Security Clearance
For ONS the requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for 3 consecutive years immediately prior to applying and the department will consider eligibility by exception on a case-by-case basis. You will be asked to provide information regarding your UK residency during your application, and failure to provide this will result in your application being rejected.
If you are unsure that you meet the eligibility above, please read the information available on Gov.uk on this link, or contact the recruitment email on the advert before applying to discuss, as failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected and any offer of employment being withdrawn.
At the point of SC application, you will need to provide or give access to the following evidence:
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Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
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UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
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Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
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Security Services records.
Application Process
Number of Stages: 4-stage process
Stage 1: Work history, CV, skills and experience
Stage 2: Personal Statement
Stage 3: Question
Stage 4: Interview
Stage 1 CV
The assessment process at stage 1 will be based on your work history, CV, skills and experience.
Stage 2 Personal Statement
A personal statement is required at application stage, the maximum wordcount allowed is 750 words, which should not be exceeded. You should provide evidence for each essential skill criterion listed below (criterion 2-5 from the Person Specification). As these criteria are scored, it is advisable to give clear examples for each one, including the impact of your actions, ideally utilising the STAR technique (Situation, Task, Action, Result).
2. Managing project plans, risks, issues, dependencies and assumptions, identifying potential impacts on delivery and taking appropriate action to maintain progress.
3. Gathering, analysing and presenting information to support decision-making, producing clear reporting and briefings for stakeholders, and contributing to project governance activities.
4. Managing competing priorities and workloads effectively, demonstrating resilience and adaptability to respond to changing requirements and deliver agreed outcomes.
5. Working collaboratively across teams and stakeholder groups, building effective relationships, supporting delivery through positive influence and communication, and contributing to an inclusive and professional working environment.
Stage 3 - Question
500 word answer to the following question which is aligned to the Lead Essential Criteria (Criterion 1):
Please provide an example of how you have planned and managed the delivery of a project, work package or significant piece of work.
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be undertaken using the lead Essential Criteria, which you will address through Stage 3 of the process. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to interview.
Please note that Success Profiles Behaviour examples are not required at this stage of the application process.
When a high volume of applications are received, the sift pass mark may be adjusted. Candidates will be invited to interview based on their merit order, with those achieving the highest scores being prioritised. Applicants who score below the adjusted pass mark but still pass will be placed on hold and may be invited to interview at a later date.
Stage 4 Interview
If invited to interview, you will be assessed using techniques aligned with the Civil Service Success Profiles framework, covering all behaviours listed in the job advert.
Interviews will be carried out Via Ms Teams.
Our main locations are Newport (South Wales) and Titchfield.
Reserve list
A reserve list may be held for period of up to 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Candidates should note this is a multi-location campaign and therefore the reserve list is recorded by location in merit order.
Important Dates:
The Sift will be conducted from 23/07/2026
Interviews will be conducted from 10/08/2026
Dates are subject to change.
For the full terms and conditions of the post, please see attachment.
Please note that all campaigns may be subject to withdrawal at any stage if the internal resource position changes.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
