Director Strategy

National Crime Agency (NCA); London; On-site; GBP 98,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading agency in law enforcement is seeking a Director of Strategy to oversee the delivery of the NCA Strategy 2023-28. Responsible for governance, communication, and strategic planning, the role requires inclusive leadership and the ability to navigate complex political environments.

Benefits

Civil Service Pension contributions

25 days annual leave plus bank holidays

Flexible working arrangements

Access to various discounts and offers

Qualifications

• Demonstrated commitment to lead and nurture a diverse workforce.
• Track record of delivering substantial improvements in operational effectiveness.
• Ability to articulate vision and strategy effectively.

Responsibilities

• Management of 3 Deputy Directors and responsibility for communications.
• Leading relationships with the Home Office and establishing key partnerships.
• Ensuring governance of the Agency as the Board Secretary.

Skills

Inclusive leadership skills

Partnership building

Change management

Communicating complex issues

Education

Experience in law enforcement environment

Job description

London*, Bristol, Birmingham, Warrington – to note: this role will require frequent attendance at our London office, if not based there.

• Under the NCA Estates Strategy, the London office is part of a planned relocation to a new NCA HQ in Stratford, London. Relocation is expected to take place in 2025-26. If you are successful for a London role, please be aware that your post will be relocated from Spring Gardens, Vauxhall to Endeavour Square, Stratford E20.
  
  

Job Summary

This is a high-profile role at the heart of the NCA’s Senior Leadership Team.

Director Strategy has responsibility for overseeing the delivery of the NCA Strategy 2023-28, including keeping it under review, and where needed identifying and commissioning supporting sub-strategies. This includes ensuring the Strategy is well understood throughout the agency and with key partners, and that it is translated into clear organisational plans. In addition, the role has overall responsibility for our Agency governance and system of corporate risks, the leadership and delivery of our internal and external communications strategy and teams, and for overseeing the further development of the Strategic Planning function.

The Director Strategy brings political contacts, partnerships and narrative shaping to the mix, alongside, via leadership of Strategic Planning, a rigorous and strategically insightful process, ensuring that all our investment activities are optimised to realising our Strategy. The Director Strategy, with Director Finance, also leads our annual Business Planning process.

Job Description

Key responsibilities

• Management of 3 Deputy Directors and their teams, specifically DD Communications, DD Strategic Planning and DD Strategy & Assessment, and overall responsibility at Director level for communications and external outreach including with areas such as research, thinktanks and academia.
• Representing NCA in cross-governmental fora and deploying the wider senior team to best effect in engagements with a wide variety of departments
• As Board Secretary ensuring the governance of the Agency is strong and effective, through the successful leadership of the Directorate teams supporting the Board, Exco, and other committees.
• Leading the overall relationship with the Home Office as our sponsoring department, including through establishing and maintaining load-bearing relationships with ministers, officials and special advisers, and ensuring the effective operation of key procedural elements such as the Home Secretary’s Strategic Priorities, the Ministerial Sponsorship Group, and the Accountability Brief system.
• Specific responsibility for co-creating the Agency and System Performance Framework through which ministers oversee impact with the Home Office.
• Coordinating timely and high-quality input to legislation, ensuring NCA makes the case for legislative and regulatory action which can protect the public and reduce SOC
• Overall responsibility for the system of corporate risks: ensuring they are captured, challenged and kept fresh and useful
• Shared responsibility for Spending Review implementation at Director level, alongside Director Finance
• Participation in NCA Director-level Strategic Leadership and corporate governance including Exco, Finance Investment and Commercial Committee (FICC), People Committee.
• This is a wide-ranging and rewarding role. As well as supporting and directing the work of the Strategy teams, you will find yourself ranging from system design (supporting the DG on the Agenda for Reform across the entirety of Law Enforcement), shaping organisational change to deliver the strategy. You have a personal responsibility at Director level for improving our capabilities for assessing how the threat is changing, provided by the National Assessment Centre (NAC) and DD Strategy and Assessment.
  
  

Key Responsibilities

• Management of 3 Deputy Directors and their teams, specifically DD Communications, DD Strategic Planning and DD Strategy & Assessment, and overall responsibility at Director level for communications and external outreach including with areas such as research, thinktanks and academia.
• Representing NCA in cross-governmental fora and deploying the wider senior team to best effect in engagements with a wide variety of departments
• As Board Secretary ensuring the governance of the Agency is strong and effective, through the successful leadership of the Directorate teams supporting the Board, Exco, and other committees.
• Leading the overall relationship with the Home Office as our sponsoring department, including through establishing and maintaining load-bearing relationships with ministers, officials and special advisers, and ensuring the effective operation of key procedural elements such as the Home Secretary’s Strategic Priorities, the Ministerial Sponsorship Group, and the Accountability Brief system.
• Specific responsibility for co-creating the Agency and System Performance Framework through which ministers oversee impact with the Home Office.
• Coordinating timely and high-quality input to legislation, ensuring NCA makes the case for legislative and regulatory action which can protect the public and reduce SOC
• Overall responsibility for the system of corporate risks: ensuring they are captured, challenged and kept fresh and useful
• Shared responsibility for Spending Review implementation at Director level, alongside Director Finance
• Participation in NCA Director-level Strategic Leadership and corporate governance including Exco, Finance Investment and Commercial Committee (FICC), People Committee.
• This is a wide-ranging and rewarding role. As well as supporting and directing the work of the Strategy teams, you will find yourself ranging from system design (supporting the DG on the Agenda for Reform across the entirety of Law Enforcement), shaping organisational change to deliver the strategy. You have a personal responsibility at Director level for improving our capabilities for assessing how the threat is changing, provided by the National Assessment Centre (NAC) and DD Strategy and Assessment.
  
  

Person specification

Essential Criteria

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 two pages A4 font Arial using examples to explain how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria.

• Inclusive leadership skills – comfortable operating in a complex operational environment, and able to manage political and operational risks, with a demonstrable commitment to lead, develop and nurture a highly performing, diverse and talented workforce based in the UK and overseas
• Experience of articulating vision and strategy for a large organisation or system, influencing up and out to ensure support, and translating this into operational delivery, in your own organisation and with and through partners.
• Experience of building effective partnerships across government, UK public and private sectors and with international partners at a strategic level. and feel comfortable communicating complex issues to a wide audience, including ministers and the media.
• The ability to lead and deliver change, with a track record of delivering substantial improvements to increase operational effectiveness and value for money, including through running programmes and setting up new capabilities.
• Experience of delivering interventions that ensure that Equality, Diversity & Inclusion (EDI) is embedded in the organisation’s way of working, fostering a culture of trust which enables people to speak up, feel safe and advocate for others.
• Ability to acquire and retain Developed Vetting (DV) status up to STRAP.
• Experience of working in, and building networks in, the law enforcement environment e.g. intelligence & security, or home affairs/criminal justice policy or the ability to translate your work and networking experience successfully into a law enforcement environment.
  
  

Alongside your salary of £98,000, National Crime Agency contributes £28,390 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Civil Service Pension

A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.

If you are an active police pension member immediately prior to joining the NCA, you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.

Annual Leave

25 days annual leave on entry (plus one privilege day for the King’s Birthday), plus 8 Bank Holidays, increasing to 30 days after reaching 5 years continuous service (plus one privilege day for the King’s Birthday), plus 8 Bank Holidays.

If qualifying criteria is met new joiners to the NCA from UK Police Forces or UKIC will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for Annual Leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 30 days leave (plus 1 privilege day for the King’s Birthday).

Parental Leave

Family friendly policies including paid maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks.

Access to the government Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers.

Flexible Working

Flexible working arrangements allowing you to split your work between the office and home, subject to the nature of the role.

Alternative working patterns such as part-time and compressed hours options subject to business needs.

Support for officers who are Reservists and Special Constables.

Learning and Development

Access to a range of learning and development activities, and opportunities to support career progression.

Paid time off to facilitate continuous professional development, and access to Civil Service Learning up to 5 days per year.

Wellbeing and Inclusion

Occupational sick pay and access to occupational health services.

A network of qualified Mental Health First Aiders and Workplace Support Officers, who can provide advice, signposting and support to all our officers.

On site facilities including fitness centres and canteens (where available). Access to a variety of active staff network groups.

Employee Savings

Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket.

Access to a wide range of discounts, offers and gift cards with a number of high street and online retailers through the Blue light Scheme and EdenRed.

Cycle2work salary sacrifice scheme to hire a bicycle up to the value of £4,000 to assist in improving health and fitness and save you money.

Access to a home and technology purchase scheme, allowing you to purchase items and spread the cost over 12 months through salary sacrifice.

Key worker status, enabling access to accommodation at a discounted rate, subject to eligibility.

Access to a range of sports, leisure and health benefits at reduced prices through membership with Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC).

For further information on working for the NCA please visit:

https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/national-crime-agency/

Selection process details

To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process, outlined below. This should be completed no later than 23:55 on 14th July 2025.

• Enter your CV details setting out your career history, including key responsibilities and achievements. It is essential that your CV reflects the role you are applying for. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any employment gaps within the last two years.
• A statement of suitability of no more than two pages A4 font Arial 11 using examples to explain how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria cited at page 12.
  
  

In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy, the NCA require certain personal details about you on submission of your application. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application.

As part of your application, you will be asked to complete a diversity monitoring form. If you do not wish to provide a declaration on any of the particular characteristics, you will have the option to select ‘prefer not to say’. All monitoring data will be treated in the strictest confidence and will not be provided to the selection panel. The information you provide when submitting your application will help us monitor our progress towards the Civil Service becoming the most inclusive employer.

Should you encounter any issues with your application please get in touch with our recruitment partner at the following email address: [e-mail]

The NCA is also currently advertising for a Director International. Candidates may apply for both vacancies but must submit two separate applications.

Longlisting

The longlisting may be conducted against your submitted CV and Statement of Suitability.

If required, Longlist interviews may take place w/c 21st July 2025

Shortlist

A shortlisting meeting will be held in the week commencing 4th August 2025.

Shortlisted candidates may be asked to undertake structured stakeholder conversations as part of the process where you will discuss your leadership experience and your ability to build key relationships successfully. This will not result in a pass or fail decision. It is designed to support the panel’s decision-making and highlight areas for the panel to explore further at interview.

Assessment

A Staff Engagement Exercise which will be delivered virtually on MS Teams in the week commencing 18th August 2025. In addition, you will be asked to undertake and ILA.

Final Panel Interview

The interview will be held in London week commencing 1st September 2025.

The panel will assess your previous experience and professional competence against the essential criteria. You will also be asked to deliver a presentation.

Full details of the requirements will be given to shortlisted candidates ahead of their interview.

Shortlisted candidates may also be offered the opportunity to find out more about the role in conversation with the vacancy holder or a member of the senior executive team.

Selection Panel

The panel will be chaired by Elizabeth Hambley, Civil Service Commissioner and will include:

James Babbage, Director General Threats

Claire Smith, departing Director General Capabilities

Offer

Regardless of the outcome, we will notify all candidates as soon as possible.

If your application is successful and we are unable to offer you a post immediately, you will be invited to join our reserve list so that we can continue to communicate with you regarding your employment with the Agency, and the incredible work that we do. If over the next 12 months we are able to offer you a position, we will contact you as soon as possible.

If you are found appointable at the higher grade but there are no positions available you may be offered an appointment at the lower grade.

If you are not found appointable at the advertised grade you may be offered the lower grade role if you are considered to meet the skills, experience and behaviours for the lower level. The benchmark for appointing to the lower grade is set at the start of each campaign. All offers will be made in merit.

Appointments will be made in adherence to the Civil Service Recruitment Principles and in strict merit order with the highest scoring candidates being appointed first.

Role

The NCA is a law enforcement agency and as such we are part of the Criminal Justice System. Therefore, if you are going into an operational role we need to be aware if any of our officers have, either before they join us or afterwards, any of the following:

• Any criminal conviction (including by Court Martial), or caution or fixed penalty notice for disorder or theft;
• Any adverse judicial findings;
• Any charges or summonses where the proceedings are not complete;
• Any misconduct or gross misconduct findings or where proceedings are not complete.
  
  

You will be asked to complete a declaration form covering the above if offered a role with the NCA.

Each case will be considered on its merits and a positive declaration does not automatically mean that your application will not be progressed. However, should you fail to disclose a relevant matter then your application or employment will be adversely affected. If in doubt, please declare it at this stage.’

Indicative Timeline

The Anticipated Timetable Is As Follows

Advert Closing Date: 15th July 2025

Longlist Interviews - if conducted: w/c 21st July 2025

Expected shortlist announcement: w/c 4th August 2025

Virtual Assessments: August

Interviews: w/c 1st September

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, which may be subject to some change, and are asked to exercise flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Pre-employment checks

Pre-employment checks take on average 16 weeks from the point of offer to arranging a start date. This includes vetting, occupational health assessments, employment history checks and substance misuse tests. This is an approximate time frame and is to be taken as a guideline only as this can very between candidates. This is dependent on when all requested documentation is provided.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service at: [e-mail] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.
• Complete the ‘assistance required’ section in the ‘personal information’ page of your application form to provide information we should be aware of that will enable us to support you further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
  
  

Reserve lists

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months, which the Civil Service may use to fill future suitable vacancies across government for candidates who are considered appointable following interview.

Further Information

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact: [e-mail]

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

This Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
  
  

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job Contact

• Name : SCS Recruitment Team
• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Recruitment team

• Email : [e-mail]
  
  

Further information

Civil Service Commission Selection for appointment to the Civil Service is on merit, on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles.

In accordance with the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles, our recruitment and selection processes are underpinned by the requirement of appointment on the basis of merit by fair and open competition. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint, in the first instance you should contact; [e-mail]

If you are not satisfied with the response you receive you can contact the Civil Service Commission at [e-mail] and more information can be found at www.civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk