Deputy Director, Operational Assurance (Border Force)

Border Force; Folkestone; On-site; GBP 110,000 - 140,000; Full time

Job summary

The Border Force is recruiting a strategic leader to head Operational Assurance, a Directorate of ~100 colleagues, with a permanent seat on the Border Force Board. You will shape risk‑based assurance across the organisation and drive improvements to performance and integrity.

You will oversee second‑line assurance, first‑line controls, and the Insider Threat Programme, ensuring investigations are fair, evidence‑based and proportionate, and you will report to the Director General and Border Force

Job description

You will:

• Lead and develop a geographically dispersed Directorate of approximately 100 colleagues, creating a high-performing and inclusive culture.
• Provide assurance to the Director General and Border Force Board on the effectiveness of key controls, organisational performance and risk management arrangements.
• Set the strategic direction for assurance activity across Border Force and ensure a consistent, risk-based approach is embedded throughout the organisation.
• Lead Border Force's second-line assurance function, ensuring assurance findings are evidence-based, proportionate and focused on improving outcomes.
• Oversee the development and effectiveness of first-line assurance arrangements across operational and enabling functions.
• Own and maintain the Border Force Strategic Risk Register on behalf of the Border Force Board.
• Lead Border Force's approach to integrity, ethics and professionalism, promoting the highest standards of conduct and organisational behaviour.
• Oversee the Insider Threat Programme and associated interventions to identify, assess and mitigate corruption and integrity risks.
• Provide leadership for misconduct management, ensuring investigations and casework are managed consistently, fairly and effectively.
• Manage Border Force's relationship with external audit, inspection and scrutiny bodies, ensuring recommendations are addressed and improvements delivered.
• Oversee public correspondence functions, ensuring concerns are handled effectively and lessons are identified and acted upon.

Border Force, is a law enforcement command within the Home Office. We secure the UK border by carrying out immigration and customs controls for people and goods entering the United Kingdom.

Our people work across airports, seaports, rail terminals and postal hubs, as well as in intelligence and central operational functions. Together, they protect national security, facilitate legitimate travel and trade, and help keep the public safe.

Why this role matters

This is a rare opportunity to lead one of Border Force's most influential corporate and operational functions. Operational Assurance provides the Director General and Border Force Board with confidence that risks are being understood and managed appropriately, that operational controls are functioning effectively, and that lessons are translated into meaningful improvements. This is not a traditional compliance role. At its core, this role is about making Border Force better: improving operational professionalism, strengthening public confidence and supporting better outcomes for border security. The role comes with a permanent seat on the Board and is line managed by the Director General.