Apprentice Technical Officer
National Crime Agency
Apply before 11:55 pm on Sunday 24th November 2024
Details
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Salary
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Contract type
Apprenticeship
Length of employment
Business area
Type of role
Engineering
Information Technology
Intelligence
Investigation
Policing
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
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About the job
Job summary
This is a Technical Apprenticeship like no other.
As well as acquiring electrical, electronic and engineering skills you will be at the heart of the UK’s fight against serious and organised crime. Working in the NCA’s Technical Operations department you will be helping to pursue and bring to justice those serious and organised criminals who present the highest risk to this country.
This exciting programme starts in September 2025 and offers a mix of classroom learning and practical experience, including a variety of research, development and project work to develop your ability to prototype and test your own solutions to problems. You'll be taking on real business challenges that will stretch and develop your expertise in areas such as electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering.
On completion, you'll be qualified as a Maintenance & Operations Engineering Technician or Mechatronics Maintenance Technician Level 3 (dependant on which qualification option is available to us) and have an Engineering BTEC HNC L4.
Job description
You will be working towards becoming a G5 Technical Officer on successful completion of the apprenticeship, if you are offered a permanent post. This is what they do:-
- They deliver technical solutions, in high risk environments, employing modern technology and sensitive tactics, in order to develop intelligence and acquire evidence which contributes to cutting serious and organised crime affecting the UK.
- Identify the most suitable equipment for the task in-hand and prepare it for deployment.
- Test the equipment prior to deployment, fix or replace any faulty equipment, re-test.
- Create, design and build concealments for the equipment they are going to deploy.
- Support the operational lead in deploying Technical capabilities on behalf of the NCA to the highest standards.
- Develop, modify and adapt innovative technological solutions which enable the delivery of covert investigative activity against agreed strategic objectives.
- Provide information and advice on new technologies/equipment to ensure the organisation utilises the latest covert technical capability.
- Comply with Health & Safety legislation, including Risk Assessments in line with operational procedure.
- Develop and maintain effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders in order to foster productive working relationships and collaborative working.
- Represent Technical Operations at a local level, technical conferences and other specialist law enforcement forums
***To be considered, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance before commencing the role***
To learn more about this role, please register for the following event:
On November 6th 2024 from 18:00, we are hosting a MS Teams event where you can hear from officers working within the NCA and be given the opportunity to ask questions about the role.
Attendance is by invitation only.
To register, please click on the following link - https://forms.office.com/e/ZgXSBkHcaL
Registration will close at 3 pm on Monday 4th November 2024. As part of the registration, you will be asked for your name and email address.
Person specification
Please see below for a day in the life of a Technical Officer;
''This is not a Monday to Friday 9 to 5 job. It can be 24/7 365 days a year. Each day is different and could be in the office, in the workshops, CPD and training days, testing and trialling new technology, out ‘on the ground’ conducting site surveys and deploying surveillance equipment, technology exhibitions and liaising with other law enforcement organisations.
I work as an Officer in NCA Technical Operations, a department with niche subject matter expertise working mostly on high priority operations.
Conventional technical operations is all about deploying surveillance equipment to gather evidence or intelligence on the UK’s most prolific and often most dangerous criminals in numerous different scenarios, including urban and rural environments, occasionally at sea and sometimes internationally.
This could be equipment covering a subject premises for a surveillance team, recordings of criminal meetings or perhaps equipment used to track a consignment of drugs for a criminal delivery. Our core business, however, is intrusive surveillance: Under authorised legal Warrantry, installing surveillance devices with a high degree of concealment.
A typical day can see me managing competing demands for operations, all deserving of equal attention. As a Technical Officer, I will be liaising with operational teams while simultaneously supporting colleagues prepare for operational tasks ready for covert deployment that night.
My role is varied. I will be simultaneously preparing, testing and deploying technical solutions for several different operations throughout the country and sometimes overseas. In order for all deployments to be successful, painstaking research, preparation and planning is necessary to achieve the desired results along with the training that enables me to carry out this work.
Each deployment is rehearsed repeatedly, including in the dark, so that myself and colleagues work seamlessly on the night.
These days of preparation are to minimise risk to both deployed officers and compromise. Without sufficient planning if something were to go wrong the consequences could be severe.
We can achieve a lot of things when we fully understand the objectives. Technical deployments can be an efficient way of achieving results by gathering the intelligence or evidence you wouldn’t otherwise get.
Throughout the task I record and document the decisions that have been made along with details of the work I have undertaken as part of the case file should it go to court.
Technical Operations are always looking to provide innovative solutions to tackle serious and organised crime. This is where your skills and new found knowledge can help us achieve these aims.
Roughly every 4 weeks I am on call and you never know what jobs might come in that require my immediate attention and that of my colleagues."
Does this interest you? Is it the job you have been looking for, but did not know existed?
Learners must have achieved a pass (A*-C) in Maths, English, and a Science based GCSE, as part of the 5 GCSEs required for this role.
- If the learner has passed a higher qualification such as A Level and has English/Maths in the title, this is also accepted.
- If learners have studied abroad and have overseas qualifications, they will need to get a Statement of Comparability from UK ENIC as evidence. This cost will be covered by the learner.
- If the learner has lost their certificates they will need to request replacements via the awarding body. This cost will be covered by the learner. If the awarding body no longer exist the learner can go to www.gov.uk/replacement-exam-certificate/if-your-old-exam-board-no-longer-exists.
- The learner needs to have lived in the UK for at least the previous 3 years before the start of learning.
- If the learner has an equivalent or higher qualification within the same subject area as the apprenticeship, the learner will not be eligible for the apprenticeship.
Eligibility
All apprenticeships starting from 1 August 2021:
Eligibility is subject to Education and Skills Funding Agency (ESFA) Apprenticeship Funding Rules. Over the duration of the apprenticeship, you must meet the eligibility requirements in place at the time, including:
- Have the right to work and study in England
- Spend at least 50% of your working time in England; and
- Are a UK citizen and have been ordinarily resident for the last three years in the UK or meet one of the following immigration statuses:
UK and Irish Nationals: have been ordinarily resident in the UK or EEA for the three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.
EEA nationals: have either pre-settled or settled status under the EU Settlement Scheme; and have been ordinarily resident in the EEA, Gibraltar, or the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.
*Non-EEA nationals: you are eligible if you have permission from the UK government to live in the UK, (not for educational purposes) and have been ordinarily resident in the UK for at least the previous three years before the first day of the start of the apprenticeship.
* You must meet the UK government’s eligibility criteria for apprenticeship funding:
Where an applicant for an apprenticeship does not hold a UK passport as a British citizen, these requirements state that you must have an immigration permission in the UK that allows you to study and will cover the length of the whole apprenticeship in full without you needing to extend your visa or immigration permission during the apprenticeship.
Please note; In order to be considered for an apprenticeship with the NCA, all applicants are required to be aged 18 or over. Applicants who are younger than 18 will not be eligible to apply for this vacancy.
Licences
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Working Together
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Tell us about an item, device or object you have made, designed, built or repaired. What were your considerations and what did you learn from it?
- Explain what Information technology skills you have i.e. your level of proficiency with Microsoft Office applications or other web based platforms
- What skills, knowledge and interests do you have relating to electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering, or similar, and why you would suit this role. Provide an example to demonstrate how you have put these skills or interests into practice.
We only ask for evidence of these technical skills on your application form:
- Tell us about an item, device or object you have made, designed, built or repaired. What were your considerations and what did you learn from it?
- Explain what Information technology skills you have i.e. your level of proficiency with Microsoft Office applications or other web based platforms
Benefits
All officers in the NCA are members of the UK Civil Service. You will be eligible for:
- Civil Service pension scheme
- 26 days annual leave rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service
- If qualifying criteria is met new joiners to the NCA from UK Police Forces or 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).
- Training and development opportunities
- Special leave
- Flexible working and family friendly policies
- Cycle to work scheme
- Blue Light scheme
For further details on benefits please visit https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/careers/benefits-and-support
Things you need to know
Selection process details
If you wish to apply for this vacancy, you must submit your application by 23:55 on Sunday 24th November 2024.
Sift Process
You will be asked to complete a CV as part of the application process. Your CV should set out your career history including training and qualifications, with key responsibilities and achievements. Please ensure that each entry of your career history also has a few sentences outlining a description and the key elements of that role, and that you provide reasons for any gaps within the last two years. Please ensure the dates of any accreditations you are relying on are entered onto the CV.
- CV – We will be assessing your CV only in order to check your GCSE results.
- Personal Statement – 500 words max. 'Describe your skills, knowledge and interests relating to electrical, electronic and mechanical engineering (or similar) subjects and why you would suit this role'. Please provide an example to demonstrate how you have put these skills or interests into practice.
- 2 x Technical / Experience skills via a 250 word Statement of Suitability per criteria, as outlined in the Person Specification.
For further application guidance please visit https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/careers/applying-and-onboarding
Once submitted your application will be acknowledged by the Government Recruitment Service.
Please note depending on the volume of applications a Longlist at sift may be conducted on following criteria:
- Tell us about an item, device or object you have made, designed, built or repaired. What were your considerations and what did you learn from it?
Candidates must pass this criteria for their application to be progressed.
A panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the Entry Criteria section.
Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.
Sift results are expected to be released w/c Monday 9th December 2024.
Interview Details
You will then be asked to attend an interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence.
There will be 2 stages of the interview round - Candidates who are successful at sift will then be invited to a mechanical aptitude test. Those who pass the mechanical aptitude test will progress to a second stage of the interview process.
The second stage interview will comprise of Behaviour and Technical competency based question, and a Presentation. Details of the presentation will be released to candidates successful at sift.
Interviews will take place throughout January and February 2025 - locations to be confirmed. Please be advised that the type of interview (eg. virtual/face-to-face) may be subject to change and successful candidates will be notified of this prior to attending. However the interview is conducted, the interview criteria will remain as detailed within this advert.
The above sift and interview dates are an indicative timeline.
Should you be successful at sift but cannot attend on the interview date(s) listed the recruitment team cannot guarantee an alternative date. Please contact the recruitment team.
Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates.
Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. Any instances of plagiarism including copying of examples/answers from internet sources will result in a withdrawal of your application. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.
Interview Outcome
Candidates will be alerted of the outcome of their interview via their CS Jobs Portal. We will be retaining a candidate pool of successful applicants to draw from as vacancies arise for up to 12 months.
If your application is successful and we are unable to offer you a post immediately, you will be invited to join our reserve list. If over the next 12 months we are able to offer you a position, we will contact you as soon as possible.
Once we make you an offer you will then go through our vetting and pre-employment checks processes.
All Appointments will be made in location merit order.
Internal Applicants
Successful applicants currently employed by NCA for this post may request to remain in their current contractual location. This should be discussed and agreed prior to proceeding with pre-employment checks. Please note this is dependant on business needs, please commence discussions with the hiring manager at the earliest opportunity.
Multi-Location
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Please be aware that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only. If you are posted to a location that you have requested and you do not accept that location, you may not be offered another role.
Please note, only advertised location can be offered. Notes populated in a free text box will not be taken into consideration.
Hybrid Working
Here at the NCA we have a hybrid working arrangement in place enabling officers to work a proportion of their role remotely. Eligibility and the degree of home working will vary depending on the requirements of the role. Further details can be discussed at offer stage.
Reasonable Adjustment
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. As part of our application process you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustment to our recruitment process that you may need. If you have a disability or long-term condition (a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.
If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should: Contact Government Recruitment Service via ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs. Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.
Inclusion and Accessibility
We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process. For details of the available group please visit https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/careers/benefits-and-support
In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy, the NCA require certain personal details about you on submission of your application. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application. You will be asked to complete an E-consent survey asking for permission to share this data with the NCA to be used for statistical/monitoring purposes only, refusal of consent to share the information will not impact your application.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Additional Information
- The NCA is a 24/7 organisation, and working patterns must support business requirements. Some roles may require you to respond at short notice or outside of core hours.
- Individuals will be required to undertake and pass a substance misuse test as part of pre-employment checks.
- Successful candidates may be required to undertake a medical. If required, the medical will take place in either London or Warrington. Unfortunately, travel costs will not be reimbursed.
- 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. You will remain on the reserve list for a max of 12 months
VETTING REQUIREMENTS SC
All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.
Checks will be made against:
- Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
- Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- Security Services records
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
We encourage all candidates to visit the NCA careers page for further information please visit https://www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk/careers
If you have any specific queries about the role that are not covered above please contact: ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Medical
Nationality requirements
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
- Name : NCA Recruitment Team - GRS
- Email : ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/
