Regional Science and Innovation Manager - 18 month FTC/Secondment

This job is brought to you by Jobs/Redefined, the UK's leading over-50s age inclusive jobs board.

Job Description

This role is only open for current serving Police Officers/ Staff from regional forces (West Mercia Police, Warwickshire Police, Staffordshire Police and West Midlands Police)

The West Midlands is located in the very heart of England and is underpinned by the UK's youngest and most diverse population.

West Mercia, Warwickshire, Staffordshire and West Midlands Police are part of and form the Regional Innovation Research Group reporting into the National Science and Innovation Board. A key part of this role is to support the regional innovation leads to implement and deliver innovation across the region. We in the West Midlands, pride ourselves on embracing innovation and delivering a vision to be world leaders in policing, we believe that having inspirational, inclusive, considerate and forward-thinking leaders is essential to achieve this. Working to the Regional Research and Innovation Coordinator, you will be central to delivering this world class police service that our public expect and deserve.

To rise to the challenge, you will be someone who thrives on seeking out and implementing Innovation for policing and the public. You should have the drive to transform policing through increasing productivity whilst making the most of every penny invested in policing. This is a challenging role where you will play an integral part in delivering our strategic aims while leading and motivating change.

Policing is under increasing pressure but through utilisation of tools and investment in technology advancements like facial recognition, artificial intelligence and drones we can maximise our use of resources. Through harnessing new technology and innovative thinking will save forces time, money and resources. It will transform policing through increased productivity to ultimately ensure a better service for our communities, victims and the public.

The Regional Science and Innovation Manager (RSIM) will play a fundamental role in coordinating regional Science and Innovation activity to enhance, and accelerate the effectiveness of, the two-way Science and Innovation routing from forces to the centre and from the centre to the forces. They will be expected to work within their region to understand the Policing Problems faced locally, regionally and nationally and working in partnership with key stakeholders they will identify and implement Science & Innovation solutions.

Qualifications & Experience

In order to perform the duties of the Regional Science and Innovation Manager, you must:

• Have a strong sense of direction and leadership, be able to take charge of and offer advice on strategic decisions, and be able to provide the regional innovation network with a purpose.
• Proficient in both written and spoken communication; able to draft complex reports, plans, and policies and interact with partners, employees, managers, and stakeholders
• Advanced analytical abilities and the capacity to comprehend and prepare for regional and national issues that have an impact on or could have an impact on the goals and strategic orientation of the regional innovation network
• Strong interpersonal skills, including the capacity to inspire and lead a team while establishing credibility, integrity, trust, and confidence in the delivery of the regional innovation network.
• The capacity to network and exert influence locally, regionally, and nationally;
• Possess confidence, resilience, and the ability to function under pressure;
• Capability to think, plan, and act in a creative and innovative manner when addressing problems, delivering results, and managing change;
• Knowledge and experience in investigating ways to improve efficiency and effectiveness and promoting improvements in value for money

Essential Criteria:

• Degree level qualification
• Significant experience within a policing environment
• Experience in successfully delivering complex change
• Intermediate Microsoft Skills

Desirable Skills:

• An understanding of and experience working with OPCCs
• Experience of dealing with the procurement within a public sector environment
• Understanding of NPCC structure and process
• Appropriate project or programme management qualifications eg. Prince2, MSP (or equivalent experience)

Probationary Policy:

Under the Probation Policy, if you are currently in your probation period, "during your probationary period you will not be permitted to apply for alternative police staff roles within the Force unless there are exceptional circumstances. In such cases, you would require the support of your line manager prior to applying for alternative roles, and if successful, your probationary period will start over."-Policies - Probation Period (Police Staff) (wmpad.local)

Hours and Location

Travel within the respective innovation region within England and Wales is required. The role requires agile working and will predominantly be based out of West Midlands Police Headquarters, Birmingham. You may also be required to travel to other innovation regions. We encourage applications from candidates located within their respective innovation region.

Vetting

Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical

Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully medical checks, which may include a drugs test and if required a fitness test.

Contact

If you would like to discuss this opportunity more, please contact Nigel Johnston by emailing nigel.johnston@westmidlands.police.uk

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a 'Disability Confident Interview Scheme' - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

"Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities"

About Us

West Midlands Police is the second largest police force in the country, covering an area of 348 square miles and serving a population of almost 2.8 million.

The region sits at the very heart of the country and covers the three major centres of Birmingham, Coventry and Wolverhampton. It also includes the busy and thriving districts of Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull and Dudley. Leisure, retail and conference amenities, together with Premiership and Championship football teams, attract millions of visitors annually.

The West Midlands is an area rich in diversity, with 18 per cent of its population from ethnic minority backgrounds.

An average of 170,000 motorists travel through the region daily, making its motorways some of the busiest in Europe.

Against this backdrop, the force deals with more than 2,000 emergency calls for help every day, as well as patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24-hours-a-day, seven days a week.