Please note that the Length of Employment does not include those hired on Permanent contracts.
Command Intelligence
Business Area National Intelligence Hub
Type of role Analytical, Intelligence, Investigation
Working pattern Full time, Flexible Working
Number of roles available 1
Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Officer
Location(s)
Birmingham, Bristol, Leicester, London, Normanton (Calder), Warrington
About the Role
Information about the Command
The role of Intelligence is to develop the right operations, which target and disrupt - by the most effective means - the offenders who seek to cause the highest harm to the UK.
A diverse directorate with a wide variety of unique functions and specialist skillsets in our ranks, some of which we deliver as the national provider for the wider Serious Organised Crime (SOC) system. From our niche technical capabilities, to our overseas network of International Liaison Officers (ILO) and our Tasking teams, there are many component parts which contribute to the efforts of the directorate and the National Crime Agency (NCA).
Information about the Business Area
The National Intelligence Hub (NIH) is responsible for delivering tactical intelligence and strategic assessment for the NCA and Serious Organised Crime (SOC) system, in order to understand and articulate the threat from SOC and generate the most impactful opportunities for disruption and reduction of that threat. Working closely with other departments, the NIH is at the heart of the NCA, analysing and exploiting all source intelligence to deliver opportunities which drive NCA and partner activity. The NIH continually develops the intelligence picture of SOC that impacts on the UK, so we can flex law enforcement’s collective resources against changing threats.
Role Summary
This role sits within the National Crime Agency’s Intelligence Directorate as part of the Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR) Team, a small but highly regarded specialist unit providing critical operational support to the Agency and selected law enforcement partners on a 24 hours a day, 365 days a year basis. Working at the heart of a fast-paced operational environment, the ANPR Officer plays a vital role in enabling intelligence development, supporting investigations and ensuring the effective use of ANPR capabilities across the Agency.
Role Description
The post holder will be responsible for the administration and management of the National ANPR Service (NAS), maintaining the integrity, effectiveness and compliance of systems used by more than 600 Officers and staff across the NCA. A key aspect of the role involves ensuring that ANPR capabilities continue to meet operational requirements, providing expert support and guidance to users, and promoting the effective use of ANPR technology in support of operational activity.
Working closely with operational and intelligence teams, the ANPR Officer will undertake analytical activity using ANPR systems and associated intelligence tools to support investigations, intelligence development and law enforcement operations. They will be required to complete analytical research requests, interpret complex findings and produce high quality intelligence reports and assessments for dissemination to stakeholders across the Agency and partner organisations. The role also requires the post holder to identify intelligence opportunities, support operational decision-making and contribute to the development of intelligence products that assist in disrupting serious and organised crime (SOC).
The successful candidate will be responsible for ensuring that ANPR data is retained, managed and handled in accordance with current legislation, national standards and local policy. They will produce evidential packages and supporting documentation for use in criminal investigations and court proceedings, ensuring that all material is accurate, evidentially robust and compliant with disclosure and data management requirements.
As part of the ANPR Bureau’s 24/7/365 support model, the post holder will participate in an out-of-hours on-call rota, providing specialist advice and guidance in response to incidents, urgent operational requests and emerging issues. This will involve assessing priorities, directing resources where appropriate and ensuring that critical ANPR support is available to operational teams whenever required. The current rota requires the post holder to provide on-call support for 1 week in 4, but this may change as the team expands.
The role offers a unique opportunity to work within a specialist area of law enforcement where no two days are the same. The successful candidate will be expected to demonstrate strong analytical skills, sound judgement, attention to detail and the ability to work effectively under pressure whilst managing competing priorities. They will be proactive in building relationships with internal and external stakeholders, promoting the value of ANPR capabilities and contributing to the continuous development and improvement of the service.
This is an exciting and rewarding opportunity for an individual who enjoys problem-solving, thrives in a dynamic operational environment and is committed to delivering high-quality intelligence support that makes a tangible contribution to protecting the public and tackling serious and organised crime.
Note: If not already based in Leicester, the successful candidate will be required to travel to our Leicester office frequently for training purposes throughout their probationary period. The NCA's Flexible Working policy will apply once probation has been successfully completed.
Duties and Responsibilities
ANPR Service Management - Manage and administer the National ANPR Service (NAS), ensuring the system remains effective, compliant and operationally focused. Maintain user access, system integrity and governance processes, supporting over 600 Officers and staff across the Agency.
Intelligence Development - Conduct analytical research using ANPR systems to support operational activity, investigations and intelligence development. Complete analytical requests, interpret findings and produce high-quality intelligence reports and assessments for dissemination to internal and external stakeholders.
Compliance & Assurance - Undertake audits of ANPR users, system activity and retained material to ensure compliance with legislation, national standards, policy and governance requirements. Identify and address risks, discrepancies and areas for improvement.
Data Management - Manage the retention, review and disposal of ANPR data in accordance with statutory obligations, organisational policy and information management requirements, ensuring the integrity and lawful handling of sensitive information.
Evidential Support - Produce evidential packages from the NAS system for use in criminal investigations and court proceedings, ensuring all material is accurate, auditable and evidentially robust.
ANPR Subject Matter Expertise - Act as a subject matter expert for ANPR-related matters, providing advice, guidance and support to operational and intelligence teams. Promote the effective and compliant use of ANPR capabilities across the Agency.
Operational Support - Support the delivery of the ANPR Bureau's 24/7/365 service, including participation in the out-of-hours on-call rota. Provide timely advice and assistance in response to incidents, urgent operational requests and emerging issues.
Stakeholder Engagement - Develop and maintain productive working relationships with key internal and external partners, including NPCC, Police Forces, HMRC, ROCUs and Agency operational and intelligence teams, ensuring effective collaboration and information sharing.
Vehicle Tracking Support - Provide specialist support for vehicle tracking activities through the use of SMART tracking systems, assisting Agency teams and partner organisations in the deployment and management of tracking capabilities.
Representation & Collaboration - Represent the ANPR Team at regional and national meetings, working groups and forums as required. Contribute to the development of ANPR policy, best practice and capability enhancement across the law enforcement community.
Person Specification
ANPR Awareness - Basic knowledge of ANPR capabilities and an understanding of how ANPR systems support operational activity, investigations and intelligence development. Awareness of the benefits, limitations and governance considerations associated with the use of ANPR within a law enforcement environment.
Analytical Skills - Demonstrable ability to extract, evaluate and interpret data and information from a variety of sources, identifying trends, patterns and opportunities to support operational decision-making and intelligence development.
ANPR Problem Solving - Ability to think critically and creatively to identify solutions to complex challenges, recognising how ANPR capabilities and associated technologies can be used to support operational outcomes and investigative objectives.
Communication Skills - Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly convey complex information to a range of audiences and produce accurate, concise and professional reports.
Prioritisation & Decision Making - Ability to effectively manage competing demands within a fast-paced environment, balancing urgent operational requirements with routine business activities while maintaining high standards of accuracy and performance.
Stakeholder Engagement - Strong interpersonal skills with the ability to build credibility, negotiate effectively and influence stakeholders at all levels to achieve shared objectives and positive operational outcomes.
Customer Focus - Ability to understand customer requirements, provide effective solutions and deliver a high-quality service to internal and external partners, often within demanding operational timescales.
Relationship Management - Proven ability to develop and maintain productive working relationships with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders, fostering collaboration, trust and effective information sharing.
Time Management - Ability to organise and manage workload effectively, meeting deadlines and quality standards while identifying and escalating risks, issues or competing priorities where necessary.
Team Working - A collaborative approach with the ability to work effectively as part of a team, contributing expertise, supporting colleagues and recognising the value of diverse skills and perspectives in achieving shared goals.
IT Proficiency - Confident user of Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel, with the ability to quickly learn and utilise new systems, databases and software applications to support operational requirements.
On-call working Currently 1 week in 4, with the potential to reduce to 1 week in 5 subject to successful recruitment. On-call allowance rates are £25.28 per 12-hour session and £50.56 per 24-hour session.
Desirable criteria are only used for assessment in the event of a tie break.
Completion of recognised ANPR training (e.g. from College of Policing).
Allowances are reviewed annually and may be increased, decreased or removed.
All salary offers will be made in line with Remuneration Policy.
- Roles based in London will receive an additional London Weighting (Per Annum) of £4379
- On Call Allowance (Per Annum) £25.28 per 12-hour on-call shift
On Call Allowance details The post holder will by required to be part of an on-call 24/7 rota.
(presently 1 week in 4). This may be subject to change and the frequency will be directed by your line manager.
All NCA employees are members of the UK Civil Service and eligible for the Civil Service pension scheme, alongside your salary the NCA contributes £10842. Further information on the benefits of the scheme is available on the Civil Service Pension Website.
New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.
If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).
Other benefits include:
- Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
- Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
- Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway | Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
- Staff support groups/networks
- Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
This vacancy is using the Success Profiles framework and will assess using the following criteria: Behaviours, Experience
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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
How we will assess you
Your application will be assessed against the following:
Experience Criteria - will be assessed by 250word examples on:
- Good understanding of the legislation, governance and compliance requirements relating to the use of ANPR, including data protection, privacy considerations and lawful use within a law enforcement environment.
- Experience of analysing information from a range of sources, identifying key insights and trends, and drawing evidence-based conclusions to support decision-making and communicate findings effectively.
- Experience of working to tight deadlines, effectively prioritising workloads, and managing multiple competing priorities to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.
A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.
In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.
Good understanding of the legislation, governance and compliance requirements relating to the use of ANPR, including data protection, privacy considerations and lawful use within a law enforcement environment.
Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.
You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.
We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.
Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.
The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.
- Good understanding of the legislation, governance and compliance requirements relating to the use of ANPR, including data protection, privacy considerations and lawful use within a law enforcement environment.
- Experience of analysing information from a range of sources, identifying key insights and trends, and drawing evidence-based conclusions to support decision-making and communicate findings effectively.
- Experience of working to tight deadlines, effectively prioritising workloads, and managing multiple competing priorities to consistently deliver high-quality outcomes.
Assessment Outcome
Outcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.
In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:
- Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
- If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
- If still tied, application sift scores will be used
Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.
You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.
Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records.
Eligibility, Pre-Employment Check and Vetting
If you are an internal candidate who has passed interview but is undergoing an internal investigation or have a written warning in place preventing a post move you may not be able to be posted until this investigation is concluded or restriction lifted.
Nationality Requirements
This role is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals or dual nationals, where one component is British
- Nations of the Republic of Ireland
- Nations of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- Nations 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)
- Nations 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
You will be required to participate in digital right to work and address checks as part of the recruitment process.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC Enhanced. All security clearances will be managed by the NCA.
Prior to commencing the role, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance and then achieve DV Enhanced clearance within the first 12 months in post.
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
The requirement for DV Enhanced clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.
Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
If the increased clearance cannot be obtained you will be moved to a role appropriate to your clearance level achieved on entry.
For further information on National Security Vetting checks please visit the following page Demystifying Vetting
Individuals will be required to undertake and pass a substance misuse test as part of pre-employment checks.
Occupational Health
Successful candidates will be expected to undertake an occupational health assessment. Depending on the role an in-person medical may be required in either London or Warrington. Unfortunately, travel costs will not be reimbursed.
Things you need to know
Multi Location
Where multiple locations are advertised, appointments will be made in merit order for each location.
Please indicate up to three location preferencesclearly. Only your first three preferences will be considered.You may be allocated to any of the locations you select. If you decline an offer for a location you have selected as a preference, a further offer may not be made.
If you choose to reject an offer and no alternative preferred location can be offered, you will not be able to return to the process or be placed on a reserve list .
Only the advertised locations are available; any additional notes added to the application will not be taken into account.
Near Miss
If you meet the criteria for a lower grade, you may be offered that role if not appointable at the advertised grade.
Conversely, if found appointable at a higher grade but no posts are available, you may be offered a lower-grade role.
All offers are made based on merit.
Hybrid Working
The NCA supports hybrid working. The extent of remote working will depend on the role and can be discussed at the offer stage.
Reasonable Adjustments
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive, equal opportunities employer.
We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone can be their authentic self. If you’re neurodiverse, have a disability, or live with a long-term health condition, we encourage you to let us know about any reasonable adjustments you may need during the recruitment process.
Please ensure you complete the ‘Equal opportunities’ and 'Reasonable Adjustments' sections in the application form to inform us on what support you may need in the recruitment process.
In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency's Diversity & Inclusion strategy, we require certain personal details about you on submission of your application for statistical and monitoring purposes only. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The National Crime Agency is a 24/7 organisation, and
#J-18808-Ljbffr
