ODU Organisational Learning & Exercising Officer - Counter Terrorism Policing
Closing date: 18 January 2026 11:59pm
Salary: £44,700 - £50,949
Grade: 7
Type: Full time
The Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) network stretches across the UK. We work alongside our partners to help protect the public and our national security by preventing, deterring and investigating terrorist activity.
Based at our modern offices near to Birmingham International Airport, our Operational Development Unit (ODU) is a dedicated team who are responsible for the strategic management of Learning, Training and Exercising (LTE) within the CT Network. The unit forms a key part of the Prepare strand of the Home Office CONTEST Strategy. Working alongside our partners, the ODU harnesses the value of shared LTE to ensure the CT Network is ready, prepared and interoperable to respond to current and emerging terrorism threats.
We are looking for a motivated, dynamic and suitably qualified Organisational Learning & Exercising Officer to join the department. This role necessitates occasional national travel and out of hours working.
We are happy to consider a more agile approach to your working location and as this is a National role we will be happy to consider the successful candidate working from an area outside of the West Midlands.
The role
The NCTP Organisational Learning and Exercising Team (OL&E) is a dedicated team responsible for strategic development and improving & implementing knowledge management and learning systems across the CT Network.
The role of the National OL&E Officer includes supporting the CT Network with the co-ordination, development and delivery of Counter Terrorism exercises involving strategic partners and the implementation and quality assurance of organisational learning processes across 10 CT regions.
You’ll set national priorities, support and provide guidance to OL&E staff throughout the CT network under an agreed matrix-management protocol, and quality assure organisational learning, assessment and progression.
Responsibilities
- To lead and support national projects aligned to the National CT Organisational Learning Strategy to develop an interoperable Organisational Learning capability for the CT network.
- To make complex decisions and provide strategic direction and taskings to NCTP funded regional OL&D posts subject to governance and matrix-management arrangements.
- To plan and organise individual and team activities including setting aims/objectives and managing actions for delivery within set deadlines.
- To produce management reports for a strategic audience. These will include project proposals/business cases and performance reports.
- To develop and build relationships with partner agencies in relation to CT network organisational learning and exercising, including national leads in the Security Service, MOD and Home Office.
- To lead and coordinate working groups/conferences and represent the National OL&E unit at National Working Groups to promote shared learning and operational improvement.
- To lead on the development, implementation and management of the Network-wide Organisational Learning System IT application, which tracks lessons progression from identification (via exercises, operational debriefs and thematic reviews) through to resolution, testing and closure.
- To co-ordinate, design, prepare and deliver National Counter Terrorism exercises involving the Police CT Network and facilitate opportunities for learning and testing of new operational initiatives in accordance with the National Organisational Learning and Development Strategy.
- Planning, delivery and production of National Operational debriefs as requested via the Senior National Co-ordinator and delivery and production of debriefs for National MOD CT land based exercises.
- To manage the quality assurance regime for the CT Network in capturing, validating and evaluating organisational learning activity across all CT units to ensure that exercising, debriefing and lessons capture processes are consistent and comply with national standards.
- Promote and comply with NCTP policies on equal opportunities and H&S both in delivery of services and maintenance of discipline and professional standards for Organisational Learning activity across the UK.
- Promote equality, diversity and Human Rights in working practices by developing and maintaining positive working relationships, ensuring that colleagues are treated fairly and contributing to developing equality of opportunity in working practices.
- To support the Training and Development Team in the development and delivery of national CT training programmes and continued professional development of national cadres.
Skills and competencies
Essential
- Post holder will have experience and/or qualifications in project management, debriefing and risk assessment.
- Have experience of delivering presentations for a specialist audience.
- Experience of collating, evaluating and processing complex data sets to identify trends and common themes and present outcomes in a formal written style.
- Evidence of attending, organising, facilitating and chairing local, regional and national working groups.
- Evidence of successful interpretation and application of relevant legislation, including contributing to new legislation/national bodies.
- Experience of identifying learning, implementing initiatives and contributing to best practice within a process-based work environment.
- Candidates should be able to demonstrate awareness of equality and diversity appropriate to this role and have a high level of personal integrity.
- Must evidence strong and effective communication and interpersonal skills as the post holder is required to support negotiate and influence at all levels throughout the CT network to ensure Organisational Learning activity is delivered to a national standard.
- Experience of IT packages including Microsoft packages such as Word, Outlook, Excel, Powerpoint, Visio etc.
- Hold a full driving licence and be prepared to travel nationally.
Desirable
- Have a working knowledge of Counter Terrorism Policing.
- Experience of policy formulation and development.
- Have experience of delivering exercises.
- Management of national portfolios.
- Experience of matrix-management or line management of personnel.
- Knowledge of financial regulations and procedures.
Additional information
The post holder will be contracted to work 36.5 hours per week, but will need to be flexible to meet the demands of the post and may have to work outside normal core hours. The role will predominantly be completed during the hours of 0800hrs to 1600hrs Monday to Friday using a flexible working policy.
There will be an expectation that the post holder is prepared to travel nationally on a regular basis to perform this role including having to work extended hours at locations throughout the UK, including some International travel as and when required.
Security Clearance
⚠ This post requires British nationality (some dual nationalities may be ineligible) and an Enhanced Security Check Clearance.
You will need to undergo additional security clearance checks, with the offer of employment being conditional on obtaining all of the necessary security clearances.
There are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries once in post.
Diversity & Inclusion
We maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities, whilst protecting them from harm.
Counter Terrorism Policing is always working to build upon our diverse workforce to reflect the country we serve. An inclusive culture enables us to do things differently, working in ways that meet individuals’ needs, flexing working patterns to ensure work-life balance is healthy so that we deliver the best for the organisation.
We are a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a Disability Confident Interview Scheme - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.
It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example, in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.
Advertisement Closing Date
We reserve the right to close this advertisement early if the maximum volume of applications has been reached. Candidates with unsubmitted applications will not be informed prior to the advert closing.
Please do not attach a CV/covering letter as these will not be used during the application process.