Business Manager

Job summary

His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS) is a national organisation with a Head Office in Birmingham and regional offices in London, Salford and Leeds. In line with the Places for Growth Programme HMICFRS will relocate more roles based outside London and the Southeast over the next six to seven years. This role is being advertised on a national basis and can be located in our existing locations in Salford and Birmingham.

We currently operate a non-contractual hybrid working approach. There is a minimum workplace attendance requirement of between 60% and 100% depending upon business need.

HMICFRS independently assesses the effectiveness and efficiency of police forces and fire and rescue services – in the public interest. We promote improvements in policing and fire and rescue services to make everyone safer.

We are independent of the Government, police and fire and rescue services. We ask the questions that we believe the public wish to have answered and produce major reports that shine a light on issues at the very heart of policing and fire and rescue services.

Our reports are widely covered by the media and help inform the public of the performance of their local police forces and fire and rescue services. You can find out more about HMICFRS on our website and see some of our recent reports.

Working at HMICFRS gives you an opportunity to make a real difference to the quality of local police and fire and rescue services and the lives of the public.

HMICFRS is a unique organisation with staff seconded or loaned from across the Civil Service, police forces and fire and rescue services. We set ourselves high standards, taking great pride in the quality of work we achieve and the opportunities we create for our staff.

Find out more

If you would like to talk about this role and what it’s like working for HMICFRS, Linzi Talbot would be pleased to hear from you. Please contact recruitment@hmicfrs.gov.uk and we can arrange for her to contact you.

Job description

Two police super-complaints systems allow organisations designated by the Home Office and Ministry of Defence to raise issues on behalf of the public about harmful patterns or trends in policing in England and Wales.

HMICFRS is responsible for managing both of these systems. We work closely with the Independent Office for Police Conduct, College of Policing and Service Police Complaints Commissioner to assess, investigate and agree a response to super-complaints designated bodies submit.

Protecting vulnerable people, including those at risk of violence, has been a key theme of our published super-complaint work. Our recommendations for change can lead to improvements being made in policing. You can find out more about our published reports and ongoing investigations here (Home Office system) and here (Service Police system).

Our exciting Business Manager role is available because the previous post-holder was promoted. The role offers wide-ranging development opportunities, including exposure to high-profile policing issues and the chance to work closely with multiple policing bodies, where you will interact with organisation leads and other senior stakeholders. Your work will play an important role in delivering improvements in policing to benefit the public.

This role is part of the wider Joint and National Police Inspections Portfolio in HMICFRS. You will be working in the friendly super-complaint team with two other members of staff.

Responsibilities:

You will have a pivotal role supporting senior managers to manage both the Home Office and Service Police super-complaints systems. This will include (but not be limited to):

• Drafting a wide range of important written material, including:
  - letters and other correspondence with external stakeholders
  - agendas and meeting notes
  - explanatory text and updates on super-complaints that will be published on Gov.uk
• Making sure internal and external enquiries and other communication about super-complaints are dealt with professionally, including having responsibility for the team’s shared inbox
• Monitoring and progressing tasks across multiple strands of work, identifying and escalating risks when necessary
• Preparing governance documents, including programme and project timetables, updates and other project documents for senior decision-makers.
• Supporting investigation teams, including helping them request and handle documents from police forces and other stakeholders
• Arranging meetings (internal and external), preparing relevant material (such as agendas and briefings) and participating when appropriate
• Managing and improving processes and systems used to store and share super-complaint material
• Forecasting and reporting financial expenditure
• Working with colleagues to source and contract staff to work on investigations
• Providing support to the wider Joint and National Police Inspections Portfolio

Due to business requirements this post is full-time. Flexible working is available.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• A proven ability to draft a range of written material, such as briefings and minutes

• High attention to detail

• Excellent verbal and written communication skills

• Experience of managing relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders

• Excellent planning and organisational skills, with the ability to prioritise effectively using your own initiative

• Ability to work in a fast-faced environment and manage your time and workload against deadlines
• Proficiency in Microsoft systems (including Word, Excel and SharePoint)

Desirable Criteria

• Previous experience of working in a policing related environment.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £38,419, His Majesty's Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services contributes £11,129 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role

We are committed to investing in our staff and providing all staff with opportunities to maximize their skills and achieve their potential. We offer a range of work-based training, learning and development opportunities including access to coaching and mentoring, and five days volunteering per year.

• An environment with flexible working options

We promote flexible working that balances professional and personal commitments. We support virtual and smart working, making best use of our technology and building collaborative working models to help all staff to work from home and/or in the office in a ‘hybrid’ way.

• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity

The diversity of our people is a real asset to HMICFRS. We are committed to creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best. We particularly welcome applications from candidates from ethnic minority groups and people with disabilities, as they are currently under-represented within this grade level.

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

See civil service pensions website for more information www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• a CV detailing job history/qualifications/skills. (The CV is for information purposes only and will not be marked)
• a Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words)

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

The sift will be held on: Personal Statement

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be:

Behaviours (listed below) and experience based questions.

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Sift & Interview Dates

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

Sift - 16 March

Interviews - w/c 27 April

Location to be confirmed

Reserve list/multiple adverts

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer.

Candidates judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has the same Success Profiles elements and essential skills. There is no guarantee that further such vacancies will arise.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.

If you are successful in this position and choose to accept the provisional offer for this role, you will be removed from all other Home Office reserve lists at the same grade.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of acceptable ID documents.

You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this
role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up. For meaningful
security checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for
a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers

For further information on National Security Vetting please
visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

Starting salary

New entrants into the Civil Service are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary

Any move to the HMICFRS/ Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

Current Civil Servants (all contract types) will need to ensure that they are still employed as a civil servant at the point of starting in the relevant new post. If their contract ends (e.g. end of FTA contract or resignation) at any point during the recruitment/onboarding process for the advertised role, they will no longer be eligible and may be withdrawn.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Serviceon your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct.

If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Plagiarism

The ideas and experience provided by candidates during the recruitment process must be their own. Where plagiarism has been identified (which could include content generated by Artificial Intelligence), candidate applications may be rejected. Existing Civil Servants found to have plagiarised may be subject to disciplinary action.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

• as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs

• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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

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 : Linzi Talbot
• Email : recruitment@hmicfrs.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HMICFRSRecruitment@homeoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment
principles, and wish to make a complaint, then you should contact in the first instance
HORecruitment.GRS@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission

Attachments

2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)candidate_information_v16_January_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)