Technical Surveillance Officer NEROCU

Northumbria; North Tyneside; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 41,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

26 days leave (increasing to 30)

NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease

Enhanced maternity and parental leave

Flexi time

Flexible working

Pension with employer contribution

Public sector travel discounts

Private healthcare

Blue Light Card discounts

Cycle to work

Volunteer opportunities

Job summary

Northumbria Police is seeking a highly skilled Technical Surveillance Officer to join the North East ROCU. The role involves delivering overt and covert technical capabilities to support operations, with travel across the North East and wider UK.

You will assess investigative requirements, develop technical solutions, and provide expert guidance to support investigations, crime in action, and immediate risk scenarios. A strong technical background and UK driving licence are essential.

Qualifications

• HND or equivalent in a technical discipline.
• Experience in a specialist technical environment with practical, innovative solutions.
• Ability to manage competing priorities and deliver under tight timescales.
• Excellent problem-solving and resilience in dynamic, high-pressure environments.
• Strong communication with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Willingness to obtain/provide professional accreditation or licensing.
• Must be able to undertake on-call duties and have a UK driving licence.

Responsibilities

• Assess and prioritise requests for technical support with operational colleagues.
• Conduct overt and covert technical feasibility assessments with risk evaluations.
• Design, develop and implement bespoke technical solutions for operational activity.
• Prepare and coordinate deployments with internal and external stakeholders.
• Deploy and manage technical solutions in operational environments with safety standards.
• Design and implement specialist technical surveillance infrastructure.
• Serve as a technical SME to support investigations and operations.
• Collaborate with team and partners to support serious and organised crime cases.

Skills

Strong organisational skills

Problem-solving abilities

Communication skills

IT systems proficiency

Team collaboration

Education

HND, City & Guilds Level 5 in a relevant technical discipline

Job description

Salary: Band 8, £36,066 - £41,028 per annum (Please note it is Northumbria Police policy to appoint at the beginning of the band)
Location: North Tyneside, with travel across the North East region and wider UK as required to support operational activity.
Hours: 37 hours per week
Contract: Permanent
Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, 08:00 - 16:00, with participation in an on-call rota and overtime requirements to support operational demands.

Working for: North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (“NEROCU”)

The North East Regional Organised Crime Unit is one of nine Regional Organised Crime Units (“ROCU”) in England and Wales who lead the regional response to tackling serious and organised crime whilst supporting local and national delivery. The ROCU network continues to expand and Home Office funding through police officer uplift and increased police staff capacity presents exciting opportunities to further enhance service delivery and positively impact on our partners and the public. The Home Office Serious and Organised Crime Strategy defines ROCU as leading the regional fight against Serious and Organised Crime and NEROCU have a critical role in leading, connecting and co‑ordinating delivery across our region in all four P’s of the strategy; Pursue – prosecuting and disrupting people engaged in serious and organised criminality. Prevent – preventing people from engaging in serious and organised criminality. Protect – increasing protection against organised crime. Prepare – reducing the impact of serious and organised crime where it takes place.NEROCU comprises of specialist teams delivering across intelligence, operations, investigations, cyber, economic, technical and digital capabilities.

We are seeking a highly motivated and skilled Technical Surveillance Officer to join our specialist team supporting the investigation and disruption of serious and organised crime. This is a unique opportunity to deliver overt and covert technical capabilities in support of complex operations, crimes in action, and incidents involving an immediate risk to life.

Working closely with operational colleagues, you will assess investigative requirements, develop innovative technical solutions, and provide expert advice to support operational objectives. If you thrive in a challenging environment, enjoy problem‑solving, and are passionate about using technology to make a real difference in protecting communities, we would love to hear from you.

What you’ll do

• Assess and prioritise requests for technical support, working closely with operational colleagues to understand requirements and deliver effective technical solutions aligned to operational objectives.
• Conduct overt and covert technical feasibility assessments, including risk assessments and evaluation of tactical options, providing expert advice on the most appropriate technical approach.
• Design, develop and implement bespoke technical solutions, including complex network infrastructure, specialist equipment, tools and concealments to support operational activity.
• Prepare and coordinate deployments, liaising with internal departments, external partners and other stakeholders to identify and resolve any issues ahead of operational activity.
• Deploy and manage technical solutions in operational environments, adapting to changing circumstances and risks to ensure successful outcomes while maintaining operational security and health and safety standards.
• Assess, design and implement specialist technical surveillance infrastructure, including data transport networks, information access systems, monitoring facilities and operational technology solutions.
• Act as a technical subject matter expert, providing specialist advice and guidance to colleagues and partners across the region to support complex investigations and operations.
• Work collaboratively with team members and operational partners to support serious and organised crime investigations, crimes in action and incidents involving an immediate risk to life.

Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please view the job description

What you’ll bring

• A HND, City & Guilds Level 5 (or above) in a relevant technical discipline, or equivalent experience demonstrating advanced technical expertise.
• Significant experience working within a specialist technical environment, with the ability to develop practical and innovative solutions to complex problems.
• Strong organisational skills, with the ability to manage competing priorities, make sound decisions and deliver results within critical timescales.
• Excellent problem-solving abilities and the resilience to adapt quickly in dynamic, high‑pressure operational environments.
• Experience of working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including colleagues, partner agencies and external suppliers.
• Effective communication skills, with the ability to explain technical information clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proficiency in the use of IT systems, databases and software packages relevant to the role.
• A commitment to continuous professional development and maintaining knowledge of relevant legislation, policy and best practice.
• Willingness to obtain and maintain any professional accreditation or licensing required by the College of Policing.
• The ability to undertake on-call duties and respond to operational requirements outside normal working hours.
• A full UK driving licence and the ability to drive are essential requirements of this role due to the nature of the operational deployments and covert activities undertaken.

We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.

Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.

• 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
• NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
• Flexi time - allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs
• Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
• Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force
• Fantastic market‑leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
• Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
• Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
• We’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support.
• Access to gyms in some stations
• Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
• Cycle to work scheme
• Opportunity to volunteer in local community

Just so you know

Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Technical Surveillance Officer with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.

Use of AI in Applications: At Northumbria Police, we embrace innovative technologies to enhance our recruitment process. We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While AI can be a valuable resource, we encourage applicants to ensure their submissions accurately reflect their personal qualifications, experiences, and skills. Our selection process includes thorough evaluations to verify the authenticity and suitability of all applications. We value genuine and thoughtful responses that showcase your unique strengths and perspectives.

The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by a face to face interview. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.

We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate with to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview.

If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter) You can get in touch with us via [e-mail] for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly.

I f your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Management Vetting (MV)/ Security Clearance (SC) Biometric Vetting form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 5 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.

Terms of appointment

This is a permanent role subject to a six‑month probationary period.

If you are successful in your application, you will have a six‑month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.