MOD Counter Economic Threat (EmTech) - Grade 7

The role

MOD’s Directorate of Economic Security & Statecraft (DESS), within MOD’s Head Office forms part of the government’s overall response to countering economic and investment security threats, and developing economic statecraft techniques, alongside other efforts within MOD to protect against physical threats, espionage, and cyber-attacks.

Responsibilities

This role is within the critical and emerging technology team. We are responsible for advising senior officials and Ministers of the national security implications that may arise primarily from foreign direct investment into one of the following sensitive sectors of the UK economy, but increasingly wider economic threats too (e.g. academic partnerships):

• Advanced Materials
• Advanced Robotics
• Artificial Intelligence
• Computing Hardware
• Cryptographic Authentication
• Data Infrastructure
• Synthetic Biology
• Quantum Technologies
  
  

Our primary lever to counter economic threats across these sectors is the National Security & Investment (NSI) Act which requires businesses to seek HMG clearance for investment within sensitive sectors of the economy and provides government with powers to scrutinise and intervene where national security concerns arise. Defence Ministers have strongly supported the need for HMG to take a more robust stance on Investment Security threats, which may lead to the reduction of the UK’s technological edge over our adversaries or disrupt the delivery of UK Defence programmes.

The Critical & Emerging Technology ‘pillar’ is ambitious, creative and passionate about the work that we do, as we pioneer new approaches to risk assessment and mitigation for technology-focused national security investigations, within this growing area of national security policy. We draw from team members’ diverse strengths and backgrounds, striving to support our individual learning and development priorities. We pride ourselves on our autonomy and proactiveness in increasing our understanding of how we mitigate against future threats today.

Responsibilities include

• Lead the team’s response to live national security investigations: setting the direction, determining the priorities and providing defence policy expertise to respond to live investigations, working closely with colleagues across Defence and wider Government.
• Translate expert advice from the science & technology and intelligence communities into national security policy assessments and recommendations.
• Coordinating the formation and effective operation of virtual teams at short notice from across Defence, including DSTL, Defence Intelligence, Defence Commercial and MOD Legal to carry out transaction specific risk assessments and identify suitable mitigation options.
• Attend cross-government national security meetings and red-teaming sessions, representing the MOD and ensuring that defence perspectives are properly represented within cross-government ministerial advice.
• Providing high quality briefing and written advice to Ministers and senior officials, allowing them to understand the risks associated with foreign investment, and offering risk mitigation options;
• Engage with a range of Whitehall stakeholders, especially the Agencies, NPSA, NCSC, Cabinet Office, DSIT, DBT, and UK Government Investments, to ensure MOD’s work is ‘fused’ with the broader HMG effort in this policy area;
• Upskill and build economic security and EmTech capability across the team, including through acquiring external specialist knowledge, developing policy tools and frameworks, and promoting targeted learning and development opportunities.
• Ensure that national security issues and opportunities are embedded throughout MOD and cross-government science and technology strategy.
• Support the team’s relationships with overseas partners. This will include supporting DIST’s engagement with the US Department of Defense and other Five Eye partners.