Vacancy Information
This role is within a unit where Surrey Police and Sussex Police work in collaboration, whilst continuing to be two separate legal entities/employers with different terms and conditions.
Both Surrey Police staff and Sussex Police staff are employed in this unit on their own force terms and conditions.
Successful candidates may be appointed on the terms and conditions of employment of either Surrey Police or Sussex Police, depending on organisational requirements. A discussion will be held with the successful candidate to confirm the details of location, salary, allowance and hours.
Division / Department - Digital Policing Portfolio
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Grade - See Advert
Salary Grade Range - See Advert
Politically Restricted -
Unsocial Hours Allowance -
Location - See Advert
The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time.
The Role
Chief Digital & Information Officer opportunity with Surrey & Sussex police forces
Digital, Data & Technology Department (IT)
We have an exciting opportunity available to lead our DDaT Department.
From your first day with us you will be part of a policing family making a real difference to keeping Surrey and Sussex safe. What could be more important?
It is our mission to identify and protect vulnerable people, prevent and respond to harm and keep people safe. The guiding principal and focus of the Chief Digital & Information Officer (CD&IO) role is to provide better services to front-line officers, staff and support functions to enable both forces to maintain their commitment to the public. The demands on policing are greater than ever before with both of our forces facing budget reductions and operational pressures that require us to examine our spending, whilst also maintaining and improving our service delivery. We need to make sure our current practices and core systems are fit for purpose and the technology foundations are secure, reliable and available; whilst also ensuring robust IT standards and services are in place.
Surrey and Sussex forces currently operate with a high level of collaboration and cooperation in many areas of policing including the IT function. Both forces have shared reputation for innovation, particularly in new technology, and are keen to modernise working practices and facilities. Our workforce is open to change and committed to providing the best possible service to the public.
What skills you’ll need?
We are inviting applications for a challenging and rewarding role as the Chief Digital & Information Officer (CD&IO). We are seeking to appoint a highly motivated leader with a balance of sound commercial thinking & business management experience; and strong technological knowledge & expertise to complement a variety of our IT projects. To succeed, you’ll have worked at a senior level within an organisation dealing with both complexity and scale, and have been exposed to Board-level and cross-functional working. You’ll be a visible leader who is entrepreneurial in spirit with the ability to engage, motivate and influence a wide range of stakeholders in order to drive progress and achieve the required end result. You’ll have a strong track record in timely cost-effective programme delivery. The successful applicant will also demonstrate natural gravitas and the highest-level of communication and negotiation skills to represent both forces at national & regional governance groups, and in public-facing and public accountability environments.
Key Responsibilities
What you’ll be doing?
Please refer to the job profile for full details of the role but the successful individual will personally provide IT leadership to the Police & Crime Commissioners and Chief Officers of both forces to enable the delivery of Police and Crime Plans and local business plans. If successful, you’ll be expected to work closely with the other members of executive team contributing to the development of future strategic vision for the enterprise and articulating how IT can support and enable the organisations' current and future state.
In accordance with defined policies, the CD&IO will lead a large team of approx. 250 people across DDaT and Information Security teams spread across different locations in Surrey and Sussex, with direct control of a circa £37.5m annual revenue budget; ensuring the availability and integrity of live IT Services enabling police operations.
This role can be based at Surrey Police* or Sussex Police Headquarters with a requirement for frequent travel across both Forces.
The role demands Enhanced Security Clearance and will be subject to vetting.
*Please note that in 2024 Surrey Police Headquarters is due to move from Guildford to Leatherhead.
Skills & Experience
Please refer to the Person Specification (page 12, CDIO Recruitment Pack) for full details of the knowledge, skills and experience required for this role.
Further Information
So why work for us?
You’ll be making a real difference helping to keep the communities of Surrey and Sussex safe. You’ll be warmly welcomed by a hard working team who are committed to continuing the improvement of service delivery for the benefit of our communities.
Policing is an exciting 24/7 business, but we all have commitments outside work and we recognise balance and flexibility is often a key enabler to get the best out of people. We are therefore invested in supporting a diverse team in balancing their life with work and encourage flexible working. Check out our Parenting Portal to see what we’re about.
The salary range for the role is £105,600 to £119,220 per annum subject to skills and experience (negotiation may be possible on appointment). We’ll also provide a competitive reward package including a car allowance of £9,301 per annum, a healthcare allowance (up to £1,800 per annum), a minimum of 31 days holiday per year (based on a full-time, Surrey 7.2 hour working day) plus public (bank) holidays, Local Government Pension Scheme and employee discounts with a variety of retailers nationally.
If you’d like to discuss the role in more detail, please contact our Chief Constables Jo Shiner on 01273 404001 or Gavin Stephens on 01483 630093.
Please apply by 8 am on Monday 15th March 2021. Interviews are likely to take place on Wednesday 14th and Thursday 15th April 2021.
Please find attached the CDIO Recruitment Pack 2021 to support your application.
We look forward to hearing from you.
IMPORTANT INFORMATION: While answering the question within Knowledge, Skills and Experience section: “In no more than 1000 words please outline the knowledge, skills and experience you have that would help you to do this job”; please can you also provide an example of when you have lead a key programme of technology change, or delivery, that has improved services and achieved efficiency savings.
Additional Information
Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly. You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.
Surrey Police and Sussex Police work together in collaboration for this role, however they remain two different employers, with differing pay scales, allowances and terms and conditions including hours of employment.
If you are an internal candidate and are conditionally offered the role your attendance record and any reasonable adjustments already in place will be discussed with yourself and your current line manager. If you are successful in your application, you may be required to resign and transfer your employment, taking on the Terms & Conditions and pay scales of the Lead Force (if this is not your existing Home Force).
This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes. Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference. This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.
Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.
Diversity Statement
We are only as good as our people. It's really important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach and skills that diversity brings; all of which help us deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.
We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index and Disability Confident, a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.
We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status or religious beliefs, we would love to hear from you.
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