Chief Of Staff

Hours: Full time, 37 hours per week, Monday to Friday, open to part-time and job share as well.

A new opportunity has arisen to appoint a Chief of Staff (COS) to assist the Assistant Chief Officer (ACO) for Support Services for North Yorkshire Police (NYP) and North Yorkshire Fire & Rescue Services (NYFRS). The role is ideal for an individual or individuals (job share) to undertake a prominent leadership role, acting at the strategic level within the organisations undertaking and directing actions in support of the ACO.

Working closely with the ACO, you will act as an immediate confidential support and undertake a variety of activities dependant on the shifting needs of our support services enabling the delivery of front-line policing and fire capabilities. You will support the ACO in the leadership and delivery of effective and efficient support services with your duties ranging from identifying and leading on strategic initiatives, to preparing information, reports and briefings and, at times, representing the ACO.

You will be a key member of the ACO’s leadership team, contributing and supporting the ACO with activities which influence and support the strategic direction of support services which work to facilitate and deliver an outstanding service to the public of North Yorkshire.

Key to the successful delivery of support services is the alignment of these activities with front-line operational policing and the fire & rescue services. The ACO is working to create a fusion approach to operational delivery, with staff and uniformed colleagues working in lockstep to achieve successful outputs and outcomes.

Support Services

Our Support Services (Enable North Yorkshire) are headed up by four functional leaders covering: Financial Services and Procurement; People Services, including Wellbeing; Estates, Transport & Logistics; and, Information, Communication & Technology. As well as supporting NYP and NYFRS, they also deliver some Support Services to the newly elected Mayor for the York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority. A review is currently being undertaken to ensure that the future model of Support Services delivery is as efficient and effective as possible so that we can best serve our communities. As such, there are opportunities for the remit of this role to evolve and the COS will play a pivotal part in the delivery of this activity.

Key responsibilities:

• Undertake a prominent and visible leadership role, act as a strategic leader within Support Services delivery undertake and direct actions in support of the ACO.
• Uphold, model, and promote organisational values and behaviours and provide outstanding leadership to colleagues across enableNY .
• Provide confidential support and assistance to the ACO in respect of the wide-ranging scope of their current and future internal and external responsibilities.
• Act as a key member of the ACO’s personal leadership team, contribute to and support the ACO with activities which influence and support the strategic direction.
• Act on behalf of the ACO and represent the ACO at key meetings, where required.
• Support the ACO in an ambitious drive for change.
• Support the ACO in the leadership and delivery of effective and efficient Support Services. Lead on managing the performance reporting across the support services and associated reporting into senior Boards and Committees.
• Oversee and track Support Services risks, working with Risk Management experts to ensure appropriate and timely mitigation, management action and contingency planning.
• Coordination of our support services improvement plans for His Majesty’s Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services (HMICFRS).
• Ensure policies and governance are followed, as well as suggesting improvements to these processes, to minimise overlaps and remove gaps.
• Report and make recommendations to the ACO, Police Chief Officer Team, Fire Senior Leadership Team and Mayoral Executive Board.
• Identify, drive, and lead strategic initiatives, working across the full-spectrum of the police and fire enterprise using project and programme management techniques, where possible.
• Prepare speeches and presentations (with thematical experts) and arrange responses to correspondence on behalf of the ACO.
• Provide oversight of other colleagues to ensure that the ACO receives the effective support and management and by working with their Personal Assistant.
• Participate in strategic meetings ensuring that the actions generated are allocated to the appropriate areas of business.
• Establish effective and positive engagement of members of the support services Senior Management Team to support individual influence.
• Supporting the ACO, as the senior member of Civilian Staff for policing and fire, in their support role for all Police Staff and Fire Staff, not just those within the support services.
• Undertake research and provide the ACO with management information, keeping up with horizon scanning by reading literature and communicating with the ACO and senior police and fire colleagues.

Person Specification:

• An emotionally intelligent visible leader, capable of forming and maintaining strong relationships across a wide-ranging stakeholder group, including working with Board-level members and being a trusted advisor.
• As a strong leader you will have a proven track record of sustained delivery at both strategic and tactical levels and be able to demonstrate a record of achievement in planning and delivering complex projects within specified timescales. You will have a strategic approach alongside a proven track record of identifying and delivering change in line with a strategic direction.
• You will be pivotal in supporting the ACO in an ambitious drive for change and as such your credibility as a change agent will be critical to your success in this position. The ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate how they combine their strong professional knowledge, commercial knowledge, and insight, with personal credibility and flair, to engage colleagues and clients through change. You will have good commercial acumen and a strategic approach alongside a proven track record of identifying and delivering change in line with a strategic direction.
• You will be an effective written and spoken communicator and manage stakeholders at all levels including, members of the Executive Board, members of support services colleagues within the Mayoral Combined Authorityfor York andNorth Yorkshire, NYP and NYFRS, members and staff of external organisations and agencies, suppliers and contractors and members of the public.
• Proven track record of measuring and managing performance of services to ensure continuous quality.
• Being able to work in a dynamic environment, agile to emerging priorities, be able to flexibly refocus outputs and work to time pressured deadlines is essential to the requirement of this role.
• While a background in policing and fire, nor specific technical experience of the functional areas of the ACO’s remit is not essential, working in or with the public sector and indeed on the delivery of support services is desirable. Key to successful delivery of this role is a candidate who has the passion for understanding the communities we serve and the environment we operate in.

Working for us - what we can offer you:

Working for the emergency services is truly rewarding, and we want to inspire all colleagues to achieve their full potential. Everything we do has a direct impact to the service our organisation delivers, and each of us contributes to ensuring our communities continue to feel safe.

You’ll be welcomed into an organisation that is committed to ensuring everyone is treated fairly and supported equally. We value different perspectives, skills and experiences and we care about the well-being of our staff, and actively support people so they can perform to their best.

In addition, we offer a range of benefits including:

• Excellent government pension scheme
• Access to onsite Health and Wellbeing services
• 24 days holiday entitlement, increasing to 30 days with length of service (plus bank holidays)
• Access to discounts at major retailers
• Staff support networks
• Training and development
• Unison – recognised trade union
• Inclusion and Diversity support networks

Positive Action

North Yorkshire Police value difference. We have a positive action team who are dedicated to supporting you through your application and beyond. If you feel you need any reasonable adjustments to help reach your potential, please contact our Positive Action Team.

How to apply

Please complete the application providing evidence against the Person Specification before the closing date. Please also upload a CV or no more than two pages, setting out career history, gaps in employment and skills and qualifications.

Please note, the successful post holder will be employed on a North Yorkshire Police contract of employment.

Key dates:

Vacancy closing: 09:00am Monday 24 th June

Interview: Monday 1st July, NYP and NYFRS Headquarters, Northallerton