London, Warrington
Job Summary
The Operations Manager within Integrated Communications Intelligence (ICI) Operations plays a critical role in delivering intelligence-led responses to Serious and Organised Crime (SOC). Operating at the forefront of covert communications data collection under the Investigatory Powers Act 2016, the role ensures the timely delivery of high-quality intelligence to support operational decision-making across the NCA, UKIC and law enforcement partners. This is a fast-paced, high-impact position requiring strong leadership, operational oversight and collaboration across a complex and evolving intelligence environment.
Job Description
The Operations Manager leads and delivers operational activity within Integrated Communications Intelligence (ICI) Operations, a key function of the NCA’s Intelligence Directorate. The role supports the UK’s response to Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) through the lawful collection, analysis, and dissemination of communications intelligence.
Operating in a dynamic, sensitive, and fast-paced environment, you will ensure intelligence capabilities are effectively deployed to provide timely, accurate, and actionable insight to operational partners. This includes close collaboration with NCA Investigations, intelligence colleagues, the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC), and wider law enforcement partners.
You will lead and manage a team of Intelligence Officers, delivering operational activity across a complex portfolio. The role involves enabling the lawful collection, assessment, and dissemination of time-critical intelligence, ensuring NCA collection resources are directed at the most serious criminal threats in the UK and overseas. This work directly contributes to the disruption of criminal activity, including drugs and firearms trafficking, money laundering, organised immigration crime (OIC) and child sexual abuse.
Working within a covert and sensitive environment, you will manage operational risk, including threats to life, firearms-related activity, and crimes in action, while ensuring adherence to legal and compliance frameworks. You will also represent ICI in internal and external forums, manage tasked caseloads, and build strong working relationships across teams and partner organisations.
This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual with strong leadership skills to operate in a high-impact, operational role.
Please note: Due to the nature of the work and systems involved, this role is fully office-based and does not support hybrid working. Candidates based in our London office will require DV (Enhanced) on entry.
Duties And Responsibilities
Strategic Tasking & Prioritisation - Lead and direct intelligence collection and assessment activities, ensuring they are prioritised and aligned to organisational and strategic objectives. Ensure intelligence requirements are appropriately tasked and coordinated across ICI Operations to maximise operational impact.
Risk & Threat Management - Identify, assess, and manage responses to current, emerging, and evolving threats to the public, government, national security, and law & order. Ensure risks are proactively mitigated and managed in accordance with agency policies, legal frameworks and operational priorities.
Operational Delivery & Compliance - Deliver operational outcomes within a fast-paced and complex environment, ensuring adherence to Agency policy, standard operating procedures and relevant legislation. Maintain oversight of operational activity to ensure lawful, ethical and secure execution at all times.
Intelligence Leadership & Oversight - Provide leadership and specialist guidance in relation to Intercept intelligence, ensuring effective coordination of activity. Promote and embed best practice in intelligence collection, exploitation and dissemination.
Performance & Quality Management - Allocate work across ICI Operations and monitor delivery to ensure outputs meet required standards for quality, accuracy and timeliness. Ensure all operations, outputs and projects align with strategic objectives and the NCA Control Strategy.
People Management & Capability Development - Ensure staff have the appropriate knowledge, skills, tools, and training to perform effectively. Manage performance, support professional development and build capability within the team.
Leadership & Culture - Lead by example to embed NCA values, culture, and professional standards within ICI Operations. Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing team environment focused on operational excellence.
The Operations Manager leads and delivers operational activity within Integrated Communications Intelligence (ICI) Operations, a key function of the NCA’s Intelligence Directorate. The role supports the UK’s response to Serious and Organised Crime (SOC) through the lawful collection, analysis, and dissemination of communications intelligence.
Operating in a dynamic, sensitive, and fast-paced environment, you will ensure intelligence capabilities are effectively deployed to provide timely, accurate, and actionable insight to operational partners. This includes close collaboration with NCA Investigations, intelligence colleagues, the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC), and wider law enforcement partners.
You will lead and manage a team of Intelligence Officers, delivering operational activity across a complex portfolio. The role involves enabling the lawful collection, assessment, and dissemination of time-critical intelligence, ensuring NCA collection resources are directed at the most serious criminal threats in the UK and overseas. This work directly contributes to the disruption of criminal activity, including drugs and firearms trafficking, money laundering, organised immigration crime (OIC) and child sexual abuse.
Working within a covert and sensitive environment, you will manage operational risk, including threats to life, firearms-related activity, and crimes in action, while ensuring adherence to legal and compliance frameworks. You will also represent ICI in internal and external forums, manage tasked caseloads, and build strong working relationships across teams and partner organisations.
This is an excellent opportunity for a motivated individual with strong leadership skills to operate in a high-impact, operational role.
Please note: Due to the nature of the work and systems involved, this role is fully office-based and does not support hybrid working. Candidates based in our London office will require DV (Enhanced) on entry.
Duties And Responsibilities
Strategic Tasking & Prioritisation - Lead and direct intelligence collection and assessment activities, ensuring they are prioritised and aligned to organisational and strategic objectives. Ensure intelligence requirements are appropriately tasked and coordinated across ICI Operations to maximise operational impact.
Risk & Threat Management - Identify, assess, and manage responses to current, emerging, and evolving threats to the public, government, national security, and law & order. Ensure risks are proactively mitigated and managed in accordance with agency policies, legal frameworks and operational priorities.
Operational Delivery & Compliance - Deliver operational outcomes within a fast-paced and complex environment, ensuring adherence to Agency policy, standard operating procedures and relevant legislation. Maintain oversight of operational activity to ensure lawful, ethical and secure execution at all times.
Intelligence Leadership & Oversight - Provide leadership and specialist guidance in relation to Intercept intelligence, ensuring effective coordination of activity. Promote and embed best practice in intelligence collection, exploitation and dissemination.
Performance & Quality Management - Allocate work across ICI Operations and monitor delivery to ensure outputs meet required standards for quality, accuracy and timeliness. Ensure all operations, outputs and projects align with strategic objectives and the NCA Control Strategy.
People Management & Capability Development - Ensure staff have the appropriate knowledge, skills, tools, and training to perform effectively. Manage performance, support professional development and build capability within the team.
Leadership & Culture - Lead by example to embed NCA values, culture, and professional standards within ICI Operations. Foster a collaborative, inclusive and high-performing team environment focused on operational excellence.
Person specification
Experience of Handling Sensitive Intelligence - Significant experience working with sensitive intelligence material, applying appropriate handling, security and governance standards. Ability to lead and manage Intelligence Officers. and safeguard intelligence integrity.
Knowledge of Relevant UK Legislation - Sound working knowledge of UK legislation relevant to intelligence and law enforcement activity (e.g. Investigatory Powers Act 2016) to ensure legal compliance and maintain the Agency’s licence to operate.
Risk Management & Decision-Making - Demonstrates strong ability to prioritise competing demands, assess risk and make effective decisions in a fast-paced operational environment. Regularly reviews and adapts priorities in response to changing threats and pressures.
Communication - Communicates clearly, confidently, and professionally both verbally and in writing. Adapts communication style to influence and inform a wide range of stakeholders across all levels.
Relationship Management - Builds and maintains effective working relationships with internal and external stakeholders, influencing outcomes to support operational and organisational objectives.
Organisation & Planning - Effectively plans and manages workload, working to direction where required and ensuring delivery against deadlines and operational priorities.
IT Skills - Competent in the use of core IT systems, including Microsoft Office (Word and Excel), with the ability to manage and present information accurately.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
  

Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Makes effective, timely decisions by assessing risk and prioritising competing demands in a fast-paced operational environment, adapting approach as threats and pressures evolve.
• Demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of relevant UK legislation (e.g. Investigatory Powers Act 2016), applying this effectively to ensure lawful decision-making, compliance, and the maintenance of the Agency’s licence to operate.
• Demonstrates experience of handling sensitive intelligence material, applying security, handling and governance standards to maintain integrity. Leads and manages staff to ensure compliance, accuracy and the secure delivery of intelligence outcomes.
  

Alongside your salary of £55,575, National Crime Agency contributes £16,100 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.
If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).
Other Benefits Include:

• Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
• Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
• Housing schemes - Key Worker status
• Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway , Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
• Staff support groups/networks
• Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
  

Further information is available on the NCA Website.
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Your Application Will Be Assessed Against The Following:
Technical - this will be assessed by 250 word examples on:

• Makes effective, timely decisions by assessing risk and prioritising competing demands in a fast-paced operational environment, adapting approach as threats and pressures evolve.
• Demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of relevant UK legislation (e.g. Investigatory Powers Act 2016), applying this effectively to ensure lawful decision-making, compliance, and the maintenance of the Agency’s licence to operate.
• Demonstrates significant experience of handling sensitive intelligence material, applying appropriate security, handling and governance standards to maintain integrity. Effectively leads and manages staff to ensure compliance, accuracy and the secure delivery of intelligence outcomes.
  

Experience - This Will Be Assessed:
CV
Please include your full career history, training, qualifications, key responsibilities, and achievements. Explain any employment gaps in the last two years. Ensure all accreditation dates are accurate.
Details of what is expected within your CV are as follows: Candidates are required to submit a CV as part of their application. Your CV must clearly demonstrate how your skills, knowledge, and experience meet the criteria outlined in the Person Specification for this role. Any gaps in employment or education over the past 5 years should be clearly explained within your CV.
A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.
Longlist
In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.

• Makes effective, timely decisions by assessing risk and prioritising competing demands in a fast-paced operational environment, adapting approach as threats and pressures evolve. .
  

Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.
You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.
We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.
Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.
For Guidance On The Application Process, Visit:
NCA Applying and Onboarding
Assessment 1
The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.
Success Profiles at Assessment
Behaviours

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
  

Technical

• Makes effective, timely decisions by assessing risk and prioritising competing demands in a fast-paced operational environment, adapting approach as threats and pressures evolve.
• Demonstrates sound knowledge and understanding of relevant UK legislation (e.g. Investigatory Powers Act 2016), applying this effectively to ensure lawful decision-making, compliance, and the maintenance of the Agency’s licence to operate.
• Demonstrates significant experience of handling sensitive intelligence material, applying appropriate security, handling and governance standards to maintain integrity. Effectively leads and manages staff to ensure compliance, accuracy and the secure delivery of intelligence outcomes.
  

Assessment Outcome
Outcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.
If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.
In The Event Of a Tie At The Assessment Stage, Available Roles Will Be Offered In Merit Order Using The Following Order:

• Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
• If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
• If still tied, application sift scores will be used
  

Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.
You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.
Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records.
We encourage all candidates to visit the NCA Careers Page for more information.
Full advert details for this vacancy can found on the advert on the NCA Recruitment Portal. Please follow the link to apply at advertisers' site.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours, Experience and Technical skills.
Security
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Medical
Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact :

• Name : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
• Telephone : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
  

Recruitment team

• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
  

Further information
If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email: Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk (quoting the vacancy reference). If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.