Role Title: Director International
Grade/pay band: Director (SCS2)
Command: NCA Operations
Reports to: Director General Operations
Location: London*, Warrington – to note: this role will require frequent attendance at our London office, if not based there, and regular international travel.
*Under the NCA Estates Strategy, the London office is part of a planned relocation to a new NCA HQ in Stratford, London. Relocation is expected to take place in 2025-26. If you are successful for a London role, please be aware that your post will be relocated from Spring Gardens, Vauxhall to Endeavour Square, Stratford E20.
This is a high-profile role at the heart of the NCA’s Senior Leadership Team. The NCA is looking for an exceptional individual to lead the Agency’s International directorate as Director, maintaining the delivery and development of our International work on behalf of the Agency and UK Law Enforcement.
Over the next five years, it is likely that increasing instability, technological advances, and the changing threat picture will present new opportunities for Serious and Organised Crime (SOC), meaning a truly international law enforcement response will be critical in protecting the public from serious and organised crime. Currently leading a team of nearly 500 officers, the director role will be pivotal in providing the strategic lead for the Agency.
Key responsibilities
- Provide Executive Level leadership on the Agency’s strategic initiatives to tackle International criminality through collaboration with host nations law enforcement and intelligence agencies and up to ministerial level in conjunction with FCDO.
- Promote cross-Whitehall engagement at Director level and collaborative working with senior overseas law enforcement partners.
- Develop and strengthen existing strategic relationships with overseas partners, such as Five Eyes Law Enforcement Group (FELEG), INTERPOL and Europol to enhance the capacity to work collaboratively on transnational threats.
- Champion the Agency’s capability to provide overall lead and direction to coordinate UK law enforcement overseas.
- Cultivate and manage a range of relationships and key strategic alliances with cross-Whitehall and international law enforcement partnerships.
- Chair International Board, responsible for taking key decisions on network deployments in conjunction with the FCDO.
- Prioritising, securing and effective allocation of resources across the International platform to ensure optimal delivery of NCA strategic directives and business priorities.
- Regularly review the performance and continuing relevance of NCA International footprint and law enforcement response based on a clear understanding of cost, risk and contribution to NCA strategic objectives.
- Ensuring alignment of NCA with HMG strategies, policies and standards.
Functions and context
The International Liaison Officer (ILO) network is the largest overseas capability within the Agency with over 175 officers working alongside the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) platform and/or in collaboration with host nation law enforcement and intelligence organisations. It acts primarily as an operational liaison function, providing clear leadership for the UK SOC response within the country or region it covers, and working with the host country to deliver against UK and partner requirements.
- To further integrate and develop the JICC, Interpol and Europol units with the bilateral ILO network deployed overseas.
The Joint International Crime Centre (JICC) leads and coordinates lawful international cooperation through a 24/7 UK based service that prioritises and responds to operational requirements of domestic and international partners. Including the Europol and INTERPOL bureaux, JICC houses over 200 officers.
The INTERPOL Unit holds the responsibility within the JICC for INTERPOL casework and the dissemination of INTERPOL Notices and Diffusions.
Our INTERPOL Notices & Diffusion activity relates to that received from foreign partners and that issued on behalf of UK Law Enforcement both incoming and outgoing. This process manages the threat and risk posed by offenders and suspects and manages the international travel of subjects of investigation and the notifying of international partners of a threat they may pose.
INTERPOL Unit also has the responsibility for sharing emerging threats and Modus Operandi from INTERPOL member states around the world and/or from the UK Law Enforcement to partners abroad through the use of INTERPOL Orange and Purple Notices.
Europol is an organisation which exists to support the authorities of the European Member States in combating cross border, Serious Organised Crime. Europol also supports in excess of 35 operational partners from countries around the world.
Engagement with Europol can be achieved through liaison with UK Europol – the combined UK Liaison Bureau (UKLB) at Europol HQ at The Hague and the UK Europol National Unit (UK ENU) based in the JICC. The team comprises NCA and other UK law enforcement partners including NPCC, HOIO, HMRC, SO15, MPS, ACRO and Police Scotland.