Deputy Director Professional Support and Business Services
Job Title: Deputy Director Professional Support and Business Services
Salary: The starting salary is £86,485, which includes allowances totalling £2,841.
The salary is broken down as £83,644 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £92,192. Plus, a location allowance of £1,841 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.
Location: Holborn
The Metropolitan Police Service (Met) is the UK’s largest police service, with more than 40,000 officers and staff and 25% of the total police budget for England and Wales. The Met’s Directorate of Legal Services (DLS) is the largest and busiest Police in-house lawyer team in the country, totalling around 160 people. This is a rare opportunity to join the Senior Leadership Team of DLS as the Deputy Director for Professional Support and Business Services – our Legal Practice Manager.
The Role
This role leads on a range of complex, diverse and fast-paced work and we are looking for a capable, imaginative leader with a “can do” attitude who is unfazed by pressure to fill a key role within our Senior Leadership Team. You will possess a range of strategic and delivery skills and the ability to navigate an organisation like the Met in order to deliver.
You will be responsible for creating the right systems and culture that enables DLS to reach its full potential in delivering quality legal advice and representation to the Met and the National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC).
We are looking for someone who can take responsibility and leadership for delivering on a number of key work areas including:
- Financial Management: Ensuring DLS operates efficiently, effectively and within its budget.
- Compliance: Supporting DLS to operate in compliance with legal industry regulations and codes of conduct including Lexcel accreditation (the Law Society’s legal practice quality mark).
- External relationships: Managing DLS relationships with external legal service providers, principally self-employed barristers, and private sector solicitors, including running the National Legal Services Framework (NLSF, a panel of private sector law firms run by DLS on behalf of all national police forces).
- Strategic planning: being part of the DLS senior leadership team, developing strategic plans, business opportunities and strategies.
- Technology and Information Management: overseeing delivery and use of software systems; data management and information security.
- Administrative support: leading administrative staff responsible for supporting legal work and delivering an efficient service to our clients.
This is a significant leadership role, part of the Senior Leadership Team leading a legal department of around 165 people (including about 75 lawyers, 30 paralegals) leading and managing a group of around 50 people, divided into 2 teams as follows:
- Family Disclosure Team - assisting the Met in answering requests for disclosure of information to the Family Courts in ongoing family proceedings.
- Business Services–divided into the following teams:
- LinC Team (IT technology and processes, including driving forward a modernising Digital & Data programme)
- Metlaw Team (Finance, including tracking spend on Counsel, NLSF, the national Boarding Up programme (re-securing premises made insecure during investigatory work))
- Projects Team (case management system, business continuity, NLSF in-life management and re-tendering, Lexcel)
- Staffing and Professional Standards Team (vetting of DLS colleagues and recruits, contract management, complaints about staff, misconduct, Gifts & Hospitality)
By fostering and developing relationships with leaders across the Met, our suppliers, clients, and other partners you will develop our efficiency and productivity through careful planning, enhancing the performance of the business. You will be leading on a significant number of corporate priorities for DLS necessitating strong interpersonal and communication skills, a focus on prioritisation, and multitasking abilities.
You’ll also enjoy the kind of great benefits that you’d expect from one of London's largest employers. These include generous annual leave, civil service pension arrangements, interest free season ticket loans, membership of Met sports and social clubs, and many more.
Our Commitment
The Met is committed to being an equitable (fair and impartial) and inclusive employer for disabled people, striving to have a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures, and experiences.
We welcome applications from candidates who have a flexible working pattern. Whilst our roles can be demanding and require work which needs to be delivered quickly, sometimes at short notice we will work to ensure that people are able to achieve the right balance.
We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term conditions, ethnic minority groups, and women.
This role is offered as full time, or as substantial part-time (which will be considered).
How to apply
Click the apply now button below and start your career at the Met. Applications will be via a detailed CV, Personal Statement, and online application form. Your personal statement should outline why you are interested in the role and how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role. (NB. Please do not attach 2 copies of your CV).
Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 25th November 2024.
Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence 2nd of December 2024.
Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. The proposed Interview dates will commence 16th December 2024 and 6th of January 2025 in person at Holborn Police Station.