House of Commons
The House of Commons is a unique and exciting place to work right at the heart of the UK's thriving democratic system.
Behind the scenes, the House of Commons Service is made up of more than 3,000 employees who support and facilitate the smooth day to day running of the House. They provide professional services to Members of Parliament, their staff, and the wider parliamentary community.
Staff Benefits
In addition to your salary, we offer an attractive range of benefits including:
- 30 days' annual leave (increasing to 35 days after first full leave year). Roles working a rostered shift pattern this equates to - 30 days annual leave for first full leave year (rising to 35 on second full leave year) plus bank holidays. Annual leave is calculated in hours and the total leave entitlement equates to 30 days (in the first year) depending on the length of shift (8 or 12 hour shifts).
- Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.
- Access to training and development.
- Flexible working.
- Interest free season ticket loan and bicycle loan.
Introduction
We have several Security Officer roles available for individuals who are looking to work in a fast pace environment where you will deal with a wide range of potential security risks which may arise in a complex and diverse organisation.
If you are looking for this type of career path and have a good understanding of security policies and their practical application in the workplace, we would love to hear from you!
The Parliamentary Security Department (PSD) is responsible for physical and personnel security across both Houses of Parliament and provides support to Members and staff when away from the Estate. Its purpose is to keep Parliament safe and open for business.
PSD sets security strategy provides expert advice and delivers an operational service. It does this in partnership with the Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) and by working closely with the In-House and Strategic Estates teams, Serjeant at Arms and Black Rod's office, the Restoration & Renewal programme, the Parliamentary Digital Service, and other key stakeholders.
The Role
We are seeking to recruit our next cohort of Security Officers to meet our departmental aim of maintaining a safe, security and accessible Parliament, free from disruption. Please be aware that you do not need prior security experience to become a Security Officer at Parliament - all training required for the role will be provided.
Security Officers are responsible for controlling access to the Parliamentary Estate which will include searching and screening visitors, vehicles, and specified premises to prevent or trace prohibited items. As Parliament has over 1 million visitors per year, ranging from the public to high-profile guests, this role requires post holders to be confident in delivering excellent customer service and interacting with diverse groups of people in high-pressure situations.
Skills and Experience
We are looking for individuals who will bring excellent analytical skills to identify, analyse, and act safely on potential security risks. You will have the ability to make clear and sound decisions independently when under pressure to ensure a successful solution is applied.
You will have the ability to gather relevant information to fully understand an issue and use that information to identify problems and draw logical conclusion. You will need good prioritising skills to ensure that all incidents are reported in an effective and efficient manner with an appropriate and professional audit trail.
Next Steps and Additional Information
If this opportunity sounds right for you, please submit a CV, and provide clear evidence on how you meet Criterions 2 and 3 on the Job Description. Please submit your application via the House of Commons portal.
Please only apply once you have read and understood the eligibility requirements.
All criteria will be assessed at assessment and interview stage. See below assessment and interview dates that you will be required to attend:
Assessment Days including Observational, Fitness Test and Interview Dates: 10th, 11th, 12st and 13th October 2024.
Interviews Dates: Applicants who are successful through the assessment and fitness test will be interviewed on the same day.
We include a Fitness Test which consists of a multi-stage fitness test (also known as bleep test) to level 5.4 which is our standard required for this role. In addition you will need to pass a full range of movement test. As part of the selection process as Security Officers require a reasonable level of physical fitness to effectively carry out the duties of the job. This includes walking and patrolling the Estate, long periods of standing, lifting bags/trays and walking up stairs.
The salary is inclusive of a 30% Shift Disturbance Allowance of £7,791 per annum. The allowance may change dependent on business needs.
Please note for roles working a rostered shift pattern this equates to - 30 days annual leave for first full leave year (rising to 35 on second full leave year) plus bank holidays. Annual leave will be taken in hours and one day's leave will be converted into 7.2 hours
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Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to
Disability Confident.