7345: Head of Leadership and Progression Standards

College of Policing

Dumfries and Galloway

Remote

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Full time

£82,880 per year

Job summary

Strong leadership has never been more important for policing. Recent findings from the Police Leadership Commission highlighted the need to strengthen leadership standards, professional development and progression pathways across policing, describing this as the most comprehensive examination of police leadership in a generation.

Reporting to the Director of Leadership and Workforce Development, you will play a leading role in shaping leadership capability, progression standards and professional development across policing at a time of significant reform and transformation. This includes supporting the College's response to the recommendations of the Police Leadership Commission and helping to deliver key elements of the wider Police Reform agenda.

This is a rare opportunity to influence how current and future leaders are developed, supported and progressed throughout their careers. Working with senior stakeholders across policing, government and the wider public sector, you will help strengthen professional standards, improve leadership capability and contribute to a trusted and effective police service for the future.

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.

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.

A new National Police Service (NPS), will bring together existing national policing bodies under a single organisation with a clear mandate. The Police Reform White Paper, published in January 2026, confirmed that the College will move into the NPS "in its entirety", ensuring that the leadership, standards and performance work the College has led since 2012 will continue within the NPS.

We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive through our extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies,, and status as a disability confident leader.

For further information visit our ‘Work for us’ page.

Job description

The Head of Leadership and Progression Standards is a senior national leadership role within the College of Policing's Leadership and Workforce Development Directorate. The role combines strategic leadership with national influence and is responsible for driving work that strengthens leadership capability, progression standards and workforce development across policing.

As Senior Responsible Owner for the National Centre for Police Leadership, the postholder will play a key role in shaping programmes and initiatives that support the development of future police leaders. Success will depend on the ability to work across complex organisational boundaries, build strong strategic relationships and deliver outcomes through collaboration and influence. The role requires engagement with senior leaders across policing, government and partner organisations, often in areas where priorities and perspectives differ.

Person specification

We are seeking an experienced leader with a strong commitment to public service and public value.

You will have experience of operating successfully within policing or a similarly complex, highly scrutinised and regulated environment, where leadership, professional standards, workforce capability and organisational performance are of critical importance.

You will bring a track record of leading significant organisational, workforce or cultural change, working across organisational boundaries and influencing senior stakeholders to achieve strategic outcomes. You will be comfortable navigating competing priorities, balancing national and local considerations, and delivering change through collaboration rather than direct authority.

The successful candidate will combine strategic thinking with practical delivery and possess the credibility, judgement and resilience to operate effectively in a high-profile environment where public trust, professional standards and leadership capability are central to organisational success.

Whether your experience has been gained within policing or a comparable public service setting, you will bring a deep understanding of the challenges associated with leading people, driving organisational improvement and delivering outcomes in complex systems.

Please see the attached candidate pack and job description for full details of the role, eligibility requirements and application process.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £82,880, College of Policing contributes £24,010 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%*

Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)*

Role-specific learning and development, with continued professional development to help you progress your career

Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave*

Flexi-time (for certain grades)

MyLifestyle platform which offers a wide range of shopping discounts with major retailers and includes access to discounted gym memberships, National Dental Plan, AXA Healthcare and the Cycle to Work scheme*

Free employee support line

Interest free season ticket loans*

Rewards and recognition scheme

An environment with flexible working options

A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

For more information about our benefits and staff networks, visit What we offer as an employer , College of Policing

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This post is open to applicants who can meet the College’s nationality, UK residency and vetting requirements.

Vacancy Reference: 7345
Remuneration: Tier 2-21 (£82,880)

Hours: 37hours per week /Full-time

Appointment: Permanent

Location: Homeworking with regular travel across England and Wales

Timetable

Closing date for applications: 2 December 2026

Shortlisting: w/c 7 December 2026

Candidates notified w/c 7 December 2026

Virtual stakeholder panel: 16 December 2026

Interview and presentation: 12 January 2027 at 10 South Colonnade, Canary Wharf London E14 4PU

Applicants must:

Be able to demonstrate substantial experience operating at a senior leadership level within policing, the wider public sector or another similarly complex, regulated and publicly accountable environment

Have a track record of leading strategic change and influencing organisational outcomes across complex systems and multiple stakeholders.

Be able to evidence significant experience of senior stakeholder engagement and partnership working.

Be eligible to work in the United Kingdom.

Be willing and able to undertake travel across England and Wales as required by the role.

This role is offered on a permanent basis.

Be able to satisfy the vetting requirements for the role. The successful candidate will be required to obtain and maintain NPPV2 and CTC clearance. Where these clearances are not already held, vetting will be progressed following appointment.

The College of Policing is committed to equality, diversity and inclusion. We welcome applications from all suitably qualified candidates, regardless of background, identity or personal characteristics.

Informal Conversations and Application Process

If you would like an informal and confidential discussion about the role, please contact Zoe Reeve. We will endeavour to accommodate all requests, subject to demand and availability.

Please ensure you return your completed CV and Application/Question Form via email toSeniorRecruitmentApplications@college.police.uk

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 into the organisation on their existing terms and conditions, any move back to the Civil Service may mean that continuity of service is not automatically recognised by the receiving department, and new starter or modernised terms and conditions may apply, subject to the receiving department's policies and arrangements. However, employees who move directly to a Civil Service department without a break in service may retain continuity of service for redundancy and pension purposes.

Any previous service with local government or other external Modification Order bodies will not be carried forward or count when calculating redundancy entitlement.

The College is committed to supporting the Greening Government Commitment and reducing our environmental impact. Through our Environmental Management Plan, we promote sustainable ways of working and provide electric vehicle charging points to support greener travel choices. We also encourage employees to become Environment Champions and support our One Step Greener approach, helping to create a better future for everyone.

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

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is counter-terrorist check (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.

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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

Diversity and Inclusion

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

Apply and further information

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

Salary range

£82,880 per year