Product Risk Manager (MI5)

About Us

MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life.  We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing, and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats.  Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses, and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe.  A role in MI5 means you’ll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.

The Role

We are adopting a product-centric approach for the research and development of our cutting-edge physical collection capabilities, helping us focus on products as end-to-end solutions which deliver the most value to our missions.  

To support this work, we’ve created an exciting new role. As a Product Risk Manager, you’ll manage and mature the current performance reporting processes to develop a risk management system for our Product Centre; providing assurance that systems are effective and robust. Reporting and risk management will form part of several control frameworks that must work in harmony within the Product Centre.

Working with colleagues across technical teams, you’ll aim to understand the risks arising from running multiple products across five product groupings to manage and track interdependencies with our main partners. It involves working with contributors and recipients to manage risk recognition, mitigation, and overall surveillance throughout the life cycle of a product. Performance reporting will be important: it must be appropriate, clear, and understood by each of our partners. When risk needs to be managed jointly, you’ll make sure there’s dialogue and action.  

This unique position enables you to work closely with our Senior Leadership team and UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) partners to ensure a cohesive reporting and management structure is implemented across the Product Centre. You’ll be a pivotal feed into our operational, technical and surveillance branch, and building new operational capabilities, which will potentially be deployed against subjects of interest, allowing us to collect and process much of our intelligence.

At the moment, Product Control plans and prioritises work based on delivery outcomes but do not yet consider the whole-life risk of a product or service. Your task is to translate these risks into a transparent and clearly articulated proposition which considers the whole lifecycle.

Initial anticipated work stream

• Analyse existing risks and product life cycles to recommend enhancements, while identifying late-stage risks to improve early-stage production.
• Production of an enhanced Lean Portfolio Management (LPM) process map which integrates risk management.
• Propose how risks can be used to manage the transition of products through their end-to-end lifecycle.
• Initiate and pilot the proposed approach, focussing on one Value Stream in the PC.

About You

You can demonstrate a high level of experience and working knowledge in Risk Management, and back this up with a Professional Risk Management qualification. Familiarity with industry compliance standards and research and analysis skills are essential.    Adaptable, motivated, and collaborative, you’re the type of person that relishes solving problems and are willing to experiment to find a solution.  A skilled communicator you’ll influence a range of stakeholders and customers.  As a Product Risk Manager, you’ll focus on creating professional and comprehensive digital experiences that engage users across all touchpoints, so you’ll need effective presentation and report writing skills.

To join us, you must have the ability to help Product Control optimise the value across the full product lifecycle by understanding and responding to the array of risks across all stages of this lifecycle.

If you’re right for this role, you’ll be able to combine our existing Lean Portfolio Management approach with an enhanced end-to-end product life cycle, which includes a risk framework, to enable Project Managers to make better, more informed, delivery decisions.

Training and Development

To start with, there’ll be an induction programme which will introduce you to the team/department and interfaces you’ll come across in your role. This will help you adjust and acclimatise to your new role and build working relationships. Colleagues across the team will provide ongoing support and you’ll get your own mentor to help settle you in. From then on, we’ll support training and development throughout your career, focussing initially on the Management of Risk (MoR®) certification, in conjunction with Agile methodology.

You’ll receive a starting salary of £54,980 - £59,437 dependent on skills and experience plus the opportunity to qualify for a £5,128 skills allowance.

Plus other benefits including:

• 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• Personal Learning Budget
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Excellent pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave.

Equal Opportunities

At MI5 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website:

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/diversity

We’re Disability Confident

MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme.  This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people.  Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role.  This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

• To possess a Professional Risk Manager certification and demonstrate working knowledge of Risk Management.  To be assessed at application sift.
• Demonstrate knowledge of risk assessment and control with an ability to evaluate the gravity of risk. To be assessed at application sift.
• Demonstrate an understanding of industry compliance standards and regulations. To be assessed at application sift.
• What to Expect
• Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
• Application sift, looking at your motivation for the role and the organisation.
• Assessment Centre, including a motivation/competency interview plus one focusing on your technical skills.
• If successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to vetting.
• Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.  

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

The role is based in London, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. An interest-free loan via our benevolent fund is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you’re based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. 

Right to Withdraw Statement: 

Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.