Researcher TOEX - NEROCU (2 Positions Available) in Sunderland

Salary: Band 5, £28,689 - £29,859 (Please note it is Northumbria Police policy to appoint at the beginning of the band)

Location: Sunderland

Hours/Contract: 37 Hours, 12 Months FTC

Working for: North East Regional Organised Crime Unit (“NEROCU”)

The North East Regional Organised Crime Unit is one of nine 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 of the Tackling Organised Exploitation (TOEX) Programme is a national intelligence capability at the forefront of protecting vulnerable people and dismantling the criminal networks that target them. By providing specialist analytical expertise, TOEX supports complex investigations into organised exploitation, including modern slavery, human trafficking, organised immigration crime and sexual exploitation, helping forces across the country identify threats and bring offenders to justice.

We are seeking two proactive and detail-oriented Researchers to join the TOEX team. In this role, you will undertake high-quality research as a key part of a dynamic intelligence environment, supporting the development of intelligence and analytical products that inform both tactical and strategic decision-making. Your work will directly contribute to the tasking and coordination process, as well as supporting operational activity focused on tackling Serious and Organised Crime.

You will be responsible for indexing all incoming intelligence onto appropriate systems, conducting initial research, and identifying and prioritising time-critical information. Working closely with colleagues you will play a vital role in ensuring intelligence is accurately assessed, developed, and made available to support regional investigation teams in disrupting and preventing serious criminal activity.

What you’ll do:

• Conduct intelligence research and analysis: Identify and evaluate information from a range of intelligence sources, producing clear, actionable insights to support operational planning and regional tasking processes.
• Support understanding of serious and organised crime (SOC): Research priority threats, organised crime groups, and subjects of investigation to assess risk, threat, and harm, enabling informed decision-making and effective allocation of resources.
• Assist with analytical projects and live operations: Work in collaboration with Intelligence Analysts to deliver research projects, provide real-time intelligence support to operational activity, and contribute to the development of evidential products for prosecutions.
• Collaborate with partners and stakeholders: Engage with partner agencies and local authorities, attend and contribute to briefings, and share intelligence to build strong working relationships and coordinate research efforts effectively.
• Ensure ethical and secure handling of intelligence: Manage sensitive information in compliance with legislation, policies, and protocols, identify emerging patterns and links in criminal activity, and support the lawful, secure handling and dissemination of intelligence.

What you’ll bring:

Essential:

• Ability to gather information from a range of sources and data types, analyse it effectively, and identify key findings.
• Ability to work independently using own initiative, as well as collaboratively as part of a team.
• Ability to build effective working relationships and work in partnership with other teams and external agencies.
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to convey information clearly and effectively in both written and verbal formats.
• Good working knowledge of the National Intelligence Model (NIM).
• Proficient in the use of Microsoft Office applications, including PowerPoint and Excel.

Desirable:

• Previous experience in a research or intelligence capacity.

We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation. Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.

What we offer:

• 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
• NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
• Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
• Flexi time - allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs
• Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
• Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force
• Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
• Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
• Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
• Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
• Extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for additional support.
• Access to gyms in some stations
• Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
• Cycle to work scheme
• Opportunity to volunteer in local community

Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Researcher with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.

If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a 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, medical information, and references.

This is a fixed term role subject to a six-month probationary period. If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.

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.