Locations:
Belfast, Birmingham, Bridgend, Bristol, Chelmsford, Crawley, Dover, Exeter, Gartcosh, Gillingham (Kent), Leicester, Liverpool, London*, Nottingham, Sheffield, Slough, Stevenage, Sunderland, Warrington.
*For roles based in London, your contractual place of work will be Stratford. While the
Stratford site is expected to become operational from November 2025 – March 2026,
you will be required to carry out your contractual duties from Vauxhall or another
reasonable location on a temporary basis during the interim period.
The role can be based in any NCA location. Please ensure you are only selecting locations you are willing to work in as you may be offered a post in any of your location preferences.
Working Pattern:
Full Time, Part Time and Job Share
Job Summary:
About the Human Resources Business Area
Serious and organised crime is becoming more challenging and complex. The environment in which we operate is both exciting and uncertain and is likely to remain so. The accelerating rate of technological development, criminals increasingly sophisticated use of technology and the need for the legislative base on which we operate to keep pace are just some of the factors which affect us, in our response to the threat.
To be effective, in our work we are investing in our people, recognising that operational success is achieved through the hard work, expertise and commitment of our people. Because the threat is changing we must adapt and change how we work.
We are aiming to create a workforce that has pride in what they do and the difference they can make. It is important to us that they feel empowered and enabled to lead today, at the same time as building capability for tomorrow. We are currently undertaking an ambitious programme to transform the NCA's HR function. Our vision is to deliver a new HR Operating Model and transform the way we recruit and develop people. This includes a new model for learning, a stronger approach to workforce planning and compelling people deal.
The HR Command currently comprises a HR Director and two Deputy Directors, who have oversight of the following functions:
Learning & Development
- designs, develops and delivers training and training support to all NCA Officers and external partners.
HR Strategy & Insights
- leads on strategic workforce planning and HR data management.
HR Delivery Services
- provides transactional support and a front-line HR service to the agency.
HR Specialist Services
- provides a legally and policy complaint support service for the business, responding to the business need and providing support, guidance and advice.
HR Partnering and Leadership
– provides strategic engagement and advice to Senior Leadership Teams across the agency and leads
on talent and performance for the delegated grades.
Pay & Reward
– responsible for all aspects of pay and reward for NCA Officers and future Pay Strategy.
Recruitment and attraction
- responsible for ensuring that the staffing requirements for the entire Agency are met.
Job Description:
Key Responsibilities:
Leadership of a modern, professional, customer focussed, HR function and management of HR operational delivery processes, including attraction and outreach, recruitment, pre-employment checks and the induction programme. They will lead the Agency's recruitment and learning and development teams, designing and delivery innovative learning and development solutions to support our fight against serious and organised crime.
Recruitment
* Continuing the transformation of the end-to-end recruitment process and identifying issues and where improvements can be made, including a regular detailed review of data/MI.
* Develop, with command leaders, robust, practical workforce plans.
* Developing and implementing an attraction strategy including a strong employer brand to ensure the NCA has a unique and attractive offer to potential employees in the public, UKIC/law enforcement, private and third sectors.
* Identifying and implementing best practice in recruitment, including a review of selection methods, ensuring consistent assessment approaches that test capability, cultural fit, aspiration and potential.
* Ensuring compliance of all internal and external regulations including adherence to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles to ensure and maintain a good Agency rating.
* Identifying and implementing continuous improvement to the pre-employment checks process, identifying ways to streamline practice.
* Working closely with the Integrated Protective Services team to transform the candidate experience during the NCA's vetting process.
* Considering technology solutions to improve the candidate, hiring manager and HR experiences and that result in greater efficiencies (and removal of duplication) from the current processes.
Learning delivery
* Determine, in association with operational colleagues, the learning and development strategy and offer.
* Managing the effective delivery of learning, including mandatory learning, identifying ways to improve the employee learning experience.
* Develop a strong outreach programme with academic institutions, both for leaning and recruitment initiatives, and significantly broadening our apprenticeship offer.
* Managing how we capture and use the learning data to measure the effectiveness of learning programmes and make data driven improvements.
* Continuing the transformation of the induction process to ensure officers land in the Agency and understand their responsibilities as NCA.
Person Specification:
In your application you will need to demonstrate evidence against the below essential criteria:
We ask that you write a statement of suitability of no more than 1250 words (bahnchrift 11) using examples to explain how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria.
Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.
Essential criteria:
* Inclusive leadership skills – comfortable operating in a complex operational environment, with a demonstrable commitment to lead, develop and nurture a highly performing, diverse and talented workforce.
* Excellent communication and influencing skills and experience of building effective partnerships, particularly with technical teams, across government, UK public and private sectors, Security partners and with international partners at a strategic level.
* Significant HR operations delivery experience.
* Strong generalist HR knowledge from working in complex environment.
* Knowledge of HR policies and procedures and leading-edge HR practice.
* Proven track record in design and delivery of large-scale change programmes that include technology components.
* The ability to articulate a strategic forward vision for a large, complex organisation or system, ensuring that a wide range of internal and external stakeholders are engaged and supportive.
* Experience of delivering pragmatic interventions in a complex environment that result in cultural change.
* Demonstration of commitment to identifying and embedding initiatives to develop and foster the team culture in line with the organisational cultural ambitions, fostering a culture of trust which enables people to speak up, feel safe, and advocate for others.
* Ability to acquire and retain DV status.
* Chartered Member of CIPD or equivalent professional qualification e.g. Degree in HRM, or
must be willing to obtain this within the first 12 months of appointment.