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DSTL Portsdown West, Portsdown Hill road, Fareham, Hampshire, PO17 6AD
Job Summary
Join the Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS)
Be part of the front line protecting the UK’s most critical Defence sites and play a vital role in national security.
At the Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS), we safeguard the UK’s Defence estate, protecting personnel, assets, and critical locations from crime, terrorism, espionage, and sabotage.
Our Gold Standard Security Service is built on professionalism, trust, and excellence—and we’re looking for dedicated Security Officers to join our team.
Who We Are
The Ministry of Defence Guard Service (MGS) provides high-quality security services at over 170 MOD sites across the UK, including high-profile locations such as MOD Main Building in London, Whitehall, and His Majesty’s Naval Bases in Portsmouth, Devonport, and the Clyde.
Why Join Us?
A meaningful career – Play a crucial role in national security and defence.
Career development – Access specialist training, funded qualifications, and internal progression opportunities.
Job security – Be part of a well-established organisation with over 30 years of service.
A strong team culture – Work alongside professionals who value integrity, vigilance, professionalism, helpfulness, and teamwork.
Our Vision & Values
Our goal is to be recognised as an outstanding provider of security services, guided by our core values:
Integrity – Always do the right thing, treat others fairly.
Vigilance & Preparedness – Stay alert, ready to respond.
Professionalism – Maintain high standards, continuously improve.
Helpfulness – Provide excellent service, leave a positive impression.
This position is advertised at 21.5 hours per week.
Job Description
This is a Part Time role
Key Responsibilities
As a Security Officer, You Will:
Ensure site safety and security – Protect Defence personnel, visitors, and property.
Conduct patrols – Monitor designated areas on foot or by vehicle, ensuring compliance with security protocols.
Control access – Check credentials, issue passes, and escort visitors as required.
Perform searches – Conduct thorough security checks on vehicles, baggage, and personnel.
Respond to incidents – Identify risks, manage security breaches, and escalate as needed.
Assist employees and visitors – Provide professional and courteous support on-site.
Monitor security systems – Operate CCTV, alarms, and communication devices.
Manage traffic and parking – Control vehicle movement and ensure safe site access.
Report and document – Maintain security logs and complete detailed incident reports.
Excellent communication and organisational skills are required, as well as the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
This role involves patrolling large areas, standing for periods, staying alert and responding quickly when needed, so a good level of physical fitness is essential.
Shift Pattern & Flexibility
This is a shift working position at 24 hours per week including breaks. The successful candidate will be expected to work nights, weekends, bank holidays etc as stipulated by the shift pattern agreed at the Unit depending on site requirements. This will be an average of 24 hours in a calendar week; this will be 12 hour shifts each week rostered between Sun – Sat. This will include being rostered in a flexible manner (termed a flexible week) within the shift roster. During the flexible week, the working days and shifts will routinely be stipulated in advance but may be changed at short notice, (this should be no less than 48 hours). The exact shift pattern will be explained in full during the interview.
Training & Development
We are committed to ensuring you have the skills and confidence to succeed in your role.
New starters will complete a mandatory two-week residential Foundation Course, followed by structured on-the-job training. One of the elements of the Foundation Course is Emergency First Aid at Work, where you will learn key life skills in emergency first aid.
You will have access to ongoing professional development, including an annual programme of online learning. Our dedicated Workforce Development Team will support your training needs, ensuring you continue to build expertise throughout your career.
If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com
This is a Part Time role
Key Responsibilities
As a Security Officer, You Will:
Ensure site safety and security – Protect Defence personnel, visitors, and property.
Conduct patrols – Monitor designated areas on foot or by vehicle, ensuring compliance with security protocols.
Control access – Check credentials, issue passes, and escort visitors as required.
Perform searches – Conduct thorough security checks on vehicles, baggage, and personnel.
Respond to incidents – Identify risks, manage security breaches, and escalate as needed.
Assist employees and visitors – Provide professional and courteous support on-site.
Monitor security systems – Operate CCTV, alarms, and communication devices.
Manage traffic and parking – Control vehicle movement and ensure safe site access.
Report and document – Maintain security logs and complete detailed incident reports.
Excellent communication and organisational skills are required, as well as the ability to work independently and as part of a team.
This role involves patrolling large areas, standing for periods, staying alert and responding quickly when needed, so a good level of physical fitness is essential.
Shift Pattern & Flexibility
This is a shift working position at 24 hours per week including breaks. The successful candidate will be expected to work nights, weekends, bank holidays etc as stipulated by the shift pattern agreed at the Unit depending on site requirements. This will be an average of 24 hours in a calendar week; this will be 12 hour shifts each week rostered between Sun – Sat. This will include being rostered in a flexible manner (termed a flexible week) within the shift roster. During the flexible week, the working days and shifts will routinely be stipulated in advance but may be changed at short notice, (this should be no less than 48 hours). The exact shift pattern will be explained in full during the interview.
Training & Development
We are committed to ensuring you have the skills and confidence to succeed in your role.
New starters will complete a mandatory two-week residential Foundation Course, followed by structured on-the-job training. One of the elements of the Foundation Course is Emergency First Aid at Work, where you will learn key life skills in emergency first aid.
You will have access to ongoing professional development, including an annual programme of online learning. Our dedicated Workforce Development Team will support your training needs, ensuring you continue to build expertise throughout your career.
If you need to contact Defence Business Services (DBS) regarding this vacancy, please indicate that your vacancy is being handled by Resourcing Team 1. If you experience any technical difficulties with the CS Jobs system, please contact the Support Team at candidate@support.oleeo.com
Person specification
What We’re Looking For
There’s no single background that makes someone right for the Ministry of Defence Guard Service. Our officers come from a variety of careers including security, military, retail, hospitality, care, logistics, teaching, customer service, or after a career break.
What matters is how you work, not where you’ve worked.
We’re Looking For People Who Can:
- Remain calm, polite and respectful in busy situations
- Pay attention to detail and report anything unusual
- Follow procedures consistently
- Learn quickly and adapt to changing circumstances
- Communicate clearly with people from all backgrounds
- Be reliable, punctual and professional
- Support colleagues and work well as part of a team
You don’t need previous security experience — full training and uniform are provided.
How To Apply
Your CV should clearly demonstrate:
- Previous roles and key responsibilities
- Skills relevant to this role
- Examples of reliability, communication, teamwork and following procedures
- Any relevant training, qualifications or transferable experience
Your CV will be used to assess your suitability, so make sure it is clear, accurate and up to date.
Behaviours
We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
- Managing a Quality Service
- Communicating and Influencing
Alongside your salary of £32,530, Ministry of Defence contributes £9,423 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
- We enable our people to work at the right place, with the right people, at the right time. We believe that if we look after our people, they will be passionate about delivering great things for our customers.
Please follow the link to visit the Discover My Benefits site which showcases the benefits and discounts offered when working as a civilian for the MOD. https://discovermybenefits.mod.gov.uk/civilian/
The MOD Discover My Benefits Page Lists The Full Set Of Benefits. Some Of The Many Benefits You Will Receive Include:
A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 28.97%.
A generous annual leave allowance.
Ability to roll over up to 10 days annual leave per year. Prorated for Part Time hours.
Minimum of 15 Days Special Leave in a rolling 12-month period to for volunteer military or emergency service reserve commitments. Prorated for Part Time hours.
Special Paid Leave for volunteering up to 6 days a year. Prorated for Part Time hours.
Enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
Employee Assistance Programme to support your wellbeing.
Most sites have good travel links with free car parking; many also have other facilities such as a Sports & Social Club, Gym and Cafeterias and Shops.
Entitlement to apply for Blue Light and Defence Discount Cards.
This post does not offer any assistance with Relocation Allowances.
MoD Guard Services is currently undertaking a review of grade structures, pay and conditions, aimed at improving employee experience, wellbeing, and career progression. This review may result in future changes to terms and conditions; however, the requirement for this role remains unchanged.
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 and Experience.
If you align with our values, we would like to hear from you.
At application stage you will be assessed against the following:
Experience: CV including Job History and Previous Skills.
Behaviours:
At interview you will be assessed against the following:
Working Together
Managing a Quality Service
Communicating and Influencing
When choosing your Behaviour examples, please make sure you use real life scenarios that relate to your own experiences. Whilst technology may help to enhance your written submission, presenting the ideas of others or those generated by technology, could result in your application being rejected.
Application sifting is scheduled to take place on week commencing 08/06/26.
Interviews are due to take place Face to Face and will be conducted week commencing 22/06/26.
Please note the above dates are subject to change.
We want to offer opportunities to all who are successful at interview for our roles, but this isn’t always possible, so we do hold candidates on an active reserve list for 12 months. It is also possible that we may offer similar lower graded role/s to reserve candidates or, if no reserves are appointed, candidates that meet the lower grade criteria in merit order.
The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.
As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. The role currently being advertised has not been assessed as business critical and is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system. Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected, and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.
The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigation’s can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.
MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :
- Name : MGS Recruitment Hub
- Email : MGS-RH@mod.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam1@mod.gov.uk
Further information
Please see Further Information document attached.
