23659 - Casework Officer

Ministry of Justice; Belfast City District; On-site; GBP 26,000 - 34,000; Full time

Job summary

The Northern Ireland Office is recruiting two Caseworkers, one in Belfast and one in London, to support national security priorities. You will contribute to policy delivery, operational assurance, and briefing Ministers within a small, fast-paced team.

The role requires discretion, strong communication, and the ability to manage competing tasks. An on-call rota is part of the responsibilities, and some home working may be possible depending on operational needs.

Qualifications

• Experience in policy and operational delivery within a national security context is desirable.
• Clear communication and stakeholder relationship management are essential.
• Ability to work under pressure and adapt to changing priorities is required.

Responsibilities

• Support the Department’s fulfilment of the Investigatory Powers regime and information/security compliance posture.
• Gain exposure to Ministers and work across the SPG and wider department.
• Collaborate with partners across national and devolved governments and maintain strong communications with Cabinet Office and Home Office.
• Be articulate, discreet and thoughtful in all dealings and manage on-call responsibilities.

Skills

Attention to detail

Policy & operational delivery

Communication skills

Relationship management

Discretion

Job description

The Northern Ireland Office supports the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland in promoting the best interests of Northern Ireland. We make sure that Northern Ireland interests are represented within the UK Government and that UK government responsibilities are fully and effectively represented in Northern Ireland. We are the centre of expertise on Northern Ireland issues across Government.

The Northern Ireland Office employs around 170 staff, with offices in Belfast and London. As a small Department, we adopt a flexible project-based approach to ensure that we have the right people, with the right skills, in the right place to support the delivery of our key objectives.

Due to our structure and size, we are able to offer extensive exposure to Ministers and the opportunity to work on a far wider portfolio of policy and responsibilities than might be the case in a larger department. This creates an interesting and stimulating work environment.

Our key priorities are set out in our Operational Delivery plan and include:

• Supporting greater inclusion, tolerance and openness in Northern Ireland
• Contributing to a safer Northern Ireland, where terrorist and paramilitary groups are less able to cause harm to communities
• Ensuring that governance in Northern Ireland is responsive, transparent and able to deliver effective public service.
• Addressing the legacy of the past in Northern Ireland

For more information about what we do:

Visit:https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/northern-ireland-office https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/ministry-of-justice.

ABOUT THE ROLE:

Keeping people safe is one of the UK Government’s core strategic aims. Within the Northern Ireland Office (NIO), the Security & Protection Group (SPG) delivers on this vital mission through dedicated teams specialising in Policy, Strategy, Operational Delivery, Litigation and Disclosure, and Protection.

We pride ourselves on delivering high-quality, high-impact work at pace and under challenging circumstances. While every SPG colleague is anchored within a core team to build specialist expertise, we champion an agile and flexible culture. Regardless of your grade, you will have the opportunity to work across the Group and wider department, maximising your development and ensuring we remain responsive to departmental priorities.

We offer diverse, rewarding work at the very heart of public service, set within a supportive environment where individuals are encouraged to innovate, stretch their capabilities, and learn.

We are actively recruiting for two Caseworkers, one based in Belfast and the other in London. In both roles, you will focus on one of the UK Government’s highest priorities: national security. You will gain a broad range of operational delivery and policy experience, and will hone your briefing skills within a supportive and focused team.

Owing to the NIO's unique, close-knit size, you will gain significantly more exposure to Government Ministers than in larger departments. You will work on the Department’s fulfilment of its legal and statutory obligations under the Investigatory Powers regime as well as supporting the Department’s information and security compliance posture. You will work closely with partners across national and devolved governments and hold close relationships with Cabinet Office, Home Office and a range of security and law enforcement partners.

You will need an eye for detail and be accustomed to being agile and able to anticipate and respond quickly to new challenges and unexpected developments. The ability to prioritise competing tasks will be essential as is the ability to work at pace under pressure. Building and maintaining a strong and extensive network of business critical relationships with policy and operational partners in Northern Ireland and in Whitehall will be key. Therefore good communication and relationship management skills are essential.

In this role you will be expected to be articulate, discreet and thoughtful in your approach, quick to pick up new subjects and proactive in all your dealings. The role offers a significant amount of autonomy and a high level of responsibility, so good judgement is essential. The team operates a 24/7 on-call system for urgent cases out of hours, and the post-holder will be required to participate in an equal share of the on-call rota. Some flexibility around hours may be required at times of high operational demand.

Due to the nature of the role, it is primarily office-based with some, but limited, scope for home working. DV clearance is essential to be able to fulfil this role. Further details around the specifics of this can be found further below.

Further Note on Working Pattern:

Due to the nature of national security work, as stated above applicants must be prepared to participate in an on-call rota for which a standard allowance will be paid. Occasional out-of-hours work will be required, sometimes at short notice. Additional