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About the job
Job summary
Border Force is a Law Enforcement arm of the Home Office. We are responsible for handling the UK border control by implementing immigration and customs regulations and working with the wider Home Office on counter terrorism, organised crime, modern slavery and trafficking.
Learn more on the Border Force careers page.
Job description
Do you meet the key eligibility criteria?
In order to be eligible, you MUST meet ALL the following criteria.
- I am at least 18 years old at the time of application.
- I am a UK National.
- I will be able to provide all the ID documents required to complete my pre-employment screening and security clearance.
The role of Operational Engagement Lead sits at the heart of national operations and is critical to the support of the Chief Operating Officer (COO). In this role you will work closely and regularly with the full Operations Senior Leadership Team in a dynamic and faced paced environment that demands sound judgement in challenging and ambiguous situations, and regularly working to short deadlines. Reporting to the G7 Head of Operational Engagement, members of this team will be expected to act on their own initiative, managing and monitoring multiple workstreams, including their own projects, and providing expert advice.
Our work is varied and rewarding, attracting people from all backgrounds and walks of life. We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity and inclusion at the Home Office. We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
- Fundamentally, this role is about gathering, interpreting and presenting information about BF’s operations, and managing relationships to that end.
You will be required and expected to:
- Engage with the most senior officials in BF as you produce briefings and advice to Ministers and Senior Officials on high-profile operational issues and challenges, seeking to gain their support and confidence and to highlights risks and provide reassurance.
- Be responsible for the governance, oversight and management of the organisation’s preparation for the implementation of the EU’s new Entry/Exit System, the introduction of biometric checks at the border. This will include ensuring Ministers and Senior Civil Servants are keenly aware of the potential impacts to Border Force, an understanding of the various ways Border Force is preparing for the implementation and engaging with all relevant stakeholders.
- Support with the introduction of the new monthly cross-Border Force planning meetings with the Border Force Director General. This will entail liaising with all areas of the business including strategy, policy, resourcing, learning and development and will include all transport modes, including BF Maritime Command. You will work to gather, collate and present the information that will be used to hold enablers to account for vital work to support Border Force Operations and, in turn, hold Operations to account for connected support.
- In advance of, and in reflection of, planning for all travel pressure peaks and support to major events, you will work closely with Home Office Analysis & Insight and the Border Force Data Cell to commission, collate and interpret modelling and data to form useful narratives and to present BF’s vital work for both celebration and scrutiny.
- Play a critical stakeholder engagement role, supporting our ambition to maintain positive and collaborative relationships with other Government departments critical to the success of operations at the UK border. This will include – but is not limited to – The Department for Transport, Ministry of Defence, DEFRA, DLUHC and Cabinet Office, where our relationships, planning, and information sharing are vital in delivering BF’s priority to ensure the security and prosperity of the UK and its citizens. These relationships are also fundamental in advanced intelligence for any issues that may affect the border so they can be mitigated.
- Work to enhance the capability and knowledge of the full operational command, sharing experience and ideas to develop learning in areas of Ministerial briefing and advice, and contributing to upskill Border Force’s operational teams to ensure information is shared accurately and concisely across the organisation.
Working patterns
Please note: The minimum for part time is 0.6 FTE or three days a week, Homeworking can be considered but candidates need to be aware that there is a requirement to travel in this role.
This will include occasional travel to Westminster and Croydon.
Not all work patterns can be supported within this role, you should discuss work patterns with the vacancy holder ahead of accepting any offer.
The Home Office operates a flexible working policy which promotes a healthier work/life balance offering a tailored approach to what works for us as individuals, balanced with the needs of our teams and the organisation. Further information about flexible working will be explained to you when you join the business by your line manager.
Normal contractual arrangements within the Home Office require employees to have a work location, Dakota House and our policies have been adapted to facilitate flexible and remote working.
Whilst flexible and remote working is accessible to you, your base location is Dakota House. The cost of travel to commute to your base and the cost of accommodation if required, sits with you, as the employee.
Person specification
Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:
- Support G7 Head of Operational Engagement in overseeing incoming requests and regular workstreams, such as the Monthly DG-led Ops Planning meeting, Cabinet and Small Ministerial Group briefings, COBR and Ministerial meetings on high profile and special projects.
- Work closely with Analysis & Insight and other Border Force colleagues to ensure data is at the heart of all of our work as we inform Ministers and Senior Civil Servants on various different high-profile topics.
- Own relationships with key internal colleagues, such as regional planners and private offices to understand factors that support operational planning and Ministerial and SCS preferences.
- Support stakeholder engagement activity, led by the G7 Head of Operational Briefing and Engagement, including through drafting documents of different kinds to meet the need of the stakeholder.
- Own certain project-based tools, such as trackers and risk registers, to ensure we record, monitor and deliver key activity arising from senior planning meetings that will help inform developing of modelling and delivery of strategic planning activity.
Essential Criteria
We are looking for a self-motivated and enthusiastic individual who can demonstrate:
- Excellent communication skills and ability to collaborate and work with others.
- Excellent organisational skills using project management techniques and tools to track work progress and ensure activities are managed and delivered in a timely manner.
- Excellent written skills and a track record of drafting high-level briefings, submissions and other important documents to tight deadlines.
- Firm experience of the expectations of high-level briefings and presentations, including the need for political and operational sensitivity and awareness.
Desirable Criteria
- Experience in a frontline Border Force role is desirable, but not required.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
- Making Effective Decisions
- Managing a Quality Service
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
- Delivering at Pace
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- An environment with flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
- A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
- A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)
- Provide evidence of the behaviours - (Lead) Delivering at Pace and Seeing the Big Picture (maximum 250 words each)
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.
For guidance on how to construct your personal statement, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Statement
For guidance on how to construct your behaviour examples, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links –Behaviours
The sift will be held on the behaviours (Lead) Delivering at Pace and Seeing the Big Picture and the statement of suitability (personal statement).
The statement of suitability will be scored first for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will progress to a further sift where the behaviours Delivering at Pace and Seeing the Big Picture will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability will not have their behaviours Delivering at Pace and Seeing the Big Picture scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability.
However, if a large number of applications are received, the sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability (personal statement) and the lead behaviour only - Delivering at Pace.
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of strength-based questions and behaviour-based questions.
Strengths are the things that you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. To find out more about strength based questions click here
Problems during the application process
If you experience problems with opening any of the attachments on this advert, or, you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application (e.g. you have selected the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we may not be able to reopen your application.
Please note, we cannot make amendments to any part of the application.
Please use the following in the subject line in your email if you need to get in contact with us about your initial application “Please re-open my application – Vacancy Ref 343671 CLOSING DATE 29th March 2024.
For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within the Reasonable Adjustments section.
Tie break decisions
The strengths and/or behaviours being assessed will be ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores. Please note that the order in which behaviours are listed in the advert does not necessarily reflect the order of importance.
Sift and Interview dates
Sift is expected to take place week commencing 1st April 2024.
Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 22nd April 2024.
We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.
Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to:
- A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
- Good internet connection
- Microsoft Teams
Further Information
For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV. A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
Reserve List
Where a competition identifies more appointable candidates than there are available vacancies, a reserve list may be held for up to 12 months.
Whilst on a reserve list we may offer you an alternative similar role in the Home Office. Should you reject an alternative role, you will remain on the reserve list for the role you applied for. If you accept an alternative role, you will be withdrawn from the reserve list.
Please note there are no guarantees that further vacancies will arise in the locations you originally applied for before your time on the reserve list expires.
Candidates Please Note:
Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying and generating of examples/answers from internet sources including Artificial Intelligence. If any is detected the application may be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving civil servants. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.
If you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, a contractor or contingent worker you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e., outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.
Are these Reserved Posts for UK Nationals only?
UK nationals who hold dual nationality are able to apply for this reserved post. If a UK passport is not being presented, then candidates will need to provide alternative evidence of UK nationality in line with the Civil Service Nationality Rules.
Part Time Working
The minimum requirement for part time is 0.6 FTE or three days a week.
We encourage applications from candidates who wish to work part-time however, unless specified in the advert, part-time opportunities cannot be guaranteed in frontline roles due to the 24/7 operational nature of the business. Those wishing to work part-time should notify the vacancy holder as soon as a provisional offer of employment is made to explore whether this can be accommodated [at your selected location]. Please note that full shifts (of up to 12 hours) will be required even if a part time contract is sought.
Please note: Not all work patterns can be supported within this role, you should discuss work patterns with the vacancy holder ahead of accepting any offer.
Flexible working
Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024. Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).
Job Sharing
It is recommended that candidates applying as job sharers identify their job-sharing partner in advance and apply together. They should also note that they wish to apply as part of a job-sharing arrangement on their application form and provide the name of their job-sharing partner. Job sharing candidates should refer to the information and guidance on the Gov.UK website Civil Service Careers.
Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.
We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
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.
For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.
Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.
Transfer Terms: Voluntary.
If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.
Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.
Any move to the Home Office 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
Additional Security Checks: As well as successfully obtaining UKSV clearance and passing the right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force will also be subject to additional Border Force specific security checks, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine their suitability to work for the organisation.
Please see the Home Office Recruitment Privacy Information Notice (PIN) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruitment-privacy-information-notice for more information on how your details may be shared for the purpose of additional security checks.
Please see the Border Force Privacy Information Notice (PIN) on Border Force privacy information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information on how your details may be shared.
Reasonable Adjustments
If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:
- Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
- Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
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
Job contact :
Recruitment team
Further information
principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance
HORecruitment.GRS@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.
