Operational Security Adviser

Salary: Band 10, £45,948 - £50,109
Location: Location Based, Sunderland
Hours/Contract: Full Time, Permanent
Working for: North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (“NEROCU”)
The North East Regional Organised Crime Unit is one of ten Regional Organised Crime Units (“ROCU”) in England and Wales who lead the regional response to tackling serious and organised crime whilst supporting local and national delivery. The ROCU network continues to expand and Home Office funding through police officer uplift and increased police staff capacity presents exciting opportunities to further enhance service delivery and positively impact on our partners and the public. The Home Office Serious and Organised Crime Strategy defines ROCU as leading the regional fight against Serious and Organised Crime and NEROCU have a critical role in leading, connecting and co-ordinating delivery across our region in all four P’s of the strategy; Pursue – prosecuting and disrupting people engaged in serious and organised criminality. Prevent – preventing people from engaging in serious and organised criminality. Protect – increasing protection against organised crime. Prepare – reducing the impact of serious and organised crime where it takes place. NEROCU comprises of specialist teams delivering across intelligence, operations, investigations, cyber, economic, technical and digital capabilities.
The role
Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in NEROCU as an Operational Security Adviser.
Responsible for the strategic direction, development and implementation of all aspects of Operational Security, you will be an independent advisor providing specialist, covert law enforcement and risk management expertise.
You will support NEROCU and regional forces, providing advice and ensuring they operate strategically and tactically in accordance with legislation, national guidelines and local policies, achieving the highest levels of Operational Security.
What you’ll do
You’ll be the subject matter expert, providing advice and support to senior officers and force executive officers around the planning and delivery of investigations and operations, particularly covert tactics and risk management. You will provide strategic and tactical security advice in high level enquiries, critical incidents, data breaches, conduct matters and areas of organisational vulnerability.
By reviewing the regional use of covert/overt techniques and tactics, you will ensure that standards and best practise are adhered to. You will conduct comprehensive independent reviews to ensure that all activity is lawful and following the latest guidance.
You will develop and maintain our policies and SOPs alongside delivering training to ensure policies on elements that threaten Operational Security are understood and adhered to. You will record and deal with any compromises, breaches and security incidents, liaising with the relevant parties when required.
Reviewing operational activity, in particular compromises to identify issues and provide recommendations and training to improve policies and operational practice. You will also ensure that tactics or methods adopted will not impact on future prosecutions by confirming they are proportionate, appropriate and within legislation, policy and guidance.
Provide valuable oversight of Operational Security Liaison Officers (OSLOs) within the three regional forces, including providing training, advice, support, and professional development.
Attending NPCC strategic working groups and projects, representing NEROCU and the wider OPSY Community in relation to Operational Security and combatting serious and organised crime.
Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please view the job description
What you’ll bring
Detailed knowledge and experience of:
o RIPA, IPA and associated legislation
o Covert policing investigations and tactics
o Data Protection legislation
o Physical security processes associated with covert police premises e.g. STRAP, secret.
You will be able to work independently, managing workloads and competing demands in order to meet deadlines.
Using your own initiative you will identify and analyse operational compromise/conflict or security risks and identify practical, lawful contingencies which deliver on investigation strategies SOP’s and legal requirements.
To be approachable, supportive and accessible to colleagues who may require your advice and expertise such as helping them formulate practical solutions to mitigate risk.
You will have experience of presenting written work e.g. reports and presentations.
Willing to attend and complete College of Policing OPSY course and obtain the accreditation and license.
Full UK driving license.
Interested to learn more? For further information about the role please contact careers@northumbria.police.uk
Just so you know
If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Management Vetting (MV)/ Security Clearance (SC) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 5 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance and medical information.
This is a permanent role subject to a six-month probationary period.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme