Senior Research Officer – Support and Intervention Team
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.
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.
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 If the outcome of these checks is not satisfactory, your recommendation for employment will be withdrawn.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 an experienced and motivated Senior Research Officer to join our Support & Intervention Team. This is an exciting opportunity to shape high‑quality research support that directly improves policing policy, practice and professional development.
We look forward to reading your application for the role of Senior Research Officer.
The selected candidate will work in partnership to provide or enable support to those working in policing, through setting standards, sharing knowledge and good practice and supporting professional development.
You will provide expert research advice to help ensure College products and services are based on the best available evidence, and deliver high-quality, timely and value-for-money research, analysis, review and knowledge sharing activities.
Person specification
Some of your responsibilities will include:
- Scoping, leading and quality assuring evidence-based improvement support in line with agreed timescales and budgets, and Government Social Research and College standards.
- Work with internal and external stakeholders to ensure policing policy and practice is informed by the best available evidence
- Encourage internal and external stakeholders to take an evidence-based approach, by helping them to build, understand, critically appraise, and apply research evidence.
- Build capacity across policing by promoting innovation, knowledge sharing and a strong evidence culture
To be successful in this role you’ll need:
- Membership to the Government Social Research profession at recruitment
- Experience of supporting the design and delivery of larger scale and more complex research and analysis, including externally commissioned projects
- Experience managing people, workloads and resources in a collaborative, matrix management environment.
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:
- Delivering at Pace
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Leading, communicating and championing social research
- Managing & commissioning social research (GSR Technical Framework)
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:7120
Anticipated interview dates: w/c 11 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.
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 Fiona McLean (fiona.mclean@college.police.uk), What Works Delivery Coordinator
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
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
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 : Fiona McLean
- Email : fiona.mclean@college.police.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : recruitment@college.police.uk