Assistant Chief Constable - Director of Operation Standards

College of Policing

South Western Scotland

Remote

Expires: Expiring in less than 3 weeks

Policy

Full time

Job summary

Remote working (anywhere in the UK), with extensive national travel.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing officers of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

About us:

An exceptional opportunity has arisen for a senior operational policing leader to join the College of Policing as Director of Operational Standards. The College is the professional body for policing in England and Wales. Our mission is Leadership. Standards. Performance. Our vision is trusted and effective policing that cuts crime and keeps people safe. This national role sits at the heart of the College’s strategic focus on ensuring the highest standards for policing. It provides the opportunity to influence the direction of the service at a critical time in police reform, as well as an important and unique opportunity in the development of a senior career within policing.

Job description

Provide national leadership on operational standards, assurance and risk, including the setting, improvement and assurance of operational and ethical standards for high-quality policing; strengthen the College’s connection with operational policing; raise standards in neighborhood policing, public protection and investigations; translate operational insight into practical standards and guidance; and influence senior leaders to embed standards across policing.

Person specification

This role requires senior judgement, system leadership and the confidence to operate in complex and at times contested national environments:

Lead the setting, improvement and assurance of operational and ethical standards for high‑quality policing
Provide national leadership on operational standards, assurance and risk, ensuring consistency and quality across policing
Strengthen the College’s connection with operational policing, ensuring standards are informed by frontline practice and emerging system risks
Lead work to raise standards in core areas of policing, including neighbourhood policing, public protection and investigations
Translate operational insight, evidence and learning into clear, practical standards, guidance and support for forces
Influence senior stakeholders to embed standards and drive system‑wide improvement, supporting public confidence and professionalism

To be successful in this role, you’ll need:

The ability to operate credibly across a broad operational portfolio, exercising senior judgement and prioritisation in complex system contexts
To have successfully completed the Executive Leadership Programme (ELP) or previous equivalent.
Experience as a Gold Public Order/Public Safety Commander, Strategic Firearms Commander or equivalent multi‑agency Gold command role
Proven experience of operating at Board or Executive level.
Professional credibility to influence senior leaders across the policing system.

Please see the attached candidate pack and job description which contains full details of the role and how to apply.

Benefits

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):

Continued professional development and structured career paths
Rewards and recognition scheme
Learning and development tailored to your role.
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

Applications for this role are restricted to existing officers of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

Vacancy reference: 7160

Anticipated interview dates: 22nd June 2026

Eligibility

This role is offered as a three-year secondment to serving police officers at the rank of Assistant Chief Constable (ACC) / Commander with chief officer approval. It is also open to officers suitable for temporary promotion. NPCC-rank chief officer approval must accompany an application. Usual police secondment and vetting rules apply.

Central service conditions may apply.

Please ensure you return your completed Secondment Approval Form, CV and Application Form via email toSeniorRecruitmentApplications@college.police.uk

For further information on applying for a secondment please visit the “Secondments into the College” page.

Selection process

The selection process will include shortlisting, an online staff engagement panel on Thursday 11th or 12th Friday June and a final interview panel, chaired by the Chief Executive on Monday 22nd June 2026 at our offices in London. Candidates must ensure availability on these dates.

If you would like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact Amie Levy (Amie.Levy@college.police), Staff Officer to Director of Operational Standards

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

We want to continually improve our recruitment processes and to remove any barriers to equal opportunities that could disadvantage those from particular backgrounds. In order for us to have the information to do this, we ask you to please complete the diversity section of the online application process. We use a “blind” shortlisting process and we hope that by using this method we will be able to promote greater diversity in our workforce and remove any subconscious decisions based on biases.

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 meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security 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

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