JOB SUMMARY

Counter Terrorism Policing HQ’s Strategy, Planning and Performance (SPP) Directorate is a multi-skilled, diverse, insightful and influential team that sits at the heart of CTPHQ. Operating in New Scotland Yard and CTOC (West Brompton), we work collaboratively with CTP colleagues in the HQ and across the network, to ensure that CTP has effective strategies, policies and plans in place, along with the capabilities it needs to keep the public and the UK safe.
Informed by CTP’s strategic approach, and contributing to the UK’s CONTEST Strategy and other National Security-related strategies, we set out clear strategic direction, drive CTP’s network delivery plan, deliver performance insights to inform decision-making, and run CTP’s principal governance structures. We cohere CTP’s positions on policy and legislation, while also navigating CTP’s organisational response to operational incidents and investigations. In addition, we support, advise and brief CTP’s senior leaders in their leadership of CTP while also engaging for CTP with partners, Government and internationally in support of our mission.
CTPHQ’s SPP Directorate is a hybrid of police staff and civil servants. The team is skilled, influential and inclusive, and is the ideal place for existing or aspiring professionals to make a real difference and develop a career in an operational policing environment. This position provides a unique opportunity to gain experience of the national CT Policing Network and wider policing, as well as how policing operates alongside the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) and Whitehall departments.
A Staff Officer[1] opportunity has arisen in the Private Office of the Director Strategy, who oversees the SPP Directorate of approximately fifty personnel. The role offers unique exposure to strategic decision making, the CT Network, and senior partners and stakeholders. This role is particularly suited to highly organised and high- performing individuals looking to widen their strategic perspective, who have excellent analytical and communication skills and a good understanding of the CT environment.
The post holder will run the Private Office function, which works in support of the Director and the Directorate. The role is overseen by the Corporate Manager and forms part of SPP’s Corporate Management Team. The Staff Officer will work closely with and line manage the Personal Assistant (PA), who leads on diary and scheduling management, visits, and other administrative functions for the Director.
The post holder will help enable the Director to effectively prioritise a complex range of deliverables, ensuring timely delivery and high-quality outputs. They will be key in organising and triaging the Director’s correspondence, with the ability to identify risks and help manage these effectively.
They will operate across multiple stakeholders and teams, at a range of levels of seniority, both internal and external, and assist with effective stakeholder management on behalf of the Director.
The post holder will coordinate all functions of the Director’s private office, including being a part of and co-ordinating project, programme and business change, improvement and business as usual activity alongside and in support of the Corporate Manager; performing secretariat functions for national meeting groups and local forums; maintenance and production of documentation, reports and briefings; problem solving queries; and liaison with key stakeholders and partners in CTP, wider Policing and other public sector bodies.

OUR EMPLOYEE COMMITMENTS

Counter Terrorism Policing aims to create an inclusive and welcoming atmosphere and culture and an environment where all our people feel a strong sense of belonging and are able to reach their full potential. Where any group or individual can be and feel respected, supported and valued to fully participate and contribute to our mission of “Working to keep people safe from Terrorism”.
Inclusion, diversity and equality is at the front and centre of our approach to make the composition of Counter Terrorism Policing more representative of the communities we serve. As Counter Terrorism is rooted in Local Policing, to tackle today’s complex policing challenges, applications from across all communities are therefore essential and encouraged. Counter Terrorism Policing as a network is committed to ensuring that disabled people and those with long-term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations’.
Counter Terrorism Policing is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome and encourage applications from candidates who are seeking flexible working arrangements, including part time working or job share. In addition, this role has been reviewed following learning from work during the Covid pandemic and may be done in an agile manner. In the first instance, please contact the vacancy holder to discuss how such arrangements could be accommodated (where applicable).

ESSENTIAL EXPERIENCE

• Has excellent and pro-active organisational skills, with a proven ability to meet deadlines and to manage and prioritise numerous conflicting demands often with extremely pressured timescales
• Has excellent partnership and stakeholder management skills; ability to work at all levels with internal and external partners, including influencing and facilitating skills
• Has excellent time management, judgement and prioritisation skills
• Has excellent written and verbal communication skills with the ability to extract pertinent information from papers and briefing to provide to senior personnel in a succinct, accurate and professional format
• Strong problem solving and decision making skills. The ability to see activities and actions through to completion from initiation to closure. Is creative with both ideas and solutions
• Ability to work resiliently in a fast-moving environment that can be unpredictable given the nature of the work
• Ability to identify and resolve organisational risks
• Strong Outlook, Word, Excel, PowerPoint and MS Teams skills

DESIRABLE EXPERIENCE

• Experience in dealing with highly protectively marked material
• Working knowledge of the CT Network
• Experience working with national Policing, CT Partners or government departments
• Experience or expertise in working in or alongside a strategy directorate.
• [1] A Staff Officer in policing is the equivalent of a Civil Service Private Secretary
  Additional Information
  CVF Staff Final v2.pdf – 971KB Opens in a new window

The following competencies will be tested against during sift:

• We are innovative and open-minded at level 2
• We take ownership at level 2
• We collaborate at level 2

The following values will be tested against during sift:

• Integrity

The post holder will be required to do the following:

• Act as a key conduit for the Director’s day-to-day enquiries, including email management and responses, taking forward work on the Director’s behalf and with a particular focus on working closely with the Director’s SLT group
• Plan and organise the Director’s activities in line with priorities and deadlines, alongside the PA, managing a large number of request and queries simultaneously with the ability to multi-task
• Understand the business and Director’s goals and proactively seek ways to increase productivity and steer them towards their goals
• Arrange and manage internal and external meetings and visits for the Director alongside the PA
• Manage and prepare papers and briefings for the Director across a wide range of meetings and forums
• Represent or attend alongside the Director a variety of meetings and forums where required and speak with their authority on a range of issues
• Perform the Secretariat function for local and national forums where required, alongside and in support of the PA and Corporate Manager
• Engage with SPP SLT and the wider Directorate to track project, activity and action updates on behalf of the Director
• Work alongside and in support of the Corporate Manager to deliver both business-as-usual tasks and business improvement activities on behalf of the overall Directorate
• Draft communications and papers for internal audiences and external partners as required and requested by the Director and on behalf of the overall Directorate
• Lead Event and Away Day planning and activities on behalf of the Director and the overall Directorate
• Assist in the co-ordination of official visits
• Line manage the Personal Assistant, ensuring the efficient and effective delivery of a private office function and providing support for the PA’s duties during absences
• Undertake other duties and responsibilities as may be reasonably required