The successful candidate will report to the Head of Personnel Security. They will be

Working with individuals in the United Kingdom Security (UKSV) and Government Security Group ( GSG) both of which are within the Cabinet Office to support cross Government National Security Vetting ( NSV ).

Responsible for process improvements and policy changes to ensure the NSV process within HMRC is aligned.

Collaborating with a wide range of key stakeholders across HMRC and providing expert advice to assist with their business requirements.

Undertake complex vetting decisions and attend Security Vetting Appeals Panels (SVAP) and Employment Tribunals as required to defend decisions where NSV has been either refused or withdrawn.

Sponsoring and managing a programme of improvements to HMRC's vetting IT systems and services.

Facilitating and leading organisational learning reviews, extracting valuable lessons learned data to improve the service.

Responsible for :- delivering a Vetting Service within the Key Performance Indicators, Forecasting HMRC demand as required by UKSV. Monitoring Performance, flexing resource as required whilst managing risks to delivery of NSV for the business. Leading and motivating the operational vetting teams across locations, direct line management of 2 Senior vetting managers.

Further Information

Candidate Contact Points for this vacancy are as follows

Sharon Madden-Nadeau Email sharon.madden-nadeau1@hmrc.gov.uk

Sue Walker Email sue.walker@hmrc.gov.uk

Person specification

As the head of National Security Vetting for HMRC, you will be pivotal in providing an excellent vetting service to our customers. This is an interesting and busy post, and the role holder will need good communication and customer service skills, an ability to work independently to lead the vetting team which is spread over 4 locations.

Qualities will include :-

• Strong leadership experience, both personal and corporate, in managing change and experience of leading and motivating high performing teams.
• Personally taking responsibility for delivering a timely, high quality and cost effective service with focus and energy.
• Ability to empower and make changes that add value, with a strong focus on improved outcomes and performance by encouraging innovation, giving people the space to take initiative in flexible interdependent communities.
• Demonstrate positive customer service outcomes by understanding the complexity and diversity of customer needs and expectations.
• Have the ability to establish and maintain strong relationships at all levels in the organisation, working collaboratively across teams, engaging and building trust to generate commitment to goals.
• Provide support to the Head of Personnel Security , including representing at various boards and meetings with internal and external stakeholders.

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrates exceptional risk management capabilities with a track record of making sound risk-based decisions that deliver measurable results.
• Champions continuous service improvement through innovative approaches that enhance efficiency and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Solves complex problems with creative strategic thinking, turning challenges into opportunities for organisational growth.
• Inspires and develops high-performing teams through transformative leadership and effective personnel management.
• Communicates with clarity and impact across all platforms-whether writing persuasive documents, facilitating crucial conversations, or delivering compelling presentations.
• Exhibits outstanding self-direction and initiative, actively pursuing personal growth while driving projects forward independently.

Additional Security Information

The successful candidate will be required to hold National Security Vetting at Security Check level or a willingness to obtain it before starting the role. They will also be required to apply for National Security Clearance at Developed Vetting once in the role.

Further Information

Due to operational needs, these posts are full-time; however, applicants who need to work a more flexible arrangement are welcome to apply. We can't guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly as any agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate. Any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £56,344, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £16,322 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it's really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service

Things you need to know

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

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A name-blind CV including your job history and previous experiences.
• A 500-word Personal statement. Your Personal Statement should evidence how you meet the Essential Criteria for this role.
• Separate 250-word statements addressing the specified behaviours, Changing and Improving, Seeing the Big Picture, Making Effective Decisions and Leadership.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.

Sift

In the event of a large number of applications being received, an initial sift may be held on the Personal Statement

At full sift all behaviour statements, your CV and your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Interview

During the panel interview, your experience will be assessed, and you will be asked behaviour-based questions to explore in detail what you are capable of.

You will be asked to deliver a 5 minute presentation that showcases how you utilised technology to enhance team effectiveness and efficiency. Describe the specific technology implemented, the improvements achieved and your leadership role in driving this change. The subject will be provided to those invited to interviewed.

Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days(Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk - Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example - 'Please re-open my application - 407061 & vacancy closing date 13/06/2025'.

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application .

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we'll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact the UBS Recruitment team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.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.

Additional Security Information

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

Additional Information

We are looking into ways to enhance the applicant experience.

As part of our legitimate interests, we are testing the use of new technologies such as automation and/or Artificial Intelligence in the assessment for CV, personal statement and behaviour statement.

Please note that for this specific vacancy, this testing may run in parallel with our standard assessment process and will not influence or determine the outcome of your application in any way. You can read the Civil Service Jobs and HMRC Privacy Notices for more information about our lawful basis for processing your personal data and HMRC's use of AI.

If you don't want your data to be used as part of the trial, please send your Application ID and the Vacancy Reference to talentacquisitionaiteam@hmrc.gov.uk

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations .

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

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.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

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

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

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

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) .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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)

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) .

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.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Sharon Madden- Nadeau
• Email : sharon.madden-nadeau1@hmrc.gov.uk
• Telephone : 03000589179

Recruitment team

• Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk

Further information
Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of the Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via ubsrecruitmentcomplaints@hmrc.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their website

Attachments
Combined TC and OGD Pay - English Opens in new window (docx, 129kB)