Aviation Security Assessor

Job summary

Can you analyse complex information and turn it into clear, evidence-based recommendations?

Are you confident engaging and influencing senior stakeholders in an international environment?

Can you deliver high-quality work at pace while managing competing priorities and maintaining meticulous attention to detail?

If so, we’d love to hear from you!

DfT is a high-profile department at the heart of UK government. We work with agencies and partners to support the transport network that helps businesses and gets people and goods travelling around the country. We plan and invest to make journeys better.

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 and 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 DfTc

Job description

You will deliver end-to-end aviation security assessments, from logistics and planning through to delivery, reporting and debrief. Working with project delivery managers and in-country coordinators, you will assess airport vulnerabilities, provide clear findings and mitigation recommendations, brief international partners and support continuous improvement. Full training will be provided, so previous aviation security or overseas experience is not essential.

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

• Responsible for the delivery of technical assessment and assurance activities across ASIO’s priority countries,
• Delivery of in-country airport end-to-end assessment and assurance activities,
• Responsible for the delivery of stakeholder briefings to international partners
• Responsible for undertaking assurance of UK additional security measures

Flexible resourcing

Colleagues are expected to work with a degree of flexibility, meaning responsibilities may change to support priority delivery.

For further information on the role, please read the role profile which 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:

• Strong effective communication skills, including the ability to influence decisions.
• Ability to analyse information from a range of sources to prepare clear and concise reports.
• Demonstrated ability to see the big picture and provide recommendations for risk mitigation.
• Project management skills with the ability to deliver assessments and project requirements to time and excellent quality.
• Excellent organisational and prioritisation skills, with meticulous attention to detail.
• Demonstrated experience of leading Risk Assessments and Assurance, and making recommendations for appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Experience of managing several activities at one time to meet tight deadlines
• Ability to work collaboratively and in partnership across a diverse team and independently on assigned tasks and deliverables.
• Ability to convey and explain complex problems and solutions in an understandable language to both technical and non-technical persons.
• Demonstrated experience of analysing complex issues, weighing multiple solutions and formulating appropriate solutions to issues to meet business needs.
• Demonstrated experience of preparing high-quality assessment reports and evaluating findings within agreed timescale.

Additional Information

Candidates must have a minimum of GCSE in English (or an equivalent qualification or experience)

The security clearance requirement for this role will be DV STRAP.

Operational Delivery Profession (ODP) is the largest and most diverse professional community across the Civil Service. Many of us will have an association with several professional communities or specialisms, ODP applies to all public facing roles / or a role that is primarily aligned to supporting the work of those with public facing roles. All critical to the delivery of UK public services .

Working hours, office attendance and travel requirements

Full time roles consist of 37 hours per week.

Whilst we welcome applications from those looking to work with us on a part time basis, there is a business requirement for the successful candidate to be able to work at least 35 hours per week.

This role is suitable for hybrid working, which is a non-contractual arrangement where a combination of workplace and home-based working can be accommodated subject to business requirements.

The expectation at present is a minimum of 60% of your working time a month will be spent at either your designated workplace (one of the locations cited in the advert) or, when required for business reasons, in another office/work location/visiting stakeholders. Your designated workplace will be your contractual place of work. There may be occasions where you are required to attend above the minimum expectation.

Frequent travel to national and international offices along with international airports will be required, which will involve overnight and international stays.

If you have a question about hybrid working, part time/job share hours, flexible working, travelling for work, or require a reasonable adjustment, please contact the Vacancy Holder during the recruitment process to avoid possible disappointment later in the process should your working arrangements not be compatible with the requirements of the role (see below for contact details).

Visa Sponsorship

Sponsorship is not offered for this role. Successful applicants must ensure they have and maintain the legal right to live and work in the United Kingdom.

Qualifications

Candidates must have a minimum of GCSE in English (or an equivalent qualification or experience)

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £48,581, Department for Transport contributes

£14,073 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme.

Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Being part of our brilliant Civil Service means you will have access to a wide range of fantastic benefits:

• 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).
• 8 Bank Holidays plus an additional Privilege Day to mark the King’s birthday.
• Access to the staff discount portal.
• Excellent career development opportunities and the potential to undertake professional qualifications relevant to your role paid for by the department, such as CIPD, Prince2, apprenticeships, etc.
• Joining a diverse and inclusive workforce with a range of staff communities to support all our colleagues.
• 24-hour Employee Assistance Programme providing free confidential help and advice for staff.
• Flexible working options where we encourage a great work-life balance.

Find out more about the benefits of working at DfT and its agencies (opens in a new window).

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

How to apply:

Our selection process ensures a comprehensive assessment of each applicant's skills, and potential fit within our organisation.

The selection process for this role will be:

Stage 1: Sift of CV and personal statement

Stage 2: Interview

You must be successful at each stage to progress to the next stage.

Stage 1: Sift

At sift, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – you will be asked to provide a 250-word statement on the following Behaviour: Delivering at Pace
• Experience – you will be asked to provide a CV (unlimited wordcount) and personal statement (1000-word count). Please provide evidence of your experience of the following:
• Experience of preparing high-quality, highly detailed, complete assessment reports and evaluating findings within an agreed timescale.
• Ability to analyse information from a range of sources to prepare clear and concise reports.
• Ability to see the big picture and provide recommendations for risk mitigation.
• Project management skills with the ability to deliver assessments and project requirements to time and excellent quality.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the lead behaviour: Delivering at Pace. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

The sift will take place week commencing 05/10/2026.

Stage 2: Interview

At interview stage, you will be assessed against the following Success Profile elements:

• Behaviours – (Delivering at Pace, Communicating and Influencing, Changing & Improving, Making Effective Decisions and Working Together)
• Experience
• Strengths

The interviews will take place week commencing 02/11/2026.

You will also be required to deliver a 5 minute verbal presentation, further details will be provided if you are selected for interview.

This interview will be conducted online via Microsoft Teams. Further details will be provided to you should you be selected for interview.

You can find out more about our hiring process, how to apply, and application and interview guidance on our careers site (opens in a new window).

Please note that we will try to meet the dates set out in the advert. There may be occasions when these dates will change

Further information on the selection process

We will also hold a 12 -month reserve list for this role, which may lead to potential opportunities beyond the role you applied for.

Appointments for this position will be made in order of merit. If you are successful in the selection process but there are no further available posts for the advertised role, you may be contacted to discuss an offer for a lower graded role (with similar experience and responsibility requirements).

Reasonable Adjustments

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we are committed to ensuring that the recruitment process is fair, accessible and allows all candidates to perform at their best. If a person with a visible or non-visible disability is substantially disadvantaged, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need during the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you need a reasonable a