Job Title: Data Protection Officer

Salary: The starting salary is £94,088, which includes allowances totalling £3,009.

The salary is broken down as £ 91,079 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £ 100,387. Plus, a location allowance of £2,009 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.

Location: Remote working nationally within UK. NPCC is currently based in close proximity to St James’ Park Underground Station, London and therefore occasional travel will be required to this premise and other Police locations across the UK. We encourage applications from candidates living across the UK. Further details on flexible arrangements will be discussed at interview stage.

THE NATIONAL POLICE CHIEFS’ COUNCIL (NPCC)

Policing is operating in a time of global change and uncertainty, the public and our staff need a service which is responsive, able to tackle future challenges and embrace opportunity.

The National Police Chiefs’ Council (NPCC) brings UK police leaders together to set direction in policing and drive progress for the public.

We achieve this through:

Coordination – by joining up the operational response to critical national policing issues to deliver policing today and shape the future.
Collaboration – by working in partnership as part of the whole policing system and beyond to improve public safety.
Communication – by sharing the collective expertise, views and action of UK police chiefs.

NPCC BUSINESS SUPPPORT TEAM

The NPCC DPO role sits within the wider NPCC Business Support Team. Business Support maintains the logistics for the delivery of strategic meetings including Chief Constables Council, Regional Chiefs and the newly formed Strategic Planning and Coordination Board. Other responsibilities include supporting the remote workforce for all IT and equipment, HR support, finance, governance assurance, information management and data protection protocols, and host force management duties. The team also work with a wide range of internal and external stakeholders to ensure the NPCC is able to support Chief Officers in the constantly evolving areas of national policing. 

THE ROLE

To perform the protected statutory and independent role of Data Protection Officer for the NPCC and be the responsible officer for the provision of strategic advice, planning, and compliance with all aspects of the Data Protection Act 2018 and UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and associated legislation and guidance.

You will work at the centre of UK policing, engaging with police forces, national bodies, government partners, and strategic boards. Your work will ensure that national policing initiatives, digital programmes, operational frameworks, and policy development all meet the highest standards of privacy, transparency, and data ethics.

The successful candidate would need to have the following experiences and skills:

Data Protection legislation requires that the DPO is appointed on the basis of their ‘professional qualities and in particular their expert knowledge of data protection law and practices and the ability to perform the tasks’ set out in the Data Protection Legislation. There is also a statutory requirement that the DPO maintains their knowledge on Data Protection law and practice.
Research from a wide variety of UK and overseas sources, Data Protection and privacy-related legal judgements, legislation, case law, policy, guidance and opinion; policing processes; and IT infrastructure.
Identify the likely future needs and obligations of the NPCC in relation to the information management function, taking account of internal and external factors and the impact of national policing, and positively create strategic organisational change in response to such factors.
Prepared and able ‘to speak truth to power’
Set function, team and individual objectives, assess progress, identify emerging risks, issues and opportunities, and take corrective steps as required to ensure that the right results are achieved.

EMPLOYEE BENEFITS - If you join and work for us, you will get access to:

A competitive salary with yearly increments.
Support networks, free Employees' Assistance Programme, Occupational Health and wellbeing services.
Flexitime, with the ability to undertake your hours flexibly and in line with business need.
Hybrid working, with the ability to work remotely dependent on role.
Competitive pension scheme.
Company sick pay.
Job related equipment supplied
Specialist equipment supplied, under Occupational Health referral
Access to the Blue Light Card Scheme for discounts and services (requires a one-off payment of £5).
Development, coaching and mentoring opportunities available.
Supportive and flexible onboarding plan, including regular check-ins throughout your initial period of joining us to ensure you are up to speed with the role and getting the support you need.

VETTING

Applicants must hold or be prepared to undergo MV & SC level before taking up the post.

APPLICATION REQUIREMENTS

DPO must possess a formally recognised Data Protection professional qualification such as the BCS Certificate, CIPM, or CIPP/E.

Please provide a CV and evidence against the following competencies, (350 words maximum per competency) which are based on the knowledge, skills and experience set out in the job description and the competencies in the Competency and Values Framework (CVF).

Please note, CV’s will not be assessed within the initial application, answers to the CVF questions alone determine next steps. Once candidates identified for interview has been confirmed, CV’s will then be shared with the appropriate Hiring Manager.

Please note, the job description is used as a framework to review and manage performance when an individual is in post, and therefore not all knowledge, skills and experience are required from the outset. We are looking for someone who can demonstrate some of these and is willing to learn and achieve objectives set.

We are collaborative, Level 3 -Describe a time when you needed to influence multiple stakeholders or partner organisations with differing priorities or opinions on how personal data should be processed. How did you align stakeholders, manage disagreement, and enable an agreed outcome?
We take Ownership, Level 3- Provide an example of where you had to take ownership by making, or strongly standing behind, an independent decision on a data protection matter that was unpopular or challenged by senior stakeholders. How did you approach this, and how did you ensure the decision was implemented?
We are Innovative and Open Minded, Level 3 - Describe a situation where you made a significant impact on the design or redesign of an initiative, framework, or programme involving the processing of personal data. What existing assumptions or practices did you challenge, and how did your approach improve outcomes while managing data protection risk?

Should you want to know more about the role, we would strongly encourage you contact hr-recruitment@npcc.police.uk to arrange an informal conversation.

Please do not attach 2 copies of your CV.

REASONABLE ADJUSTMENTS 

We are committed to inclusive recruitment and support reasonable adjustments in line with the Equality Act 2010. If you require adjustments (e.g. assistive tech, extra time, or advance questions), please let us know in advance. 

FAIR RECRUITMENT 

To ensure fairness, interviews and assessments must be completed independently. The use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) or external assistance during these stages is not permitted. AI may be used to help prepare your application, provided the content is honest and reflects your own experience. 

Candidates found using unauthorised tools during interviews will be withdrawn from the process. We value integrity, transparency, and personal accountability. Demonstrating these qualities throughout the recruitment process is essential. 

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Occasional national travel may be required. Travel expenses will be paid if location allowance is not being received, or when travel falls outside of the home to work journey. NPCC will pay for overnight accommodation if required.

The Metropolitan Police manage HR for NPCC recruitment.

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 14/06/2026

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 WC 15th June 2026.

Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interviews will be held via Microsoft Teams on 29th June 2026 & 30th June 2026.

The Met is committed to being an inclusive employer with a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences.

We particularly welcome applications from ethnic minority groups and females.

As a Disability Confident employer, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice.

We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term health conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. 

If you consider yourself to have access, workplace or reasonable adjustment requirements that need to be accommodated, we ask that you include this information within your application form.

All matters will be treated in strict confidence and will not affect any recruitment decisions.

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