Policing Standards Manager – Specialist Operations

Job summary

This is a designated homeworking role with travel across the UK to College sites, police forces and partner organisations.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing officers of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

About us:

Our mission is: Leadership, Standards, Performance. This guides our work with individuals, forces, and policing partners towards our vision. We exist to support police officers, police staff and volunteers to deliver the best service to the public. Only through high quality leadership, consistent standards and continual performance improvement can everyone in policing reach their full potential. Our mission guides our work with individual, forces and partners towards our vision.

Although we are a relatively small organisation, our work has a big reach. We are uniquely placed to work both with national policing organisations and local forces to support frontline officers, staff and volunteers in their day-to-day roles.

We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive. Our extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies, employers’ network for equality and inclusion membership (ENEI silver award winners), and status as a disability confident leader means everyone can bring their whole self to work.

Additional Information:

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service cannot be guaranteed on existing terms and conditions, and new starter/modernised terms may apply.

The College embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we comply with the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and apply the minimum selection criteria at sift stage of the recruitment process.

Our vetting

If you are successful at interview, you will be required to undertake pre-employment security checks. You will be sent a security questionnaire which must be accessed within 24 hours.

Please note, these checks can take up to 10 weeks. You will only be offered a start date after the checks have been completed. If the outcome of these checks is not satisfactory, your recommendation for employment will be withdrawn.

Job description

The College of Policing is seeking an exceptional policing leader to join us as Policing Standards Manager (PSM) – Specialist Operations.

This is a unique opportunity to operate at the heart of national policing, leading the development, implementation and assurance of standards across some of the most complex, high-risk and publicly scrutinised areas of policing. The postholder provides leadership across a broad specialist operations portfolio and works directly with Chief Officers, NPCC leads, government departments and operational practitioners to drive improvement, consistency and professionalism across policing.

Working directly to the Head of Uniformed Policing, the successful candidate will play a key role in shaping national standards, driving continuous improvement and supporting forces across England and Wales to deliver effective and consistent policing outcomes. The role is responsible for providing strategic leadership and subject matter expertise across Specialist Operations, ensuring that national guidance, training, curriculum and learning products remain current, evidence based and aligned to operational requirements. Working closely with policing partners, stakeholders and practitioners, the postholder will lead the development of innovative approaches, share emerging learning and promote best practice across the service.

The successful candidate will lead a team of specialists, fostering collaboration, professional development and high performance whilst maintaining strong relationships with forces, national policing leads and external partners. Through engagement with a wide range of stakeholders, they will provide expert advice and support on complex issues, contributing to the development of policy, standards and operational capability at a national level. This is a challenging and rewarding role, offering the opportunity to influence policing practice, improve public safety and work alongside dedicated professionals committed to delivering excellence. Travel and occasional overnight stays will form part of the role.

You will provide strategic leadership and vision across these portfolios, ensuring national standards remain relevant, evidence-based and aligned to emerging operational demand. The role carries responsibility for leading a substantial multidisciplinary team and supporting a number of national programmes that attract significant public, media and political interest.

Why this role matters

Every day, police officers and staff across England and Wales rely on national standards, guidance and training products developed through the College. The decisions made within this role directly influence how policing responds to public disorder, firearms incidents, officer safety, first aid, fitness standards, specialist capabilities and emerging operational threats.

You will work with senior leaders across policing to develop practical solutions to complex operational challenges, ensuring forces have access to consistent national standards, evidence-based products and professional advice that enables public confidence, officer safety and operational effectiveness.

What you'll be doing

You will:

• Lead and inspire high-performing teams of subject matter experts, police officers and specialist staff.
• Provide strategic leadership across the Specialist Operations portfolio.
• Build influential relationships with NPCC leads, Chief Officers, Home Office officials, HMICFRS and national policing stakeholders.
• Represent the College at strategic, tactical and operational forums across policing.
• Lead national programmes, policy development and implementation activity.
• Oversee the development of standards, Authorised Professional Practice (APP), curriculum and training products.
• Support forces through implementation, assurance, improvement and change activity.
• Identify emerging risks, legislative changes and operational trends and ensure policing is equipped to respond.
• Deliver evidence-based solutions to complex national policing challenges.
• Ensure effective governance, risk management and performance oversight across all specialist operations activity

Person specification

We're looking for a credible and inspirational leader who can operate confidently at a national level and build strong partnerships across policing.

You will have:

• Recent operational command and control experience with accreditation at Silver Level or above.
• Strong leadership experience and the ability to develop and motivate high-performing teams.
• Experience operating within Specialist Operations policing.
• Experience managing strategic programmes, significant risk and complex stakeholder environments.
• A proven ability to influence senior leaders and deliver change through collaboration.
• Strong understanding of the wider policing landscape and national policing governance arrangements.
• Excellent communication, engagement and relationship-management skills.
• Experience of working across organisational boundaries to deliver improvement and consistency.