Public Order Public Safety Subject Matter Expert - POPS SME

College of Policing

South Western Scotland

Remote

Expires: Expiring in less than 2 weeks

Policy

Flexible

Job summary

This role is available as a designated homeworking role. However, some travel may be required.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing officers of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

Please note that if you are not eligible to apply, your application will be withdrawn.

About us:

Our mission is: Leadership, Standards, Performance. This guides our work with individuals, forces, and policing partners towards our vision. We exist to support police officers, police staff and volunteers to deliver the best service to the public. Only through high quality leadership, consistent standards and continual performance improvement can everyone in policing reach their full potential. Our mission guides our work with individual, forces and partners towards our vision.

Although we are a relatively small organisation, our work has a big reach. We are uniquely placed to work both with national policing organisations and local forces to support frontline officers, staff and volunteers in their day-to-day roles.

We offer a supportive and inclusive environment for people to thrive. Our extensive flexible-working policy, employee wellbeing support, family friendly policies, employers’ network for equality and inclusion membership (ENEI silver award winners), and status as a disability confident leader means everyone can bring their whole self to work.

Additional Information:

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles.

The College embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we comply with the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) and apply the minimum selection criteria at sift stage of the recruitment process.

Job description

We look forward to reading your application for the role of Public Order Public Safety (POPS) SME. This is an exciting opportunity for a Police Constable or College Staff member to join a team of subject matter experts, working directly to the Public Order Public Safety (POPS) Sergeant as part of the wider College of Policing Specialist Operations team.

This role is pivotal to maintain standards, drive learning and knowledge across both HO and non-HO forces. POPS policing has experienced challenging operations in recent years, and this role will assist forces to develop learning, consistency and best practice. Working with the team to develop national training standards, curriculum for POPS policing and sharing knowledge / best practice to ensure our POPS teams and commanders have the most up to date knowledge and training to police our communities.

The POPS team covers both tactical and command elements as well as taking a holistic view of POPS policing and looking at innovative ways to ensure that we can assist forces to deliver a quality service to the public and maximising the safety of our officers and staff. The team provides national standardisation in relation to POPS training through the development and provision of training materials, curriculum and facilitation of practitioner groups.

The team oversees licencing and accreditation and work with College licensing team to ensure forces are working within the College Licence and offer support where required.

You will work with a variety of stakeholders across policing both internally and externally, you and the team will provide associated subject matter expertise to police forces, senior stakeholders and judicial bodies. The ability to build and maintain relationships is vital. You will work with specialist team and bring your diversity of thought, strengths and experience to an increasingly challenging, rewarding area of policing.

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include:

Designing, co-ordinating and delivering training courses, lesson plans and events across the relevant National Training Curriculum (POPS); conduct Quality Assurance visits to Forces.
Ensuring the development and review of national training packages reflect good practice, evidence-based work and lessons learnt. Updating and contributing towards relevant APP documents and doctrine as necessary. Researching environmental scanning and consultation on operational policing issues.
Providing SME advice, support, assistance, influence and challenge at practitioner groups, working groups and both tactical and strategic meetings (internal and external). Responsibility for providing SME advice at a tactical level on all issues relating to POPS. Adopting a problem-solving approach to support internal/external stakeholders in related area.

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

Experience in all areas of POPS policing with knowledge of related APP. Must currently hold or have held a POPSA accreditation in the past 3 years. Or be / have been a POPS Command Trainer (POPSCCC) or POPS Tactical Trainer (POPSCC) in the last 3 years.
Demonstrable experience of successful design and development of training and/or learning and development products using a variety of evidence-based approaches and delivery solutions.
Subject matter expertise and evidence of CPD, building and retaining credibility as a subject expert.
Experience of working with stakeholders and building and maintaining relationships.

Please see the attached job description which contains full details of the role.

Behaviours

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

Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace
Making Effective Decisions
Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

Experience in all areas of POPS policing with knowledge of related APP. Must currently hold / have held a POPSA accreditation in the past 3 years. Or be / have been a POPS Command Trainer or POPS Tactical Trainer (POPSCC) in the last 3 years.
Demonstrable experience of successful design and development of training and/or learning and development products using a variety of evidence-based approaches and delivery solutions.
Proven experience of working collaboratively to develop and implement business solutions for all stakeholders.
Subject matter expertise and evidence of CPD, building and retaining credibility as a subject expert.

Benefits

The College is a great place to work. We're passionate about our people and offer a wide range of benefits, including (but not limited to):

Defined benefit pension scheme with an average employer contribution of 28.97%
Up to 31.5 days holiday (this is in addition to 8 public holidays and 1 privilege day)
Continued professional development and structured career paths
Enhanced maternity, paternity and adoption leave
Flexi-time (for certain grades)
Benenden Healthcare
National Dental Plan
Discounts for on-line shopping
Free employee support line
Interest free season ticket loans
Rewards and recognition scheme
Learning and development tailored to your role.
An environment with flexible working options.
A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.

We also have a number of thriving staff networks that provide the opportunity for advice, support and to drive change. A place to get your voice heard, share experiences and challenge our working practices to ensure equality of opportunity for all.

For more information about our benefits and staff networks, visit What we offer as an employer , College of Policing

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 Technical skills.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing officers of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

Vacancy reference: 7050

Anticipated interview dates: Thursday 18th June 2026

This role is available for up to 2 years as a secondment opportunity to:

serving police officers substantive in the rank of Constable. All applicants must have the support of their Chief Officer which must be of NPCC rank, i.e., CC, ACC or DCC and this must accompany an application.
serving police staff at the equivalent rank of Constable who have their chief officer's approval. Chief Officer’s approval must be of NPCC rank, i.e., CC, ACC or DCC. Approval for a secondment must accompany an application.

Central service conditions will apply for police officers and staff.

Please ensure you return the attached secondment approval form either as an attachment when submitting your application or via email torecruitment@college.police.uk

The vetting level for this role is NPPV3/SC.

For further information on applying for a secondment please visit the “Secondments into the College” page.

Internal applicants who are at risk of redundancy or in need of redeployment and pass the recruitment process, will be given priority over other applicants.

An initial sift based on the lead technical skill “Experience in all areas of POPS policing with knowledge of related APP. Must currently hold / have held a POPSA accreditation in the past 3 years. Or be / have been a POPS Command Trainer or POPS Tactical Trainer (POPSCC) in the last 3 years” may be held if a large number of applications are received. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

How to apply and contact information:

For further information visit our ‘Work for us’ page.

What it's like working at the College of Policing

If you would like to discuss the role in more detail please contact Laura Douglas (Laura.Douglas@college.police.uk), Policing Standards Manager - Specialist Operations

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

We believe that a diverse workforce brings many benefits to the organisation including diversity of thought and improvements to the way we work internally and with partners and communities. We strive to be fully inclusive but we know there is more to do. We genuinely encourage people from all backgrounds and underrepresented groups to apply for this role.

We want to continually improve our recruitment processes and to remove any barriers to equal opportunities that could disadvantage those from particular backgrounds. In order for us to have the information to do this, we ask you to please complete the diversity section of the online application process. We use a “blind” shortlisting process and we hope that by using this method we will be able to promote greater diversity in our workforce and remove any subconscious decisions based on biases.

The College is committed to support the Greening Government Commitment and reducing our Environmental impact. We have a dynamic Environmental Management Plan in place which encompasses various objectives, including our pledge to reduce business travel. To support our green agenda we have, in phase one, installed Electric Vehicle Charging Points at our sites in Ryton (12 points) and Harperley Hall (4 points). We encourage employees to become an Environment Champion to help with promoting and delivering our Environmental Management Plan. Our One Step Greener approach encourages all College staff to make small changes to create a better future for everyone.

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

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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).

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