Research Officer, Support and Intervention Team

Hybrid

Expires: Expiring in less than 4 weeks

Flexible

Job summary

Applications for this role are restricted to existing employees of the College of Policing, the Civil Service and staff of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

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.

Due to our status as Public Servants, we are not eligible to participate in the Civil Service transfer process. Therefore, while successful candidates can transfer in on their existing terms and conditions, any subsequent transfer out of the College to the Civil Service cannot be guaranteed on existing terms and conditions, and new starter/modernised terms may apply.

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.

Our vetting

If you are successful at interview, you will be required to undertake pre-employment security checks. You will be sent a security questionnaire which must be accessed within 24 hours.

Please note, these checks can take up to 10 weeks. You will only be offered a start date after the checks have been completed. If the outcome of these checks is not satisfactory, your recommendation for employment will be withdrawn.

Job description

Support & Intervention Team

As part of national policing reforms, a new capability is being established in the College to help forces tackle issues that may be impacting quality of service to the public. Part of this capability includes the set-up of a new specialist support and intervention team designed to work directly with forces to make tangible improvements, drive cultural and operational reform and build public confidence. This role offers a chance to work at the centre of national policing performance improvement.

We’re looking for a Research Officer to join our Support & Intervention Team. This is an exciting opportunity to be involved in the design and delivery of social research to drive evidence-based police improvement.

We look forward to reading your application for the role of Research Officer.

Person specification

Some of your responsibilities will include:

Conducting in-house research and analysis, applying appropriate methodologies and basic analytical techniques to produce accurate, timely outputs that meet customer needs.
Supporting the design and delivery of evidenced-based improvement support, in line with agreed timescales and budgets, and GSR and College standards.
Contributing to evidence reviews and synthesis work, supporting senior colleagues and the What Works Centre to identify gaps and gather best available evidence for policing practice.
Build collaborative relationships and promote confidence in using evidence, through outreach and engagement activities with College colleagues, practitioners, and academics.

To be successful in this role you’ll need:

Experience in designing small scale and less complex research projects, defining research questions and writing draft specifications
Strong analytical skills and experience interpreting data and producing statistics
Membership of the GSR profession (badging available as part of the recruitment process for candidates who meet the eligibility criteria (see GSR Membership and Eligibility Guidance)
Meets the Government Social Research Technical Framework for Technical Skills and Using & Promoting Social Research at Research Officer level pdf.

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:

Changing and Improving
Communicating and Influencing
Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

The below technical skills at Research Officer level as set out in Government Social Research Technical Framework - Analysis & interpretation (see attached document)
The below technical skills at Research Officer level as set out in Government Social Research Technical Framework - Leading, communicating and championing social research(see attached document)

Benefits

College staff have Public Servant status. As a Public Servant, you are eligible to join the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension Scheme.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

Applications for this role are restricted to existing employees of the College of Policing, the Civil Service and staff of a UK police force or UK policing organisation.

Vacancy reference: 7119

Anticipated interview dates: w/c 4 May 2026

An initial sift based on the CV 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.

This role is available until 31 March 2027 as a secondment opportunity to:

colleagues employed directly by the College or the Civil Service. Please note you will be required to obtain the written support of your line manager prior to submitting your application.
serving police staff at the equivalent grade 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.
Please note applicants applying from force must have approval for a secondment, without this you application will not progress beyond sift, even if you are successful.

There is potential for this to be extended subject to funding confirmation.

Central service conditions may apply.

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

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.

If you would like to discuss the role in more detail please contact Fiona McLean (fiona.mclean@college.police.uk), What Works Delivery Coordinator

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

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

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).

Apply and further information

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Contact point for applicants