About the job

Job summary

Threat Leadership is responsible for the national response to the SOC (Serious Organised Crime) threats. Our role is to work with partners both inside the NCA and externally to set the strategic direction, facilitate effective delivery of the response, and ensure we understand the impact of our activity. Adopting a threat led and intelligence driven approach, we identify emerging challenges and changes to the threat landscape. A key objective is to tackle SOC threats by maximising the benefit of new capability across the system. This approach means we can achieve more with the resources we have and be more effective developing business cases to enhance our response. 

Our threat teams are made up of subject matter experts, who are responsible for: 

• Applying specialist knowledge to develop the strategic approach to the threat and influencing senior partners. 
• Commissioning intelligence activity to meet strategic and tactical needs. 
• Driving the multi-agency UK 4P (PURSUE, PREVENT, PROTECT, PREPARE) response by agreeing threat priorities, influencing tasking of operational activity across law enforcement, facilitating partner action and informing policy, regulatory and legislative changes to better protect the public. 
• Providing strategic governance across all partners and agreeing organisational roles and responsibilities. 
• Leading multi-functional teams responsible for the development of tactical, strategic intelligence, analytical and/or prevention initiatives. 
• Understanding the impact of the national response and driving SOC system wide change activity (mitigating barriers, building capability, leading innovation, securing investment funding or improving impact) to develop capabilities to respond to the threats 

Job description

There are a variety of teams that sit within the Organised Immigration Crime (OIC) and Modern Slavery and Human Trafficking (MSHT) Threat Leadership department. Our MSHT focus is on organised criminality and trafficking of victims of, for example, labour or sexual exploitation. Our teams also respond to the OIC threat, including small boat Channel crossings, which remains a high-profile government priority area. We also tackle enablers and illicit finance in MSHT and OIC to achieve the greatest impact against multiple criminal actors and deprive them of their criminal profits.

The successful candidates will drive forward the 4P response to MSHT or OIC working closely with key partners in law enforcement, the UK Intelligence Community, the Government, Non-Governmental Organisations, and the private sector. They will participate in international forums, representing the UK, to ensure our activity is aligned with international partners. 

You will direct teams to identify innovative, strategic and tactical intervention opportunities to degrade the OIC or MSHT threats across a range of disruptive activity including criminal justice outcomes, increased public awareness, and closure of systemic vulnerabilities exploited by criminals. You will work with the NCA’s operational teams – targeting serious and organised crime upstream, overseas and online - and the law enforcement community as a whole. 

We scan the threat horizon alongside the NCA’s National Assessment Centre, academics and think tanks to ensure emerging OIC and MSHT threats are quickly identified and disseminated through our power to convene and lead the system.  

You will be responsible for ensuring the impact of the NCA and system’s efforts to tackle OIC or MSHT is measured, understood and communicated to our partners in HMG at senior levels.  

The successful candidate will role model NCA values and culture and manage a varied team working across the UK. Applicants will be considered for roles available across OIC, MSHT and Enablers teams, appreciating that candidates may have preference or relevant skills and experience that may make them particularly suitable for some positions.

***To be considered, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance before commencing the role and achieve DV STRAP clearance within the first 12 months in post. Applicants must be willing to undergo DV clearance and STRAP induction and be full UK Nationals or Dual Nationals, of whom one component is British may be considered on a case by case basis***

Person specification

Responsibilities in these critical roles include:

• Overseeing busy teams based in multiple locations, setting clear direction, priorities, and milestones. Ensuring team welfare through coaching, staff development, and promoting an inclusive and diverse workplace culture. 
• In partnership with others, setting a system wide strategic action plan, prioritising the most impactful opportunities and driving forward delivery across simultaneously strands of activity, at pace.
• Overseeing performance reporting and, working with operational teams, identifying opportunities to improve performance outcomes through innovative solutions to degrade OIC or MSHT in the UK and overseas.   
• Building and maintaining close working relationships with internal and external stakeholders – at a senior level – representing the NCA and wider UK law enforcement.
• Quality assuring expert subject matter briefings for senior audiences up to Director General or Ministerial level.  
• Overseeing our partnerships – via working groups and multi-agency governance forums - with the private and the third sector to enhance the national threat picture and provide expert input into identified opportunities for 4P interventions.

This role will require occasional travel to Spring Gardens subject to business needs.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £62,890, National Crime Agency contributes £16,980 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.

If you wish to apply for this vacancy, you must submit your application by 23:55 on Sunday 18th February 2024.

You will be asked to complete a CV as part of the application process,  Please see the candidate information pack for more information.

During the application process, you will be asked to complete a personal statement assessing the below criteria (1250 words max):

• Experience of criminal or civil justice matters to include prevention and/or disruptions.
• Experience of delivering multiple projects or operations through the successful management of diverse team members or peers.
  
• Experience of managing risk as a result of competing stakeholder priorities.
  
• Making Effective Decisions
• Leadership

Once submitted your application will be acknowledged by the Government Recruitment Service.

Candidates must pass this criteria for their application to be progressed.

A panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the Entry Criteria section.

Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Sift results are expected to be released w/c Monday 11th March 2024.

Interviews will take place throughout March and April 2024 - locations to be confirmed. Please be advised that the type of interview (eg. virtual/face-to-face) may be subject to change and successful candidates will be notified of this prior to attending. However the interview is conducted, the interview criteria will remain as shown on page 15 of the Candidate Information Pack.

The above sift and interview dates are an indicative timeline.

Should you be successful at sift but cannot attend on the interview date(s) listed the recruitment team cannot guarantee an alternative date. Please contact the recruitment team.

You will then be asked to attend an interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence. The interview process will include a presentation.

Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Any instances of plagiarism including copying of examples/answers from internet sources will result in a withdrawal of your application. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.

Multi-Location

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Please be aware that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only. If you are posted to a location that you have requested and you do not accept that location, you may not be offered another role.

Please note, only advertised location can be offered. Notes populated in a free text box will not be taken into consideration.

Near Miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in the NCA which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Hybrid Working

Here at the NCA we have a hybrid working arrangement in place enabling officers to work a proportion of their role remotely. Eligibility and the degree of home working will vary depending on the requirements of the role. Further details can be discussed at offer stage.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. As part of our application process you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustment to our recruitment process that you may need. If you have a disability or long-term condition (a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities protected under the Equality Act 2010) and need us to make any adjustments or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Complete the “Assistance required” section in the “Additional requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

Please contact us by emailing ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk or calling 0117 372 0000 as soon as possible before the closing date if you wish to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying.

Inclusion and Accessibility

The NCA embraces and values diversity in all forms. Being truly reflective of the communities we serve and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to leading the UK’s fight against serious and organised crime – something which affects us all. We want to recruit and retain the very best and broadest diversity of officers so the NCA welcomes applications from individuals from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

VETTING REQUIREMENTS SC

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.

Checks will be made against:

• Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
• Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• Security Services records

VETTING REQUIREMENTS - DV 

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for DV is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If you require DV clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.

Checks will be made against:

• successful completion of the BPSS
• UK criminal record and identity checks
• credit reference checks
• relevant personnel and medical checks (if required)

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

We encourage all candidates to thoroughly review the candidate pack which explains the role further before submitting an application.

If you have any specific queries about the role that are not covered by the candidate pack, please contact:

ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

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.