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). 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 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 Parliamentary Estates teams, Serjeant at Arms and Black Rod's office, the Restoration & Renewal programme, the Parliamentary Digital Service, and other key stakeholders. The Role PSD are looking for a Communications Operator who has experience of working in a Security Control Room/Security Operations Centre (SOC) environment. This is a pivotal role supporting and engaging with both operational and support staff and managers in PSD. Your role is to ensure their safety and the security and protection of an iconic building and its wider estate. Daily duties will include monitoring incidents and dispatches, making effective decisions in terms of deploying security resources and keeping security officers up to date via a personal radio system. You will be continually offering advice and guidance to operational teams as well as dealing with incoming calls which can be contentious and of a difficult nature. You will be required to work with key stakeholders from Parliamentary Estates Team, PSD Managers and Staff, Parliamentary Digital Service, Serjeant at Arms and Black Rod's Department, Members and their staff, Metropolitan Police Service, and Local Authorities. Some of the responsibilities for this role include: Deal with requests for information, providing consistently high levels of customer service and applying PSD policy. Assess reports from officers at incidents and call for further information as necessary, escalating as required. To implement effective deployment of security officers by efficiently distributing relevant information to via a personal radio system. To create and manage the completion of incident logs. To monitor incidents on CCTV ensuring that personal use of systems comply with responsibilities under the Data Protection Act, Computer Misuse Act and CCTV operating procedures. Shift Work This role will require the successful applicant to work, day and night shifts including weekends and bank holidays on a shift pattern. The exact times of attendance will be agreed with line management. Skills and Experience To be successful in this role you will demonstrate: Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, with the ability to produce clear, concise and accurate reports. The ability to work effectively as part of a team, positively influencing the way the team works together, upholding the principles of diversity, equality and inclusion, ensuring that everyone is, at all times, treated with dignity, courtesy and respect. Sound understanding of the principles of security and excellent observational skills. Good working knowledge of IT systems, despatch and incident management systems and basic Microsoft Office packages. The ability to work calmly and effectively under pressure, to assess risks, prioritise issues and to take ownership of issues. Next Steps and Additional Information Application Form - If you would like to apply for this role, please submit an application providing evidence against criteria 1-5 in the Job Description. More information on the role and the full criteria can be found in the Job Description. Please note that most job offers will be made at the minimum of the salary range, other than in exceptional circumstances. #LI-Onsite