Head of Physical and Personnel Security - Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency - G7

Location

Bristol, Swansea, Leeds, Nottingham, Newcastle, Oldham (Chadderton), Birmingham (Garretts Green) or Uxbridge.

You can be based at any of the above locations, however if your chosen location is Yeading/Uxbridge please note:

This role is advertised as being based in Uxbridge; however, the contractual base will be Yeading.

While estate works are being carried out at the Yeading site, all roles will be temporarily located in Uxbridge. Successful applicants will therefore begin their employment at the Uxbridge location.

Please be aware that all employees will be required to work from the Yeading site once it reopens in 2028.

Employees based at Uxbridge will receive a London Weighting allowance of £4,000. This allowance will continue when the location moves to Yeading.

About the job

Job summary

The Head of Physical and Personnel Security is the senior specialist lead for physical and personnel security within DVSA, responsible for leading the development, implementation and assurance of protective security arrangements across physical security, personnel security, vetting and related resilience capabilities. 

Operating across DVSA and with wider government security partners, the role provides expert advice to senior leaders and relevant governance forums, supporting a proportionate, risk-based protective security model that enables DVSA to protect its people, assets, information and services in a complex and evolving threat environment. 

The post holder will translate central government policy and Government Security Profession expectations into effective organisational practice, support assurance against relevant government standards, and contribute to a strong, professional and security-minded culture across DVSA. 

Joining our department comes with many benefits, including: 

• Employer pension contribution of 28.97% of your salary. Read more about Civil Service Pensions here 
• 25 days annual leave, increasing by 1 day each year of service (up to a maximum of 30 days annual leave), plus 8 bank holidays a privilege day for the King’s birthday 
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance. 

Read more in the Benefits section below! 

Find out more about what it's like working at Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency - Department for Transport Careers 

Job description

Your responsibilities will include, but aren’t limited to: 

1. Act as deputy to the Head of Cyber Security on protective security matters, representing DVSA at senior governance forums and providing expert advice to Executive Team members and Directors on significant security risks and incidents.
2. Act as DVSA’s senior specialist lead for physical and personnel security, leading the development and implementation of protective security strategy and controls across physical security, personnel security, vetting and resilience capabilities.
3. Lead DVSA’s personnel security and vetting capability, ensuring effective end-to-end processes, proportionate decision making and alignment with organisational risk appetite.
4. Manage effective working relationships with DfT, UKSV, Cabinet Office, Government Security Function and other departments to support policy implementation, operational improvement and professional practice.
5. Provide expert leadership for physical security, incident management and resilience, ensuring arrangements are threat-informed, risk-based and proportionate to DVSA’s operating environment.
6. Oversee development and implementation of resilience and recovery arrangements.
7. Drive continuous improvement and foster a security-minded culture across DVSA.
8. Provide strong, visible and expert leadership across physical and personnel security disciplines, acting as the senior specialist point of authority within the role’s defined remit.

Great line management is important to us as an organisation, and we will equip and support line managers to develop the skills they need. We aim to empower line managers to create teams where people can flourish and deliver excellent outcomes for the public. 

For further information on the role, please read the attached role profile. Please note that the role profile is for information purposes only - whilst all elements are relevant to the role, they may not all be assessed during the recruitment process. This job advert will detail exactly what will be assessed during the recruitment process. 

Person specification

To be successful in this role you will need to have the following experience: 

1. Leading integrated protective security arrangements across physical security, personnel security, vetting and resilience; setting direction, developing others, influencing senior stakeholders, supporting change and embedding a professional, security-minded culture
2. Identifying, assessing, treating, monitoring and reporting protective security risks, escalating risks where appetite or tolerance is exceeded, and using assurance activity to test control effectiveness
3. Experience interpreting threat, vulnerability and risk information and translating it into practical security priorities, mitigations and advice for senior leaders, operational teams and governance forums.