Deputy Director - Capability.

*Closing date for applications will be 15th May 2026*

Parliament

The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) is responsible for physical and personnel security across both Houses of Parliament and provides security support to Members when away from the Estate. Its purpose is to keep Parliament safe and open for business. 

PSD provides operational, physical and personnel security services across the extensive parliamentary estate and additionally provides personal security support to Members away from the estate through the Members Security Support Service. PSD works closely with parliamentary stakeholders in both Houses, including Member committees, the Parliamentary Digital Service, the Strategic Estates team, the Restoration and Renewal team, Black Rod and the Serjeant at Arms. Externally, PSD works closely with government bodies including the National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), the Home Office and the Cabinet Office. 

The Role

This role provides strategic leadership to ensure the department has the information, skills and organisational readiness required to respond to emerging challenges. The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate experience managing and motivating teams, working with a complex array of stakeholders from across both Houses, and assessing and managing risks.  

Key Responsibilities

You will:

· Oversee the provision of expert advice on physical security; including leading an in-house team of specialists, acting as the main channel for advice from the National Protective Security Authority and as the Intelligent Client for specialist suppliers.

· Lead PSD’s work on the assessment of security threats, vulnerabilities and risks, and oversee the coordination of business and relocation contingency planning (BCP and RPC), testing and exercising.

· Advise on governance routes and processes for work undertaken in PSD, coordinate stakeholder engagement, and ensure high-quality inputs to relevant committees.

· Coordinate and manage interdependencies with other teams, and ensure security considerations are considered across broader parliamentary activities.

· Lead strategic business and financial planning and reporting, ensuring alignment with Parliament-wide priorities. Oversee the development and monitoring of business plans and the annual budget, and manage the associated challenge and assurance processes.

· Lead strategic workforce planning, both in an operational, and wider Departmental capability.

· Oversee the Director of Security’s Private Office, ensuring strategic advice, analysis, challenge and support is provided to the Director where needed.

· Steer the development of professional practice, skills progression and capability across the Department.

· Lead the Parliamentary Digital Service (PDS) Value Stream for the Keeping Parliament Safe

· Visibly champion inclusion, development and professionalism of a team of circa. 50 people (including direct line management of 5 A1s). Lead and motivate the team to deliver a high-quality professional function in a dynamic environment.

Please note the above duties are not intended to be an exhaustive list. You may be required to undertake other duties that are appropriate to your role and pay band, as agreed with your line manager.

We recognise that our successful candidates will need support to grow and flourish in the role. The House of Commons is committed to providing training, support and development to all staff. Any training specific to this role will be provided as early as possible, and ongoing training and development will be provided whenever possible and appropriate.

Person Specification

A person specification is a profile of the skills, knowledge and experience required of the post holder to do the job successfully. It provides a set of criteria against which all candidates can be measured objectively.

This is a wide-ranging role, and while a background in, and understanding of protective security would be advantageous, it is not essential.

Experience, Skills and Knowledge

People management

Personal authority and credibility, with the ability to gain and maintain the trust and confidence of others at all levels, including members of staff, Members of Parliament and other stakeholders within and outside Parliament

Communicates clearly to convey vision and strategy in a way that engages and motivates others, and delivers difficult messages effectively when required.

Strategic thinking

An understanding of how to plan strategically both in a financial and non-financial context, and experience of successful prioritisation and targeting of resources.

Good overall understanding of the strategic challenges faced by the House Administrations and an ability to work effectively with other senior colleagues, identifying dependencies and resolving conflicts, to deliver results.

Stakeholder engagement

A successful track record of effective stakeholder engagement, giving professional advice to and building productive working relationships with senior management, leaders and internal and external stakeholders.

Risk management

Experience in assessing and managing risks, with an established track record of providing analysis on their potential local and organisational impacts.

Experience of making well-judged decisions under challenging circumstances taking into account context, risks and the needs of the end user.

Governance

A thorough understanding of the governance arrangements of the House of Commons and House of Lords or a similar complex context.

Experience providing advice to senior stakeholders on effective governance routes to raise issues or seek decisions, and appropriate governance pathways to take to achieve effective and well consulted decisions

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Application and Selection Process

As part of the recruitment process we may ask you to complete a test, presentation or other assessment. Details will be provided in advance if you are shortlisted for the role and invited to attend an interview.

At the interview, we will ask you a combination of competency questions and role specific questions solely based on Person Specification.

For more information on the application and selection process and the benefits available if you join the House Of Commons please refer our website.

Hybrid Working

Our mission is to support making parliament happen – this means being ready to carry out our essential functions to support colleagues deliver excellent services on the Parliamentary Estate and remotely. Currently, staff can have a hybrid working arrangement under the Hybrid Working Policy. The opportunity to have a hybrid working arrangement and the nature of any such arrangement, varies according to the requirements of each job role. There are some roles which can only be carried out from the Parliamentary Estate.

Specific location for this role:  Hybrid (a mixture of remote and on-site - Westminster, London – with the successful candidate expected to be on site 3 days per week)

Flexible Working

We offer a range of flexible working options and actively encourage applications from candidates expressing a wish to perform the role in a flexible working arrangement such as part-time working, job-share and compressed hours. We would be happy to discuss further if this is something you would like to explore.

ParliMoves

If you are an employee of the House of Commons, the House of Lords, or one of the other Joint Departments (PDS, R&R Client Team or PCD), you may be eligible to move under our ParliMoves Scheme. More information can be found on ParliNet.

Security

Successful external candidates will be required to complete pre-employment checks. This includes security vetting to Counter Terrorist Check (CTC) level, Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) as described in the job description. All successful candidates are required to pass these checks before an offer can be confirmed.

To enable meaningful checks to be carried out you will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. To undergo a CTC, you must have normally resided in the UK for a minimum of 3 years out of the last 5 years. To undergo a SC, you must have normally resided in the UK for a minimum of 5 years. To undergo a DV, you must have normally resided in the UK for at least 7 years out of the last 10, 2 of which must have been the immediately preceding years from the point of application.

Click here for further information.

Reasonable Adjustments

Parliament is committed to providing suitable workplace adjustments for colleagues so that they can be their best selves at work and ensuring that all colleagues are given the same opportunities.

If you require any additional support during the recruitment process, please contact the recruitment team on recruitment@parliament.uk to discuss how we can meet your needs. Examples of such support include additional time for tests or providing literature in large print (where appropriate). For more information on how we can support you in the workplace please refer to our reasonable adjustments guidance.

Inclusion and Diversity Commitment

We want to build an environment where everyone feels welcome and able to be themselves. We want to reflect the diversity of our nation. And we want to attract more people from underrepresented groups.

That’s why our focus is on better support and flexibility, accessibility and more inclusive ways of working. We’re a disability confident employer, and we believe in equality for all. So, we provide everyone with the encouragement and opportunity to thrive – including you.

Our Values

We live our values – courageous, trusted, inclusive and collaborative – in everything we do, making sure that people across all teams, locations and roles are included.

By delivering on our strategy and living our values, everybody in the House Administration plays their part.

Our values are:

Inclusive:

We value everyone equally; We respect each other; We all have a voice.

Courageous:

We try new things; We own our actions and decisions; We learn from our mistakes.

Trusted:

We trust each other to do a good job; We are impartial; We build confidence in Parliament with our integrity.

Collaborative:

We share our knowledge and experience; We work towards a shared vision; We know we work better in a partnership.