Assistant Head of Assurance Delivery

The DSHC informs our decision making about which departments we put through our quality assurance testing arrangements. We analyse the data gathered, and use our findings to provide reporting to Civil Service ,leaders and insights that support decision-making at the heart of government.This is an exciting opportunity and time to become the Assistant Head of Assurance Delivery and lead the Security Assurance Delivery team which sits within the Directorate of Security Capabilities in GSG and delivers assurance services and analysis to benefit organisations across government. We operate the Departmental Security Health Check (DSHC), an annual assurance assessment to support Accounting Officers in oversight of their organisations' security and provide an authoritative pan-government baseline for Cabinet Office Ministers, and Government Security Board. We run the cross government Assurance Working Engagement Group to ensure that the central assurance framework is customer-focused and complementary to departmental activities. The role of Assistant Head of Assurance Delivery will suit a person with a project planning, operational delivery background or experience of military, prison or police delivery. You will work closely with security leaders across Government to improve Government Security.You will coordinate, manage and develop the planning and delivery of a small team that gathers assurance compliance information from government organisations, and lead them through a programme of transformational change in their services.The role expects you to work closely with thematic leads in Government Security Group, and security leaders across HM Government, to ensure that processes, and products meet stakeholder expectations.You will develop relationships with organisations with a cross-cutting role on risk management and assurance for government security to draw on their information and insights.You will build awareness across a wider portfolio of government security activity to be able to represent GSG externally and deputise for peers and line management. ResponsibilitiesThe post holder will be responsible for: Leadership - you will lead and line manage a small team of staff to drive forward a shared goal. You will need to provide support, direction, and ensure the team is an inclusive and effective unit in which all team members are empowered and thrive. The team also knits closely with the Automation and Analysis team, and the Quality Assurance team. Engagement - you will build our relationships with internal and external stakeholders, including government departments, national technical authorities and arms-length bodies. You will coordinate and develop the cross-government Assurance User Group as a forum to ensure that our services meet the requirements of government organisations and to promote best practice in government security assurance. Delivery - you will oversee the delivery of an improved annual Departmental Security Health Check (DSHC) which supports Accounting Officers across government, as well as the Government Chief Security Officer and Government Security Board. The DSHC is a substantial cross-government survey, culminating in bespoke reports to government organisations. Transformation and Innovation - you will oversee the delivery of a 3-year improvement plan to the assurance process. You will need to collaborate across organisational boundaries, understand and manage the impact of change on organisations, and confidently articulate complex security issues. You will need tohighlight transformational risks and opportunities for innovation to senior leaders to empower them to decide the future strategic direction of our assurance activities. Insight and Analysis - you will continue to build up the analytical capability of the team (both the skills and tools needed), so as to maximise the impact and efficiency of our reporting and insights. This will require both working with the Automation and Analysis team, policy and strategy teams, and government departments to embed good practice and ensure the information we collect is relevant to their information requirements. The insights your team provides will influence decision-making at the top of government security.