Deputy Director

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Border Force is a law enforcement arm of the Home Office. We are responsible for managing UK border controls by implementing immigration and customs regulations and working with the wider Home Office on counter terrorism and tackling organised crime, modern slavery, and trafficking. Learn more on our careers pages.

Heathrow is one of the world’s busiest and most high-profile airports. It is also where Border Force has its largest port operation. Heathrow sees upwards of 84 million passengers a year passing through its 4 terminals. Added to this, 72% of the UK’s air freight, valued at £203 billion, passes through the airport each year.

The region also covers Farnborough, RAF Brize Norton, RAF Northolt, and other general aviation sites. The regions varied work includes conducting immigration checks on all passengers arriving by air and conducting risk-led detection custom/freight activity for prohibited and restricted goods, cash, tobacco, alcohol, counterfeit goods, and clandestine entrants.

Job description

This is a senior operational business critical leadership role which underpins Heathrow's activity including operational planning, transformation projects, workforce planning, the Regional Command and Control Unit, performance, engagement with partner law enforcement agencies, critical incident management and business planning. The role also involves leading and planning for all major national events and critical incidents (training will be provided where appropriate) and leading a Joint Planning Cell with Heathrow Airport Limited.

The successful candidate will need to be a proven operational and corporate leader, capable of inspiring confidence and respect in a large workforce at the regional and organisational level.

We are looking for a leader who is experienced in the delivery of large-scale continuous improvements and change programmes with the ability to maximise workforce productivity through effective operational planning. You must also be experienced in understanding and adopting Transformation, being able to lead sustainable change against multiple and conflicting constraints and demands.

The successful candidate will lead in large-scale operational planning, requiring excellent analytical skills and the ability to evidence a consistent track record of resolving complex workforce planning and deployment challenges at pace in large pressurised, unionised (or similar) environment.

You must also possess strong collaborator management skills as an adept negotiator, with a proven track record of successfully working collaboratively with a wide range of stakeholders, including commercial as well as government partners, to deliver a strong operational performance against Home Office and His Majesty's Government core objectives.

You will be able to start in post with SC clearance, however you must successfully obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance once in post (if not already held). During the period where you hold SC clearance, you will only perform elements of the role which fall under SC clearance. If your DV clearance application is unsuccessful, you may enter Restructuring, Redeployment or Redundancy.

Key Responsibilities

The successful candidate will be responsible for (but not limited to):

• Providing strategic and operational leadership for a command of at least 2 Assistant Directors and 100+ employees, supporting and promoting employee development with a focus on leadership at all levels
• Producing Heathrow Region’s annual business plan ensuring regional alignment to the Border Force mission, the BF Strategy and wider HM Government priorities
• Developing dynamic plans and solutions to deliver optimal operational effectiveness in the immediate and longer-term, based on border security priorities
• Leading change and transformation in both the workforce and the demanding and complex operational environment
• Delivering robust and dynamic workforce planning solutions for the region, to respond to immediate and longer-term demands across all areas of the business
• Building strong stakeholder relationships with wider Border Force, Home Office, other government departments and external partners
• Providing strategic and operational leadership of critical incidents as required
• Acting as a corporate leader for the entire region of circa.1500 employees, including through periods of fast paced change, and the wider organisation, supporting and promoting the Department’s agenda, ensuring its strategic priorities are embedded in the region

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. However, job-share is available.

Core hours are 9am-5pm, Monday to Friday, however the successful candidate will be required to be part of a regional out of hours on-call roster (shared between 11 individuals) as well as support an out of hours command structure in the event of a Critical Incident which they will be compensated for as per Home Office policy. Given the operational nature of the role, a minimum of 80% office attendance is required.

Travel

The role will be primarily based in London Heathrow Terminal 5, with regular engagement and attendance across the Heathrow estate required. Occasional travel to other Home Office locations will be required.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Comprehensive experience of leading operational planning and transformation, and developing strategic workforce plans in a dynamic environment within complex, multi-disciplinary teams, utilising a suite of effective planning tools and techniques
• Experience of data analysis, modelling and reporting to deliver operational efficiencies to meet operating demands and organisational improvement in a period of fiscal scrutiny
• Leadership skills, both of high performing teams and corporately, that inspire and enable people to deliver exceptional performance in high-pressured operational environments
• Ability to make decisions under pressure and at pace; able to adapt quickly and effectively to shifting priorities in a high-tempo operational setting
• Experience in leading and delivering critical incident management, coordinating the operational response, aligned with key partners
• Demonstrable ability of stakeholder engagement, including building and maintaining senior level relationships with both internal and external partners
• Hold or be willing to undergo and successfully obtain DV on appointment to the role

Desirable Criteria

• Proven Leadership experience in high pressure operational environments within military, border security, or law enforcement

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. The successful candidate for this role will be expected to spend a minimum of 80% of their working time in an office.

See more of our benefits on our careers 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, Strengths 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.

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.

1. Application – by 16th February 2026

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

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1250 words).

Your CV should consist of your career history and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

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.

2. Sift – week commencing 23rd February 2026

The sift will be held on the CV and Personal Statement.

The CV will be scored for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the CV will progress to a further sift where the Personal Statementwill be scored. These candidates will receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the CV will not have their Personal Statement scored and will only receive a sift score for the CV.

3. Interview – week commencing 16th March 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will consist of Experience questions based on the Essential Criteria, followed by Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions.

The interview will take place at 2 Marsham Street. Travel expenses will not be reimbursed.

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

The behaviours, strengths and experience questions have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Reserve List

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. Further information can be found on our website.

Appearance

This is a uniformed post and as such requires the highest standards. Further information on this and policies regarding tattoos can be found on our website.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Integrity Check

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.

Further Information

The level of Disclosure and Barring Service check required for this role is Basic. We’ll submit your Criminal Record Check to the Disclosure and Barring Service. We know that in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms directly. If you prefer to do that, email Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk with the job reference in the subject line.

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 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

Open to UK nationals only.

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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamIE@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service recruitment principles and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via 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

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