JOB SUMMARY

The Public Safety Group plays a vital role in keeping the public safe by cutting crime—including disrupting the most harmful offenders—tackling its root causes, bringing criminals to justice, and protecting the vulnerable. We work closely with policing partners and the National Crime Agency to ensure frontline services are effective, efficient, and responsive to public needs. To deliver this, we develop and implement policy, provide funding, deliver legislation and work with partners across the UK to ensure safer and stronger communities. We make the most of innovation, data and partnerships to prevent crime, protect the vulnerable, and tackle the highest harm crimes. We work with our partners in law enforcement, across government, the voluntary and community sector, local authorities and more broadly in our efforts.
As Director General (DG), Policing, you will provide strategic leadership across the policing system, including oversight of funding, standards, powers, vetting, accountability, performance, and delivery of the Government’s ambitious reform agenda. You will also lead on complex law enforcement IT programmes, including ESMCP. You will act as a senior adviser to the Home Secretary and other Ministers, working closely with colleagues across government, policing, and law enforcement to shape and deliver policy and operational priorities.
This role is being created from within the Public Safety Group splitting out the current DG for Public Safety Group role. You will work with the DG for Safer Streets to co-lead Public Safety Group and deliver its mission. DG Safer Streets is the Senior Responsible Officer for the Government’s Safer Street Mission. The role also includes oversight and responsibility for delivery on Crime, Violence against Women and Girls, Modern Slavery, Serious and Organised Crime and International Criminality, including leadership of MAPPs, National Referral Mechanism and Single Competent Authority.
This is a significant leadership role, with responsibility for around 450 staff and a budget of over £12 billion, including the annual police grant. You will currently line manage five Directors. You will also contribute to the strategic leadership of the Home Office as a member of the Executive Committee.

JOB DESCRIPTION

• Providing system leadership for policing across Government.
• Co-Leading of Public Safety Group with DG Safer Streets
• Legal and policy frameworks; Maintaining and delivering the legal and policy frameworks for policing, including funding, standards, powers and accountability.
• Leading the Government’s continued programme of police reform – structural, culture and capability.
• Providing strategic leadership to the Emergency Services Mobile Communications Programme – a major national IT programme to improve communications between police, fire and ambulance services.
• Enabling and supporting Ministers in their oversight of operational partners.
• Reducing public safety risk through oversight of the delivery of core capabilities such as major law enforcement programmes and National Police Aviation Service.
• Policy sponsorship for a range of arms lengths bodies including the College of Policing, the Independent Office of Police Complaints Commission (IOPC), and His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
• Resource allocation: Ensuring that resources are effectively allocated to meet the diverse and evolving threats to public safety.
• Providing cross Home Office leadership as part of the departmental Exco and through different champion roles.
• Driving financial and operational excellence through effective stewardship of a £12 billion budget, ensuring resources are aligned with strategic priorities and deliver maximum value for money. This includes integrating planning with wider Home Office objectives, across borders, migration, crime and national security.
• Providing authoritative evidence and insight to Parliamentary Committees such as the Home Affairs Select Committee, Public Accounts Committee, and the Justice and Home Affairs Committee.

THE SUCCESSFUL CANDIDATE WILL NEED TO DEMONSTRATE THEIR KNOWLEDGE, EXPERIENCE, CAPABILITY AND BEHAVIOURAL APPROACH TO A HIGH STANDARD AGAINST THE FOLLOWING KEY CRITERIA:

• Excellent people skills with the leadership/management capability to ensure modern and flexible working practices and to lead a diverse workforce into a cohesive and committed team.
• The vision, credibility and ability to lead a broad and diverse system and to develop strategies and capabilities and the programme management and delivery skills to ensure that strategy is converted into effective implementation based on evidence.
• The flexibility and personal resilience to adapt to rapidly changing circumstances in an environment of regular scrutiny by the media, public and others.
• The confidence, authority and interpersonal skills to secure and retain the confidence of the Home Secretary, other Ministers, and senior officials and to maintain effective working relationships with policing and other agencies.
• Prior experience of working in at least one of the major areas that the post covers, particularly legislation and public service reform.
• Proven track record in managing substantial budgets and securing value for money.
• Hold or be prepared to obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.

NATIONALITY REQUIREMENTS

Open to UK nationals only.

Operational Delivery