Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Officer

Job summary

Information about the Command

The role of Intelligence is to develop the right operations, which target and disrupt - by the most effective means - the offenders who seek to cause the highest harm to the UK.
A diverse directorate with a wide variety of unique functions and specialist skillsets in our ranks, some of which we deliver as the national provider for the wider Serious Organised Crime (SOC) system. From our niche technical capabilities, to our overseas network of International Liaison Officers (ILO) and our Tasking teams, there are many component parts which contribute to the efforts of the directorate and the National Crime Agency (NCA).

Information about the Business Area

The National Intelligence Hub (NIH) is responsible for delivering tactical intelligence and strategic assessment for the NCA and Serious Organised Crime (SOC) system, in order to understand and articulate the threat from SOC and generate the most impactful opportunities for disruption and reduction of that threat. Working closely with other departments, the NIH is at the heart of the NCA, analysing and exploiting all source intelligence to deliver opportunities which drive NCA and partner activity. The NIH continually develops the intelligence picture of SOC that impacts on the UK, so we can flex law enforcement’s collective resources against changing threats.

Job description

The post holder will be responsible for the administration and management of the National ANPR Service (NAS), maintaining the integrity, effectiveness and compliance of systems used by more than 600 Officers and staff across the NCA. A key aspect of the role involves ensuring that ANPR capabilities continue to meet operational requirements, providing expert support and guidance to users, and promoting the effective use of ANPR technology in support of operational activity.

Working closely with operational and intelligence teams, the ANPR Officer will undertake analytical activity using ANPR systems and associated intelligence tools to support investigations, intelligence development and law enforcement operations. They will be required to complete analytical research requests, interpret complex findings and produce high quality intelligence reports and assessments for dissemination to stakeholders across the Agency and partner organisations. The role also requires the post holder to identify intelligence opportunities, support operational decision-making and contribute to the development of intelligence products that assist in disrupting serious and organised crime (SOC).

The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that ANPR data is retained, managed and handled in accordance with current legislation, national standards and local policy. They will produce evidential packages and supporting documentation for use in criminal investigations and court proceedings, ensuring that all material is accurate, evidentially robust and compliant with disclosure and data management requirements.

As part of the ANPR Bureau’s 24/7/365 support model, the post holder will participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota, providing specialist advice and guidance in response to incidents, urgent operational requests and emerging issues. This will involve assessing priorities, directing resources where appropriate and ensuring that critical ANPR support is available to operational teams whenever required. The current rota requires the post holder to provide on-call support for 1 week in 4, but this may change as the team expands.

The role offers a unique opportunity to work within a specialist area of law enforcement where no two days are the same. The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate strong analytical skills, sound judgement, attention to detail and the ability to work effectively under pressure whilst managing competing priorities. They will be proactive in building relationships with internal and external stakeholders, promoting the value of ANPR capabilities and contributing to the continuous development and improvement of the service.

This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for an individual who enjoys problem-solving, thrives in a dynamic operational environment and is committed to delivering high-quality intelligence support that makes a tangible contribution to protecting the public and tackling serious and organised crime.

Note: If not already based in Leicester, the successful candidate will be required to travel to our Leicester office frequently for training purposes throughout their probationary period. The NCA's Flexible Working policy will apply once probation has been successfully completed.

Duties and Responsibilities

ANPR Service Management - Manage and administer the National ANPR Service (NAS), ensuring the system remains effective, compliant and operationally focused. Maintain user access, system integrity and governance processes, supporting over 600 Officers and staff across the Agency.

Intelligence Development - Conduct analytical research using ANPR systems to support operational activity, investigations and intelligence development. Complete analytical requests, interpret findings and produce high-quality intelligence reports and assessments for dissemination to internal and external stakeholders.

Compliance & Assurance - Undertake audits of ANPR users, system activity and retained material to ensure compliance with legislation, national standards, policy and governance requirements. Identify and address risks, discrepancies and areas for improvement.

Data Management - Manage the retention, review and disposal of ANPR data in accordance with statutory obligations, organisational policy and information management requirements, ensuring the integrity and lawful handling of sensitive information.

Evidential Support - Produce evidential packages from the NAS system for use in criminal investigations and court proceedings, ensuring all material is accurate, auditable and evidentially robust.

ANPR Subject Matter Expertise - Act as a subject matter expert for ANPR-related matters, providing advice, guidance and support to operational and intelligence teams. Promote the effective and compliant use of ANPR capabilities across the Agency.

Operational Support - Support the delivery of the ANPR Bureau's 24/7/365 service, including participation in the out-of-hours on-call rota. Provide timely advice and assistance in response to incidents, urgent operational requests and emerging issues.

Stakeholder Engagement - Develop and maintain productive working relationships with key internal and external partners, including NPCC, Police Forces, HMRC, ROCUs and Agency operational and intelligence teams, ensuring effective collaboration and information sharing.

Vehicle Tracking Support - Provide specialist support for vehicle tracking activities through the use of SMART tracking systems, assisting Agency teams and partner organisations in the deployment and management of tracking capabilities.

Representation & Collaboration - Represent the ANPR Team at regional and national meetings, working groups and forums as required. Contribute to the development of ANPR policy, best practice and capability enhancement across the law enforcement community.

Person specification

ANPR Awareness - Basic knowledge of ANPR capabilities and an understanding of how ANPR systems support operational activity, investigations and intelligence development. Awareness of the benefits, limitations and governance considerations associated with the use of ANPR within a law enforcement environment.

Analytical Skills - Demonstrable ability to extract, evaluate and interpret data and information from a variety of sources, identifying trends, patterns and opportunities to support operational decision-making and intelligence development.

ANPR Problem Solving - Ability to think critically and creatively to identify solutions to complex challenges, recognising how ANPR capabilities and associated technologies can be used to support operational outcomes and investigative objectives.

Communication Skills - Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex information to a range of audiences and produce accurate, concise and professional reports.

Prioritisation & Decision Making - Ability to effectively manage competing demands within a fast-paced environment, balancing urgent operational requirements with routine business activities while maintaining high standards of accuracy and performance.

Stakeholder Engagement - Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build credibility, negotiate effectively and influence stakeholders at all levels to achieve shared objectives and positive operational outcomes.

Customer Focus - Ability to understand customer requirements, provide effective solutions and deliver a high-quality service to internal and external partners, often within demanding operational timescales.

Relationship Management - Proven ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, fostering collaboration, trust and effective information sharing.

Time Management - Ability to organise and manage workload effectively, meeting deadlines and quality standards while identifying and escalating risks, issues or competing priorities where necessary.

Team Working - A collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively as part of a team, contributing expertise, supporting colleagues and recognising the value of diverse skills and perspectives in achieving shared goals.

IT Proficiency - Confident user of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, with the ability to quickly learn and utilise new systems, databases and software applications to support operational requirements.

On-call working Currently 1 week in 4, with the potential to reduce to 1 week in 5 subject to successful recruitment. On-call allowance rates are £25.28 per 12-hour session and £50.56 per 24-hour session.

Desirable Criteria

Desirable criteria are only used for assessment in the event of a tie break.Completion of recognised ANPR training (e.g. from College of Policing).

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Working Together
• Developing Self and Others

Benefits

• All NCA employees are members of the UK Civil Service and eligible for the Civil Service pension scheme, alongside your salary the NCA contributes £10842. Further information on the benefits of the scheme is available on the Civil Service Pension Website.
• New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.

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 vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

How we will assess you

Your application will be assessed against the following:Experience - This will be assessed:Experience Criteria - will be assessed by 250 word examples on:

• Good understanding of the legislation, governance and compliance requirements relating to the use of ANPR, including data protection, privacy considerations and lawful use within a law enforcement environment.

• Experience of analysing information from a range of sources, identifying key insights and trends, and drawing evidence-based conclusions to support decision-making and communicate findings effectively.

• Experience of working to tight deadlines, effectively prioritising workloads, and managing multiple competing priorities to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.

A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.

Longlist

In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.

- Good understanding of the legislation, governance and compliance requirements relating to the use of ANPR, including data protection, privacy considerations and lawful use within a law enforcement environment. .

Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.

You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.

We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.

Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.

For guidance on the application process, visit:
NCA Applying and Onboarding

Assessment 1

The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.

Success Profiles at Assessment

Behaviours

• Working Together

• Developing Self and Others

Experience

• Good understanding of the legislation, governance and compliance requirements relating to the use of ANPR, including data protection, privacy considerations and lawful use within a law enforcement environment.

• Experience of analysing information from a range of sources, identifying key insights and trends, and drawing evidence-based conclusions to support decision-making and communicate findings effectively.

• Experience of working to tight deadlines, effectively prioritising workloads, and managing multiple competing priorities to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.

Assessment OutcomeOutcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.

In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:

1. Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
2. If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
3. If still tied, application sift scores will be used

Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records. We encourage all candidates to visit the NCA Careers Page for more information.Prior to commencing the role, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance and then achieve DV Enhanced clearance within the first 12 months in post. The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.The requirement for DV Enhanced clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.If the increased clearance cannot be obtained you will be moved to a role appropriate to your clearance level achieved on entry. For further information on National Security Vetting checks please visit the following page Demystifying Vetting

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 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.

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.

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

Job contact :

• Name : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with the Recruitment Principles and you wish to make a complaint in relation to any stage of the recruitment and selection process please email central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk. please ensure that you refer to the campaign reference number. If you remain dissatisfied following the outcome of your complaint you have the right to contact the Civil Service Commission to pursue it further.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission.