National Firearms Instructor

Location: Follingsby Park, Gateshead

Contract: Fixed term until 31st March 2028  - part-time (22.5 hours per week)

Salary: Band 7 £22,695 - £24,386 pro rata including Market Supplement  

Working for #TeamNP   

Our purpose at Team NP is simple: to keep people safe and to fight crime. But it takes more than officers alone to do the job – and that’s where our 2,000-strong team of police staff and 200 volunteers come in.    

As one of the largest police forces in England we have a huge variety of departments and specialisms offering you endless opportunities. From mentoring and coaching schemes and online soft skills courses to leadership development programmes; we’ll give you the support, training and time to carve out the career you always wanted.    

As one of the top 50 UK inclusive employers and a disability confident employer, we promote a culture of respect in the workplace so everyone can feel seen, heard and valued.    

Whether you’re a member of staff or a volunteer, you can also expect first-rate support to manage your health and wellbeing. With year-round events, a 24/7 welfare support hotline and a leading approach to neurodiversity, our initiatives enable you to be at your best.    

Above all else, here at Team NP, we can offer you a career that is so much more than just a job, it’s a chance to be part of something that really matters.     

Learn about our full benefits package   

The role 

Ever wondered what it’s like working behind the scenes for one of the UK’s largest Police Forces? Here at Northumbria Police, we are extremely excited to be able to offer a rare and amazing opportunity to come and join as a Police Staff Firearms Instructor to work alongside our experienced firearms training team at our state-of-the-art training centre based at Follingsby Park.

You will be delivering firearms courses on behalf of the Metropolitan Police; when not employed on MetPol courses you will be assisting in the delivery of firearms training to Northumbria Police FSU. 

What you’ll do   

Prepare and deliver theoretical and practical lessons to cover all aspects of the NPFTC to Police officers to ensure that they are suitably trained and assessed to deploy on armed operations.
Undertake formative and summative assessments of shooting and tactics in order to determine the competency of individuals to the required national standard and ensure all supporting records, both paper and electronic, are correctly completed and submitted.
Manage and supervise Police officers involved in live firing practices on police and/or military ranges as a Range Conducting Officer (RCO) and Range Safety Officer (RSO) to ensure the safety and range SOP’s are adhered to.
Perform the role of weapons issue officer to ensure that firearms being issued to, or returned from, students is done in a safe manner in line with SOP’s and that this process is recorded through the chronicle armoury system.
Provide and maintain a safe working environment ensuring Health & Safety procedures, relevant policies, guidelines, regulations and risk assessments are adhered to in order to ensure that the force meets its obligations.

Sound interesting? For further information, and to support your application, please view the job description

What you’ll bring   

Must have attended and passed an accredited Police National Firearms Instructors course – Please indicate this in your application form
Formerly served as a Police Officer and have been confirmed as a constable, provided that the police service ceased less than three years prior to being employed as a police staff firearms instructor (College of Policing stipulation).
Must have been an Authorised Firearms officer within the last three years (College of Policing stipulation).
Level 3 Award in Education and Training, including mandatory unit – ‘Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment’ or Level 3 – ‘Preparing to Teach in the Lifelong Learning Sector’, including as a mandatory unit – ‘Understanding the Principles and Practices of Assessment’.
Demonstrable ability to plan and manage a busy workload, being able to prioritise shifting time restraints.
Ability to identify current or potential problems and deal with them with minimal supervision.
Must be able to deliver training to large groups of adults in a clear and concise manner, often in challenging or harsh environments.

We know it's important for you to feel that you're not only part of a great team, but part of a community. We welcome applications from suitably qualified people from all sections of the community, regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex, and sexual orientation.    

Harnessing these differences creates a productive environment in which everyone feels valued, and their talents are fully utilised. Appointments are based on merit alone.   

Interested to learn more? To discuss the position in more detail please contact Laura Stabler, Inspector Firearms Support Unit via email on laura.stabler@northumbria.police.uk or Mark Phillipps, Inspector Force Incident Manager via email on mark.phillipps@northumbria.police.uk  

What we offer

26 days’ leave (increasing to 30 days for 5 years+ service) plus 8 bank holidays 
NHS Fleet Solutions Car Lease Scheme 
Enhanced maternity, shared parental and adoption leave 
Flexi time - allowing you to fit your working hours around your individual needs 
Flexible working (we are happy to discuss options such as compressed hours) 
Agile working – option to work from home, your team zone, and spaces across the force 
Fantastic market-leading public sector pension scheme with up to 16% employer contribution 
Corporate travel schemes – local rail, bus services and metro discounts 
Access to private healthcare and eye test vouchers 
Discounts on shopping and eating out thanks to the Blue Light Card and Blue Light Tickets 
We’ve invested in extensive paid sick leave, trained mental health first aiders on-site, an employee advice service for the times you need that additional support
Access to gyms in some stations  
Sports & Social Club – join our thriving sports scene at Team NP and enjoy further exclusive discounts on days out and travel 
Cycle to work scheme 
Opportunity to volunteer in local community

We are committed to building a dynamic, agile workplace where meaningful connection are key. For roles designated as agile or home-based, employees will work from a Force site at least once a week, with two days recommended. Hiring managers will be happy to discuss how this works in practice at interview stage. This approach helps build strong relationships, supports wellbeing, and fosters collaboration across teams. 

Just so you know 

Candidates with priority status will be given precedence for this role over other applicants.  

Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a National Firearms Instructor with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.    

The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by a face to face interview. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.    

We are proud members of the Business Disability Forum, with whom we collaborate with to improve the lives of disabled employees. We are also a Disability Confident Employer, therefore if you demonstrate that you meet the minimum criteria for this role as stated in the advert, we will progress your application and offer you an interview.   

If you tell us that you have a disability, we can make adjustments to support you through the recruitment process (for example we can arrange extra time for tests or provide a sign language interpreter) You can get in touch with us via careers@northumbria.police.uk for any support regarding the application process. Please provide us with plenty of notice so we can ensure your visit goes smoothly.   

Use of AI in Applications: At Northumbria Police, we embrace innovative technologies to enhance our recruitment process. We understand that candidates may use AI tools to assist with their applications. While AI can be a valuable resource, we encourage applicants to ensure their submissions accurately reflect their personal qualifications, experiences, and skills. Our selection process includes thorough evaluations to verify the authenticity and suitability of all applications. We value genuine and thoughtful responses that showcase your unique strengths and perspectives.  

If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Management Vetting (MV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 5 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed.  A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.   

Terms of appointment   

This is a fixed term role subject to a six-month probationary period.  

If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.   

Please note if you are interested in applying for this secondment opportunity, please discuss this with your Line Manager and gain agreement prior to applying.    

We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible. 