Contact and Service Lead

Location: Ponteland, Millbank leading to the Cobalt in June 2026.

Hours/Contract: 37 Hours, Permanent

Working for #TeamNP

Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.

As one of the largest police forces in England, we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities. From mentoring and coaching schemes and online soft skills courses to leadership development programmes; we’ll give you the support, training and time to carve out the career you always wanted.

As one of the top 50 UK inclusive employers and a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.

Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.

Above all else, here at Team NP, we can offer you a career that is so much more than just a job; it’s a chance to be part of something that really matters.

At Northumbria Police, we believe our region is truly amazing! It takes a diverse team of people with various skills and backgrounds to serve our community effectively. Do you have what it takes to help us make a difference? If so, this could be the perfect opportunity for you to join our Communications Department as a Contact and Service Lead.

Are you ready to lead an exceptional team and make a significant impact? We are seeking a dynamic leader to oversee our direct and digital contact handlers, as well as our front office operations. Your role will be crucial in ensuring the smooth operation and delivery of outstanding customer service across the breadth of the available contact channels.

You will support our operational teams to deliver all services in alignment with our department’s business plan and performance requirements. By investing in development and support, you will enable the Communications Centre to achieve excellence. Additionally, you will be responsible for implementing and managing operational packages to ensure compliance with European Electronic Communications Code (EECC) legislation.

What you’ll do

1. You will be responsible for the management of the entire breadth of Contact services covering Direct, Digital, Customer Services and Front Office ensuring the provision of an outstanding service to the public with successful delivery of contact management across the available channels.
2. Provide motivational and inspirational leadership and management to a multi-skilled, multi-functional team, including appraisal, development and performance of staff, ensuring they have the skills, knowledge, behaviours and experience to be productive in their role and reach their full potential.
3. Manage and control the budget for the Contact service area ensuring that the establishment is managed to budget and any requirements for change are effectively evaluated, assessed and supported with appropriate documentation and stakeholder engagement to facilitate change.
4. Responsibility for the development of an effective Communications Department Contact performance framework to enable delivery of an exceptional level of customer service, facilitating, overseeing and signing off system, process and quality development to enhance the capability, effectiveness and productivity of the workforce.
5. Continuously reflect, review and improve service requirements, based on force strategy and priorities, considering feedback from customers, staff and the wider organisation to enhance service delivery and improve the wider customer experience. Achieving this through collaboration across the department senior management team and the wider organisation.
6. Manage the forecasting of current and future demand using a proactive approach, completing regular gap analysis and working alongside Governance and Planning to accurately forecast future legislative requirements, political changes and environmental issues impacting demand to effectively plan, develop and implement change requirements to maintain operational effectiveness and efficiency.

What you’ll bring

1. Experience in a leadership role to ensure organisational objectives are met, including leadership in a Contact Centre at a senior manager level. Proven knowledge and experience with contact centre technology, such as telephony, digital, and online routing and management, with a high-level understanding of industry-specific technologies.
2. Experience managing the performance of large teams. With an ability to develop and motivate a team and create strong engagement of individuals with their personal and team objectives and with Force values, behaviours and strategic priorities.
3. Strong analytical skills to evaluate current practices, identify themes, trends, and issues. Capable of resource planning, managing financial budgets, and using commercial acumen to make risk-based decisions that deliver effective outcomes within allocated resources.
4. Skilled in setting department performance objectives, monitoring performance, assessing progress, identifying emerging risks and opportunities, and taking corrective steps as needed. Able to plan for short, medium, and long-term cycles, coordinating activities within the function, matching them to available resources, and mitigating known risks to delivery.
5. An ability to communicate clearly and concisely at all levels, with proven experience in communicating processes and data aligned with long-term strategic goals through advanced planning. Skilled in using various communication and influencing techniques to negotiate, collaborate, effect change, and engage with diverse stakeholders, including presenting to the Executive. Strong relationship management skills.

The above elements are key to the role, but we are also interested in you as a person, with a range of skills and experience, with a vision as to how the role can and will be developed in the future.

We know it’s important for you to feel that you’re not only part of a great team, but part of a community. 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

1. 26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays
2. NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme
3. Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave
4. Flexi time – allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs
5. Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours)
6. Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force
7. Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution
8. Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts
9. Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers
10. Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets
11. We’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support.
12. Access to gyms in some stations
13. Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel
14. Cycle to work scheme
15. Opportunity to volunteer in local community

Just so you know

Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Contact and Service Lead 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.

Internal candidates are encouraged to join one of our online familiarisation sessions. To register your interest in joining a session please email Eleanor Eccleston at

The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by a stakeholder panel, presentation and formal interview. Internal applicants must have a fully updated P&DR. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.

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.

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