Head of Operational Standards, Assurance & Capabilities

Job summary

The SIA is the organisation responsible for the regulation of private security. It is an independent, arm’s length body (ALB) of the Home Office, reporting to the Home Secretary, under the terms of the Private Security Industry Act 2001. The SIA’s purpose is protecting the public through effective regulation of the private security industry and working with partners to raise standards across the sector. Its regulatory remit covers the whole of the United Kingdom.

The SIA has two main duties: the compulsory licensing of individuals undertaking designated activities within the private security industry and the management of a voluntary Approved Contractor Scheme, which measures private security suppliers against independently assessed criteria.

SIA licensing covers security operatives who are in guarding, door supervision, close protection, cash and valuables in transit, and public space surveillance using CCTV, vehicle immobilisation (in Northern Ireland) and key holding. Licensing ensures that private security operatives are fit and proper persons who are properly trained and qualified to do their job.

Job description

Are you an experienced leader with a passion for operational excellence, governance and public protection? Do you thrive on driving standards, improving capability and ensuring organisations deliver consistently high-quality outcomes?

This is a unique opportunity to join a national regulator in a pivotal leadership role that sits at the heart of operational performance and continuous improvement.

As Head of Operational Assurance, Standards and Capabilities, you will play a critical role in shaping how inspections, investigations and enforcement activities are delivered across the UK. Reporting directly to the Deputy Director, you will provide strategic leadership across quality assurance, professional standards, operational governance, capability development and organisational performance.

Leading a diverse portfolio of specialist teams, you will ensure that operational activity is delivered consistently, lawfully and effectively. From overseeing quality assurance frameworks and professional training programmes to strengthening governance arrangements and supporting the use of investigatory powers, your work will directly contribute to protecting the public and raising standards across the private security industry.

This is a role with real breadth and influence. You will act as a trusted adviser to senior leaders, oversee strategic reporting and performance frameworks, lead stakeholder engagement activity, and help shape directorate-wide priorities. Working closely with government departments, law enforcement agencies, industry bodies and regulatory partners, you will ensure operational delivery remains aligned to national priorities and emerging risks.

We are looking for an accomplished leader with experience operating in complex regulatory, enforcement, assurance or investigatory environments. You will bring expertise in operational standards, governance, audit or quality assurance, alongside the ability to influence at senior levels and drive organisational improvement. Experience working with investigatory powers, professional capability frameworks or performance management systems would be highly advantageous.

You will also be a visible and inspiring leader, capable of motivating geographically dispersed teams, developing professional capability and creating a culture of accountability, learning and continuous improvement.

In return, you will join an organisation with a clear public purpose and a commitment to excellence. You will have the opportunity to influence national policy delivery, shape operational standards across a complex regulatory landscape and make a lasting contribution to public protection.

This is a remote-based national role requiring regular travel across the UK, including attendance at offices in Canary Wharf and Manchester.

If you are ready to lead with influence, drive high standards and help shape the future of operational assurance and capability, we would love to hear from you.

Person specification

Essential

• Experience of working at senior level, project management, demonstrating the ability to plan, prioritise, and achieve high quality results in the context of external and internal constraints such as budget, time, or resources. With the ability to act on behalf of the Director demonstrating the highest level of integrity, leadership, personal resilience, and teamwork, with an ability to see issues from different perspectives and consider pragmatic solutions.

• Experience overseeing operational standards, audit or professional assurance frameworks.

• Experience operating within or alongside investigatory powers governance regimes.

• Demonstrable ability to align operational delivery with national policy priorities.

• Excellent internal/external stakeholder management and influencing skills that support the influencing and negotiating with senior key contacts at senior strategic and operational levels and the ability to deliver changes in individual and organisational compliance behaviour.

• Experience of managing a departmental budget ensuring that multiple departments are fiscally responsible, and efficiency savings can be maximised. With experience of procurement exercises and processes.

• Excellent understanding of the intelligence and investigatory processes, to drive and maintain standards and provide through the application of a quality monitoring framework and the application and understanding of the College of Policing PIP and IPP learning modules.
• Strong leadership and people management skills including performance management, the ability to lead, manage and motivate teams to perform, and gain the respect and confidence of colleagues at all levels.

Desirable

• Knowledge of Private Security Industry Act (2001) and other relevant legislation (CPIA, Fraud Act, PACE, NIM, PIP etc.).

• Audit and/or assessment experience.

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to explain complex information, in a variety of media and the ability to build rapport with internal and external stakeholders.

• Ability to write detailed reports/updates on existing workstream projects or update on key strategic issues on behalf of the Directorate

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £67,001, Security Industry Authority contributes £19,410 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• A welcoming and innovative work environment.

• Continued support and development opportunities.

• Access to training for attainment of recognised qualifications.

• Flexible working arrangements.

• Annual leave entitlement will be 27.5 days, rising by one additional day for every two years of service up to a maximum of 32.5 days.

• A variety of discounts including Gymflex.

• Civil Service Pension Scheme – employee contribution between 4.60% and 7.35% and employer contribution between 26.60% and 30.30%.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experienc