Senior Operational Lead – National Security Division – East and South Central Unit (Ref: 22949)

Overview

In this role you lead a geographically dispersed national security unit, delivering enhanced sentence and risk management for high-threat offenders. You work with cross‑agency partners to maintain national standards while managing ministerial and media scrutiny. You will develop staff, oversee performance data, and drive operational improvement within the National Security Division. This is a chance to shape critical public protection work at scale, across regions and with partner agencies.

Pay / Benefits

• Access to learning and development
• Flexible working options
• Inclusive, diverse work culture
• Civil Service pension with 28.97% employer contribution
• Annual leave
• Season ticket advance

Responsibilities

• Provide direct line management to a dispersed specialist team delivering enhanced national standards for national security and critical public protection cases
• Quality assure assessments and identify policy improvements to uphold gold-standard practices
• Analyse performance data to maximise team performance and report to heads of division
• Represent the unit in national and regional multi‑agency meetings and support national portfolio projects
• Develop staff, manage underperformance and diversity matters with fairness and consistency
• Build and maintain operational relationships with Probation regions and key departments (JExU, SOCU, PPG) and deliver Training/CPD where appropriate
• Coordinate safeguarding duties and promote MAPPA through a core group approach with specialists and external stakeholders
• Engage with internal/external partners and regional forums (e.g., MARSOC, Pathfinder, Prevent Boards) to deliver multi‑agency service
• Ensure secure handling of highly sensitive information and contribute to regional/national conferences on innovation and risk management
• Adapt to evolving national security landscape and manage risk across a national portfolio

Key requirements

• Probation Qualification Framework Graduate Diploma/Honours Degree in Community Justice integrated with level 5 Diploma in Probation Practice or an equivalent qualification
• Qualifications recognised by the Secretary of State for Justice at time of qualification (Offender Management Act 2007)
• Ability to work in English; Welsh language proficiency where required in Wales
• Experience in probation work with knowledge of national priorities and safeguarding responsibilities

• Leadership
• Making effective decisions
• Working together
• Risk management
• Performance data analysis
• Multi‑agency collaboration

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