Head of Crisis Management

Defra is the UK government department responsible for safeguarding our natural environment, supporting our world-leading food and farming industry, and sustaining a thriving rural economy. Our broad remit means we play a major role in people's day-to-day life, from the food we eat, and the air we breathe, to the water we drink.
Defra Group Security sits within Defra's Digital, Data and Technology Services (DDTS). DDTS is the trusted team for digital across the entire Defra Group., Are you interested in protecting Defra's services to provide sustainable support, reliable services, and world class service?
Defra Group Security is looking for a Head of Crisis Management to play a key role in shaping and deliver Defra Group Corporate Services’ Crisis Management Strategy. Your responsibilities will include developing comprehensive policies, plans, and response playbooks that align with ISO 22361 and ISO 22301 standards.
In this role you will enhance our operational readiness, ensuring that our Group Corporate Services functions are fully equipped to respond to emergencies and crises with confidence and precision. Additionally, you’ll be responsible for the professional development and well-being of the Crisis Management team within Defra Group Security.
Your role will also involve collaborating with a network of senior crisis leaders, experts across government and other organisations. By sharing insights and best practices, you’ll help refine our approach to crisis management. You’ll work across Defra Group to assess and benchmark crisis preparedness while fostering a community of engaged stakeholders.
In the event of a crisis, you will take charge, activating the Crisis Management Plan, associated playbooks leading the department’s response from start to finish, and ensuring that valuable lessons are learned and integrated into future strategies and playbooks.
Please note this post requires Security Check (SC) clearance. To gain (SC) clearance all applicants are required to have been a UK resident for a minimum of 5 years. If this requirement is not met, the individual will not be able to progress their application further., + Lead, manage and provide an expert and high-quality specialist crisis management advice function and incident management support mechanism. As a subject matter expert, the advice of the role holder will be relied upon by senior leaders.
+ Manage and resolve complex problems involving how we ensure our critical business activities can continue in times of emergency or crisis.
+ During crisis, the post holder would provide expert authoritative advice on Crisis Management to the Senior Security Advisor and senior leaders across multiple disciplines and organisations. This will notably include acting as a focal point for Command, Control, Coordination and Communications (C4).
+ Work closely with Defra group that rely on Group Corporate Services, supporting their planning and ensuring alignment with Group Corporate Services readiness and response. This includes acting as a reliable point of contact for Crisis Management in Group Corporate Services, regularly liaising with senior operational leaders. Reporting as required to a number of high-level boards such as the Security Steering Committee and ARAC.
+ Establish, build and maintain relationships for a Crisis management network of senior employees across Defra Group, sharing Crisis Management best practice, advice, guidance and offering specialist Crisis Management support to the wider Crisis Management / incident management community.
+ This role will contribute significantly to the UK governments resilience framework. You will develop the Crisis Management Policy, the overarching Plan, and detailed emergency and crisis specific playbooks based on identified threats, hazards and risks.
+ Ensure clarity of roles and responsibilities within the Crisis Management Team(CMT) through training, awareness programs, and regular crisis exercises. Ensure that the CMP and Playbooks are regularly tested and exercised. This will include designing and coordinating exercises, and importantly documenting and acting on lessons to be learnt., + A 750-word personal statement: Referring to the 'skills and experience' sections of the job advert, please demonstrate how you are suitable for the role by providing relevant examples.
Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.
Sift
Sift will begin shortly after the advert closes.
Interview
If successful at sift stage, you will be invited to interview where you will be assessed on Technical Skills and the Behaviours listed below.
As part of the recruitment process you will also be asked to prepare a presentation. Full details will be provided later within the process.
You can view the supporting functional standard for the Technical Skill that you will be assessed against, Applied Physical Security, here: The Government Security Profession career framework - GOV.UK
Interview dates are to be confirmed. Please note that these may be subject to change.
Interviews will be held virtually on Microsoft Teams.
For further information on Success Profiles, please use the links below and watch our videos on Defra Jobs.
Behaviours, We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
o Delivering at Pace
o Leadership
o Making Effective Decisions

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
o Crisis Management - presentation, Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in Defra which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
Merit Lists
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be posted in merit order by location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application., Our main Defra DDTS hubs are in York, Warrington, Newcastle, Reading and Bristol.
Please also be aware that space within the London office is restricted and it may not be possible to be based in this location.
As part of the pre-employment process for this post, successful candidate(s) will be able to agree a contractual workplace from those locations listed in this advert. The agreed contractual workplace is then the substantive and permanent place of work for the successful candidate(s).
Where the location is ‘National’ the successful appointee should discuss and agree an appropriate contractual location in line with both Defra’s location policy and site capacity, prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
Successful applicants currently employed by the hiring Defra organisation for this post may choose to remain in their current contractual location or may choose to change contractual location to one of those listed above. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment processes.
The agreed amount of time spent at a workplace for this post will reflect the requirement for Civil Servants to spend at least 60% of their working time in an organisation workplace with the option to work the remaining time flexibly from home. Working time spent at a workplace may include time spent at other organisational locations including field-based operational locations, together with supplier, customer or partner locations. This is a non-contractual agreement which is consistent with common Civil Service expectations.
Travel costs to non-contractual workplaces will be subject to departmental travel and subsistence policies. Travel costs to contractual workplaces are the responsibility of the employee.
The successful candidate is required to carry out all their duties from a UK location, and cannot do so from an overseas location at any time.
Defra includes the core department, APHA, RPA, Cefas and VMD.
Visa sponsorship statement
Please take note that Defra does not hold a UK Visa & Immigration (UKVI) Skilled Worker Licence and are unable to sponsor any individuals for skilled worker sponsorship.
Reasonable adjustment
If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes., 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:
o UK nationals
o nationals of the Republic of Ireland
o nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
o 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)
o 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)
o individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
o 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).

+ Hold a recognised professional certification in either Crisis Management, Business Continuity or Security or have the equivalent experience and be willing to undertake a National Cyber Incident Response Management course, along with completing the Cabinet Office Crisis Management Excellence Programme (CMEP) within 12 months.
+ Extensive experience in developing and delivering Crisis Management response arrangements.
+ Work experience in government or a large corporate environment of a comparable scale with comparable risks.
+ Can influence Senior leaders and Stakeholders to drive change, using excellent people management skills.
+ Can work across organisational boundaries and across disciplines to deliver results, collaborating effectively with others.
+ Be versatile in adapting to new challenges and ways of working to deliver results and build a successful team in a changing environment.
+ Have a readiness to lead and promote Crisis Management across all Defra Group directorates and disciplines.

Alongside your salary of £52,120, Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs contributes £14,072 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
o 25 days’ leave (rising to 30 days over 5 years) plus bank holidays
o A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
o A day off per year for the King's birthday
o Access to a range of retail discounts (these include supermarket, tech, gym, holiday, phone and more)
o Flexible working options such as condensed hours, part-time and flexi time
o 3 paid volunteering days per year
o Funding for professional membership of a recognised professional body
o Learning and development tailored to your role and budget for training or qualifications
o A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
o Cycle to work scheme
o Health cash plan to help you manage health costs for a reduced monthly fee
o Access to the Employee Assistance Programme open 24 hours, 7 days a week, that provides support to you during any times of stress or difficulty
o Free access to Headspace for wellbeing
o Season ticket loan for public transport
Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)
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 and the Civil Service D&I Strategy
Check out the video below from Jane McGeagh, Chief Operating Officer on why DDTS is a great place to work.