Lab Manager - South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU)

Role Description

The South West Regional Organised Crime Unit (SWROCU) is looking for a Digital Forensic Lab Manager keen to progress their careers as part of our Cyber Lab and Digital Forensics team.

The Regional Cyber Crime Unit is a multi-disciplinary team that works closely with partners and deals with the most serious types of cyber criminality affecting the South West region. The team has a significant part to play in investigating cyber dependent crimes such as computer network intrusions, denials of service, ransomware extortion, malware development, supply, deployment and data theft/ breaches.

The Lab Manager will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the SWROCU Forensic Lab. The SWROCU lab provides a digital forensic service to the entire ROCU, and responds to cyber dependant crime across the South West and beyond. The manager will need to manage resources and staffing and monitor performance, drive efficiency and motivate and manage professional development of the staff. They will be responsible for delivery and maintenance of ISO accreditation. The manager will also be expected to conduct forensic examinations and maintain their competence.

SWROCU is a collaboration of police officers and police staff from the five South West regional forces. We’re part of a national network of nine ROCUs covering England and Wales.

We have more than 20 capabilities that staff and officers work in to Pursue offenders, Protect and Prepare individuals and organisations, and Prevent people from engaging in serious and organised crime.

Our capabilities are here to advise, to assist, or to fully adopt investigations.

We work with local forces and national partners to target and disrupt criminals posing the greatest risk of Serious and Organised Criminality (SOC). This includes offenders involved in cyber threats, economic crime, drug conspiracies, modern slavery and human trafficking, and child sexual abuse and exploitation.

Police Staff in one of our five regional forces can find out more about SWROCU, read case studies and learn more about our capabilities on our dedicated microsite: https://www.southwestrocu.police.uk/

We’re looking for committed people with the right skillset – or ambition to develop that skillset – to join us.

You don’t need years of experience to join us; we’ll invest in you.

What we can offer you

Flexible working – with many of our roles we can be flexible regarding working hours and your primary location.
Continuous professional development – we encourage and support career growth, giving you the opportunity of a flourishing career.
Well-being support – we have many undefined mechanisms in place to assist in improving your personal health and wellbeing.
Other perks include discounts and savings for you and your family on retail, dining out, holidays and theme parks to name just a few.
Flexible local government pension scheme.

Skills, experience and qualifications required

Essential:

Full UK driving licence due to requirement for travel within the role on a regular basis
BEng/BSc in a related engineering subject such as electronics/software development/digital forensics/computer science/information security or significant relevant work experience
Knowledge of digital forensics and a good understanding of the practical application of forensic techniques
Strong understanding of relevant forensic techniques, both theoretical and practical
Knowledge of emerging technology and trends and how these may impact on digital evidence
Meticulous record keeping, attention to detail and good personal responsibility
Ability to evidence sound judgment and decision making
Experience of leading and managing a team in a pressurised environment
Strong interpersonal, communication and presentation skills
Ability to problem solve and deal with difficult situations
Excellent analytical skills with experience of collating and analysing management information
Flexible working approach with the ability to work on-call and/or outside of normal office hours as investigations require.

Recruitment and Selection

Recruitment webinar: Tuesday 25th February at 1pm

Hosted by the capability lead or a member of their team, this is an opportunity to find out more about the role, the team you would be part of, and ask any questions.

Please contact swrocurecruitment@avonandsomerset.police.uk, whereby invites will be sent accordingly. Please note that webinars will not be recorded

General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) - we would like to make you aware that this webinar will be a group video call which may show your personal details, such as your name and email address, to other attendees on the call. Attendees also need to be mindful of the misuse of personal data and information displayed in the webinar.

The closing date for receipt of applications is: Monday 10th March 2025 12pm
Shortlisting will take place week commencing: Monday 10th March 2025
Assessments/Interviews will be held week commencing: TBC

How to Apply

All applications are processed through the Avon and Somerset Constabulary online Oleeo portal.

Contact SWROCURecruitment@avonandsomerset.police.uk for further information.

If you reach the assessment/ interview stage of a process and become a reserve applicant, we would like to retain your application. This will be pending further vacancies arising for the same role in a 12-month period. By giving your consent this does not prevent you from applying for any other opportunities.

Additional Information

Vetting and safeguarding

This post is subject to a higher security clearance at MV and SC – Management Vetting and Security Clearance Level.

To be eligible to apply for this role you must have a five-year ‘checkable history’ in the UK – ideally this means that you would have been resident in the UK for the last five years.

In accordance with the National Vetting Policy, SWROCU are committed to safeguarding and operate safer recruitment processes, to ensure a police service that employees are proud to work for because they feel safe, valued and part of a happy and supportive work environment. All employees and volunteers therefore will be subject to background checks including vetting and references.

Police Barred and Advisory lists

Individuals placed on the Police Barred and Advisory lists will not be considered for employment by the police for a minimum of five years from the date of listing in the case of gross misconduct, or three years from the date of listing in the case of poor performance.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

SWROCU is working hard to increase diversity and inclusion where communities are currently under-represented including Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic (BAME) communities, people of all ages, abilities, faiths, religions, gender, LGBTQ+ communities and those from disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds who share our values and wish to make a difference to the communities we serve. All applications will be treated on merit, based on the evidence provided in your application and suitability for the role you have applied for.

Flexible and Part Time Working

All requests for flexible working patterns and part-time working will be considered and be dependent on the role, this includes job shares and part-time hours.

Travel to Work Protocol

This is an incentive whereby staff working for SWROCU may be able to claim compensation for travelling to work if they meet a set criteria.

For more information, please refer to a copy of the protocol attached. Should you have any questions please make contact with SWROCUBusinessTeam@avonandsomerset.police.uk

If you are interested to find our more information about this post, please email us at: SWROCURecruitment@avonandsomerset.police.uk