Drug and Alcohol Surveillance Team Policy Lead (Ref: 17076)

Job summary

This position is based nationally.

Job description

HMPPS Band 8

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Drug and Alcohol Detection Team within the Drug and Alcohol Group (DAG), playing a vital role in tackling illegal drug supply and substance use across the criminal justice system.

Drug misuse and supply undermine rehabilitation outcomes, present serious safety risks, and contribute to cycles of debt and violence, directly impacting HMPPS’ core objectives.

The Drug and Alcohol Detection Team has responsibility for the oversight and delivery of six complex drug and alcohol detection contracts, with a combined annual value of circa. £13 million. The job holder will lead key workstreams across this portfolio, working in close partnership with colleagues across DAG, MoJ Commercial and the Directorate of Contracted Operational Delivery (DoCOD) to ensure the effective management and delivery of the contracts. This includes supporting re-procurement activity for key capability areas such as trace detection and alcohol testing.

The role will lead the development and implementation of key HMPPS drug and alcohol testing policy frameworks that are evidence-informed and aligned with ministerial, operational and organisational priorities. Acting as a subject matter expert, the post holder will provide advice and briefings to Ministers, MoJ policy colleagues, senior leaders and operational staff. The role requires clear judgement, the ability to manage complexity, and confidence in influencing at senior levels.

There may be further opportunities in the wider Surveillance team in the Key Threat Team in the near future.

To support the wider objective of recovery-oriented systems within prison and probation, the Key Threat team are committed to identifying, assessing and mitigating the threat and harm of drugs and alcohol to those in prisons, or people on probation. This includes but not limited to the threat posed by Synthetic Opioids (SO’s) and Synthetic Cannabinoid Receptor Agonist’s (SCRAs). The team will work collaboratively with areas across HMPPS and external stakeholders to manage the threat and risk of drugs and alcohol, including conveyance. In doing so, the team will ensure that it works aligns with and strengthens recovery-focused approaches, promoting safer environments conducive to rehabilitation and reducing substance-related harms.

Three main aims of the team are:

• To prevent future drug and alcohol related deaths.
• Implementing a public health approach to reducing drug- and alcohol-related harms.
• To support HMPPS to identify, respond to and counter the threat of drugs and alcohol across Prisons and Probation.

The main tasks include:

Liaise across government and with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective information flow, operational alignment, and collaborative problem‑solving.

Work closely with the Senior Intelligence Analyst to monitor and interpret emerging threats, ensuring timely understanding of synthetic opioid trends and wider harm‑related risks.

Manage the cross‑agency action plan for the synthetic opioid threat, coordinating delivery, tracking progress, and attending cross‑government working groups to represent HMPPS priorities.

Design strategies, policies, and interventions to mitigate risk, informed by intelligence reporting, operational feedback, and evidence‑based harm‑reduction approaches.

Collaborate with Safety colleagues to analyse data relating to drug‑ and alcohol‑related deaths, identifying patterns and insights that support targeted prevention activity.

Lead communications for the Key Threat Team, producing clear, accessible products and messaging to support awareness, preparedness, and operational understanding.

Deliver bitesize learning events to educate staff on key threats, emerging risks, and mitigation approaches, supporting capability growth across the organisation.

We are seeking a confident and effective leader with strong policy delivery and stakeholder management skills.

The successful candidate will demonstrate the ability to build, influence and sustain effective relationships across a wide range of stakeholders. Excellent written and verbal communication skills are essential, as the role involves briefing, drafting and presenting high quality information for senior decision makers and operational colleagues, while driving delivery at pace

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead) Application and Interview.
• Delivering at Pace - Application and Interview.
• Managing a Quality Service - Application and Interview.
• Seeing the Bigger Picture - Application and Interview.

Technical Requirements:

• IT literacy
• An understanding of the process of Government, including the workings of Private Office. Experience of writing briefings, submissions, and PQs.

Person specification

Please refer to Job Description

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,457, HM Prison & Probation Service contributes £16,065 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Access to learning and development
• A working environment that supports a range of flexible working options to enhance your work life balance
• A working culture which encourages inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Annual Leave
• Public Holidays
• Season Ticket Advance

For more information about the recruitment process, benefits and allowances and answers to general queries, please click the below link which will direct you to our Candidate Information Page.

Link: https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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.https://justicejobs.tal.net/vx/candidate/cms/About%20the%20MOJ

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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.

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 : SSCL Recruitment Enquiries Team
• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk
• Telephone : 0345 241 5358

Recruitment team

• Email : moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@resourcing.soprasteria.co.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. If you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles and would like to raise this, please contact SSCL (Moj-recruitment-vetting-enquiries@gov.sscl.com) in the first instance. If the role has been advertised externally (outside of the Civil Service) and you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…

https://jobs.justice.gov.uk/careers/JobDetail/17076?entityId=17076