Test and Evaluation Technical Lead (Physicist) in Manchester

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

The Innovation directorates sit at the heart of the Home Office, ensuring the best evidence and analysis are used to address the strategic issues facing the department. We also provide the science, technology, data, and international insights and collaboration capabilities to drive delivery.

The Test and Evaluation Technical Lead will apply scientific and technical expertise to police equipment assurance processes. You will be responsible for Home Office-owned technical standards and for working with partners to assure equipment against these standards, providing high quality, robust evidenced advice to policy decision-makers on authorisation for police use. This is an exciting opportunity to join a growing team and apply your scientific and technical knowledge and experience to a high profile and essential service to policing contributing to the safe and effective deployment of technologies ensuring police officer and public safety.

You will be part of the multi-disciplinary Test and Evaluation Team responsible for supporting police equipment assurance of personal protective equipment (PPE), road traffic law enforcement equipment, drink and drug drive test instruments, and assessments of less lethal weapons (LLW) and armed policing equipment.

We are specifically seeking an individual with either an engineering or physics background to apply their expertise to support advice focused on armed policing and less lethal weapons capabilities. The role requires strong analytical capability, attention to detail, and the ability to interpret complex data and translate findings into clear advice. This is a delivery-focused role suited to someone who enjoys applying science in practical, real-world contexts and contributing to high-impact, safety-critical outcomes.

As a Technical Lead, you will work closely with other technical experts in the team, policy leads and external science and technology delivery partners including test facilities to manage assurance activities, processes and information to support delivery of robust and timely test and evaluation assurance services. You will ensure that approaches are scientifically robust, proportionate, and aligned to relevant guidance and safety requirements, ensuring it is cost-effective, responsive, resilient, and trusted by all. You will also be responsible for contributing to standards management to ensure operational safety, consistency, legal defensibility and interoperability across policing and related functions. Consideration of current and emerging innovations in the market-place are essential to ensure standards reflect the latest technological developments.

Responsibilities

• Applying engineering or physics scientific and analytical skills to manage armed policing and less lethal weapons assurance work strands incorporating technical advice and scrutinising of technical outputs, ensuring alignment with codes of practice, guidance, and safety requirements.
• Analysing and interpreting scientific and technical data to deliver expert advice in relation to assurance activities and equipment, producing clear outputs to inform decisions and assurance processes.
• Working with external suppliers and laboratories to support delivery of testing, ensuring outputs meet agreed time, quality, and cost requirements.
• Supporting the review and revision of guidelines ensuring they are scientifically robust and meet operational requirements judging when incremental updates are appropriate versus fundamental redesign.
• Understanding market maturity including assessing the impact of the standard on innovation.
• Building and maintaining engagement with stakeholders internally (e.g. policy, commercial, operational policing) and external suppliers to support delivery of assurance services.
• Identifying and escalating risks or issues arising from testing and evaluation activities (e.g. non-compliance).
• Contributing to continuous improvement of Test and Evaluation approaches, processes, and documentation.
• Supporting investigations if there are any issues or failures of equipment.

The above responsibilities are not exhaustive, and you may be required to undertake any of the above tasks or additional tasks not listed above, within the remit of your grade, to support the team.

This role sits within the Government Science & Engineering (GSE) profession and draws on key capability areas including:

• Applying scientific knowledge to real-world problems;
• Communicating science for government purposes;
• Supporting technical delivery and oversight;
• Developing practical and proportionate scientific approaches.

Working patterns

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis. However, compressed hours are available.

Travel

Please note regular UK travel is required (including some with overnight stays) along with occasional overseas travel. Holding a full valid UK driving license is therefore preferable.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Experience in weapons / defence engineering.
• Experience in the delivery, oversight and management of technical services, scientific or research and development projects which apply scientific knowledge to real world problems.
• The ability to manage, plan, schedule workload and maintain technical delivery in fast-paced complex environments communicating clear outcomes of evidence-based decisions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including ability to communicate technical information clearly to a range of audiences, including non-specialists.
• Strong engagement skills to quickly build good working relationships with both internal and external stakeholders and draw on others’ skills, knowledge and expertise.
• The ability to design and support experimental or test activities and interpret results.

Desirable criteria

• Understanding of operational policing, experience in working with police stakeholders or in a public safety focused environment.
• Experience of working with external suppliers of scientific capabilities.

Qualifications

An engineering or physics degree or higher, or relevant experience in an associated scientific or technical field.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Managing a Quality Service
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Overseeing Technical work (Leader)
• Developing / Maintaining Expertise (Experienced)

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.

This role currently attracts a Recruitment and Retention Allowance of £2,000 per annum.

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.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills. This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

• Application – by 12th August 2026.
• Sift – 14th August 2026.
• Interview – 7th September 2026.

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Technical Skills based questions. All Behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes.

Further information

You can select up to three locations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred locations and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer.

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check and meet the security requirements before they can be appointed.

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities.