrangements are in place staff may be required to attend other sites within their travel to work area (one hour from their home) on a detached duty basis.
Licences
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
We enable our people to work at the right place, with the right people, at the right time.
We believe that if we look after our people, they will be passionate about delivering great things for our customers.
The MOD Discover My Benefits page lists the full set of benefits. Some of the many benefits you will receive include:
- Highly competitive Pension Scheme
- Free Uniform
- 25 days annual leave rising (1 day per year) to 30 days upon completion of 5 years’ service
- Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year
- Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments
- Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year
- Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
- Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing
- Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club, Gym and / or site shops
- The possibility to gain a financial in-year reward after successful completion of six months probation and a further in-year reward after your 12 month anniversary and throughout your career with the MGS.
This post does not offer any assistance with relocation allowances.
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.
This vacancy is part of the A Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative, Making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans
Learning & Development
- Professional and Personal Development of skills
- Access to thousands of training courses through Civil Service Learning, some free or paid by DIO
- Ability to obtain industry recognised qualifications supported by DIO
Employment Hours
48 hours a week (including a paid break per day)
This is a shift working position – 12 hour days, 12 hour nights. The successful candidate will be expected to work nights, weekends, bank holidays etc. The exact shift pattern will be explained in full during the interview.
Medical
MGS applicants are required to attend a medical appointment to undertake a colour perception test.
About DIO
DIO is passionate about ensuring that we are a top performing organisation and a great place to work. We host a diverse range of talent where everyone feels valued and supported enabling our people to thrive, bring greater creativity and innovation to achieve higher organisational performance. We are committed to be an equal opportunities employer and creating a culture where everyone can bring their whole self to work and individuality is truly appreciated.
This culture of inclusion is underpinned by our 6 staff networks covering Disability, Faith and Belief, Gender Equality, LGBTQI+, Race, Social Mobility and 3 networks dealing with employee wellbeing and support: Speak Safe Volunteers, Mental Health First Aiders and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Advisers.
Our staff, future and current will be guided by the 4 Cs and we encourage you to be curious and continuously strive for improvement, collaborative in an inclusive culture, ambitious and resilient and committed to Defence, empowered and able to challenge so you can play a key part in shaping the direction of our organisation.
DIO commits to offer its employees the following experience:
- Meaningful, purposeful work
- The ability to learn and grow
- The right opportunities and resources
- To care about your wellbeing
- To feel valued and included
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) is the estate expert for Defence, supporting the armed forces to enable military capability by planning, building, maintaining, and servicing infrastructure.
We employ approximately 4,900 staff from a very diverse range of professions, and we work across the world; in Germany, Cyprus and the Falkland Islands, Norway, Poland, Kenya, Belize, Nepal and Oman.
Our responsibilities include:
- Plan and deliver major capital projects and lifecycle refurbishment
- Provide utilities services
- Manage soft facilities management (i.e. cleaning and catering)
- Provide a safe place to train
- Allocate Service Families Accommodation
- Procure and manage routine maintenance and reactive repair
- Provide a central register of asset information to advise infrastructure planning
- Act as steward of the Defence estate
- Provide the unarmed guarding service
You can view our YouTube video to see more about our work
Things you need to know
Selection process details
Please ensure that at the application and interview stages of the campaign you review the Success Profiles Framework to assist you in the demonstration of your skills and experience.
Your suitability for the role will be assessed using the Success Profile elements that have been chosen for this campaign. Each element will be scored accordingly, and the successful candidate will be appointed on merit.
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
Experience:
- CV
At interview you will be assessed against the following:
Behaviours:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Leadership
- Managing a Quality Service
Application sifting is scheduled to take place on week commencing: 20/02/2023 following advert closure.
Interviews are currently taking place remotely and will be conducted week commencing: 27/02/2023. A minimum of 2 full working days’ notice will be provided for interviews.
To assist with your application please find attached below:
1. MGS Candidate Pack
For help and support with your application check out our
Civil Service Careers Homepage and the How to apply section
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Medical
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Further information
Applicants should monitor their Civil Service Jobs application centre regularly for updates.
Some of MoD’s Terms and Conditions of Service (TACOS) changed from 3 February 2014. Those TACOS changes applied to Broader Banded and Skill Zone staff who were new recruits to MoD or who were appointed to a post on substantive promotion, progression or advancement. On the same basis, the TACOS for Departmental Retained Grades changed with effect from 01 September 2014. The document attached to this advertisement provides more information.
All employees joining MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a 6-month probation period (unless otherwise advised) effective from the employment start date.
Any move to Ministry of Defence 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
Complaints
Please be aware that the selection and interviewing of applicants is the responsibility of the Recruiting Line Manager (RLM) and not the Defence Business Services (DBS) Resourcing team. DBS do not play any part in the selection and interview process.
Therefore, if you wish to discuss your feedback, or you are dissatisfied with your markings, you should in the first instance raise this with the Recruiting Line Manager of the vacancy.
If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address:
Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, PO Box 38, Cheadle Hulme, SK8 7NU
If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address:
Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ
Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk
Cabinet Office Fraud Checks
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 whose details are found to be held on the IFD will be refused employment
Civil Service Recruitment Principles
Please see the link below for the civil service recruitment principles.
To find out a bit more about what it’s like working for MOD, visit the Civil Service Careers Website
https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/departments/working-for-the-ministry-of-defence/
Please see the MOD Privacy Notice link below which describes how we will use your personal data, explains your rights and gives you information you are entitled to under Data Protection legislation.
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/ministry-of-defence-privacy-notice/mod-privacy-notice
Travel Costs
There will be no reimbursement for any travel expenses for the interview.
Nationality Statement
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.
The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and 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.
Smoke-Free Working Environment Policy
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 by 31st December 2022. 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.