Deputy Chief Firearms Instructor

Job summary

As Deputy Chief Firearms Instructor (DCFI) you will assist and support the design, development and delivery of NCA armed officer training, with specific regard to the Armed Operations Unit (AOU) niche capability of armed surveillance and armed interception from a surveillance platform, Firearms Command training and Post Incident Management training across the wider NCA. Perform the CFI role in their absence.

Job description

As Deputy Chief Firearms Instructor (DCFI) for the NCA you will be directly assisting the Chief Firearms Instructor (CFI) in the managing of a firearms training team with national responsibilities and with the niche capability of armed surveillance. You will play a key role within the Special Operations Unit Management Team, shaping policy with regards to a number of matters including people, development, equality diversity and inclusion. Crucially you will be pivotal in enhancing the culture within the Armed Policing teams – both operational and training and maintaining successful working relationships between the two departments. You will ensure that all training within your area of responsibility is delivered in accordance with NCA policy and guidance, the authorised training planner and the agreed Armed Policing Role Profiles. You will ensure that NCA Armed Policing training is compliant with national policy and guidelines relating to the delivery of firearms training, through the annual College of Policing Firearms Licensing process.

Duties and Responsibilities

Duties & Responsibilities

Overview

Leadership

Assist the CFI in the management of firearms training team with national responsibilities and with the niche capability of armed surveillance delivering people, development, equality, diversity and inclusion.

Management Team Member

Crucially you will be pivotal in enhancing the culture within the Armed Policing team both operational and training and maintaining successful working relationships between the two departments.

Policy and compliance

Ensure training delivery is compliant with NCA policy, Authorised Professional Practice Armed Policing (APP AP) and the National Police Firearms Training Curriculum (NPFTC).

Assurance

Assure training and delivery in accordance with NCA Policy, APP AP and NPFTC.

Health and Safety

Ensure training is delivered in accordance with NCA policy, APP AP and NPFTC.

Manage the Firearms Training Budget

Support the management of the Firearms Training budget making cost savings when appropriate. Engage with commercial when booking venues and procurement as appropriate.

Maintain Professional Qualifications

PPST, NFI, NVQ Teaching diplomas, PTLLS, ASO, Q1.

Person specification

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Communication

Excellent communication and interpersonal skills with the ability to engage effectively at all levels.

Leadership

Inspires excellence in others and demonstrates values for others to adopt and follow.

Operational Delivery

Recent training/operational experience in an armed policing or covert policing role is essential.

Training

Effectively plans, delivers and manages training.

Problem Solving

Using logic and imagination to make sense of a situation and find an intelligent solution.

Time Management

Experience of managing staff, overseeing training records, ensuring staff maintain operational competence.

Team Work

Works effectively with others to focus on and achieve joint outcomes, rather than individual goals.

Relationship Management

Develops and maintains positive relationships with internal and/or external stakeholders in order to achieve stakeholder needs and business objectives.

Experience

A National Police Firearms Instructor with in depth knowledge of Armed Policing Authorised Professional Practice (APP) and the National Policing Firearms Training Curriculum (NPFTC).

Full advert details for this vacancy can found on the advert on the NCA Recruitment Portal. Please follow the link to apply at advertisers' site.

Qualifications

Currently accredited Deputy Chief Firearms Instructor.

Operationally deployable Authorised Firearms Officer in College of Policing (CoP) Basic or Standard Mobile Armed Support to Surveillance (MASTS) role profile or significant training experience of MASTS (Mobile Armed Support to Surveillance).

D13.2 Enhanced First Aid Trained.

Have a minimum of NVQ level 2 in managing health and safety, or recognised equivalent. This normally takes the form of the Institute of Safety and Health (IOSH) Managing Safety qualification.

Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector (PTLLS) or equivalent or higher.
Qualified and accredited surveillance operative to College of Policing Q1 /Q100 standards

OR

Qualified and accredited to College of Policing Surveillance Firearms Integrated Course (SFIC) qualified to College of Policing Q8/Q800 standards.

Any applications from candidates not meeting this eligibility criteria will not progress.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £53,493, National Crime Agency contributes £15,496 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).

New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.

If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).

Other benefits include:

• Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
• Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
• Housing schemes - Key Worker status
• Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway , Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
• Staff support groups/networks
• Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)

Further information is available on the NCA Website.

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.

Your application will be assessed against the following:

Experience - This will be assessed:

Experience Criteria - will be assessed by 250 word examples on:

• Recent proven experience of training Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO’s) in the following tactics; deals with subjects on foot, vehicles and within structures as set out in NPFTC Modules.

• A clear theoretical and practical working knowledge of the current National Police Firearms Training Curriculum (NPFTC) and Authorised Professional Practice Armed Policing (APP AP)

• Experience of improving culture within a team and measuring its success.

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.

- Recent proven experience of training Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO’s) in the following tactics; deals with subjects on foot, vehicles and within structures as set out in NPFTC Modules. .

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

• Leadership

• Delivering at Pace

• Managing a Quality Service

Experience

• Recent proven experience of training Authorised Firearms Officers (AFO’s) in the following tactics; deals with subjects on foot, vehicles and within structures as set out in NPFTC Modules.

• A clear theoretical and practical working knowledge of the current National Police Firearms Training Curriculum (NPFTC) and Authorised Professional Practice Armed Policing (APP AP)

• Experience of improving culture within a team and measuring its success.

Assessment Outcome

Outcomes 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.

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.

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

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email: Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk (quoting the vacancy reference).
If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.