Announcements (Archive)

Civil Nuclear Police Authority, Chair

Body
Civil Nuclear Police Authority
Appointing Department
Department of Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy
Sectors
Defence, Prison & Policing
Location
Hybrid - Remote and Culham Science Centre, Abingdon OX14 3DB
Number of Vacancies
1
Remuneration
£67,000 per year
Time Requirements
3 days per week

Campaign Timeline

  1. Competition Launched

    14/04/2022

  2. Closed for Applications

    16/05/2022

  3. Panel Sift

    16/06/2022

  4. Final Interview Date

    26/07/2022

  5. Announcement

    05/12/2022

Announcement

An announcement has been made on the outcome of this appointment.

Susan Johnson has been appointed as the Chair of the Civil Nuclear Police Authority Board for 3 years. Her term will end on October 2025.

Date: 05/12/2022

Assessment Panel

Panel Member
Helen Shirley-Quirk
Panel Role
Panel Chair
Positions
Director, Nuclear Protection Directorate, BEIS Departmental Official
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Political Activity-
Notes-
Panel Member
Matt Parr, CB
Positions
HM Inspector of Constabulary and HM Inspector of Fire & Rescue Services, CNPA Representative of Organisation
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Political Activity-
Notes-
Panel Member
Abi Olapade 
Positions
Independent Member
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Political Activity-
Notes-

Vacancy Description

The Civil Nuclear Police Authority (CNPA) is a BEIS Non-Departmental Public Body responsible for the effectiveness and efficiency of the Civil Nuclear Constabulary (CNC) in its mission of protecting civil nuclear sites and material. The CNPA is critical to ensuring the CNC meets the needs of the nuclear operating companies and supports the UK in meetings its domestic and international nuclear security commitments.

Comprising a Board of nine independent and nuclear sector representatives, the CNPA is independent of the CNC’s management and hold it to account through regular Authority meetings and three standing committees chaired by non-Executives – the Audit, Risk and Finance Committee, the Senior Appointments Committee and the People Committee. The CNPA employs all CNC police officers and staff.

Based in Culham, Oxfordshire, the CNC is a specialist, armed police force responsible for protecting the UK’s 10 licenced nuclear facilities, and civil nuclear material in transit in the UK and internationally. The constabulary employs over 1,500 police officers and police support staff and plays an important role in supporting the UK’s wider response to national emergencies. The CNC’s gross budget for 2020/21 is over £100 million, funded primarily through fees paid by nuclear operators.

The next three years will be a period of significant opportunity and change for the CNC. In line with its published 2020 strategy, and subject to legislation, it will be seeking to diversify its services beyond the civil nuclear sector in order to support organisational skills retention and job enrichment. The CNC will also be procuring and delivering a number of significant programmes (including major IT upgrades) over the coming years, as well as implementing new business-planning and procurement procedures – operating in a context where public scrutiny of policing functions is rightly at its height.

The CNPA is responsible for:

  • Maintaining an efficient and effective CNC and determining its policing objectives.
  • Leading and supporting the CNC in the delivery of its strategy and changing functions.
  • Appointing members of the Executive Team and employing members of the CNC.
  • Accounting for the CNC’s operational and managerial performance to the Secretary of State and to the public.
  • Setting the strategy, policy, resource and performance management framework for the CNC.
  • Monitoring the CNC’s overall performance against the agreed strategies and agreeing remedial action if needed.
  • Supporting and advising the CEO/Chief Constable in the exercise of his functions

Further information about the work of the CNPA can be found at: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-nuclear-police-authority

Person Specification

The Chair will help set the strategic direction for the CNC, working closely with the CNC Chief Constable and his executives to help deliver the 2020 strategy. At the same time, the Chair must ensure the CNC continues to effectively perform its core function of protecting civil nuclear sites and that it maintains public confidence in an environment of increased public scrutiny of policing. Part of this role will be supporting the CNC to provide a diverse, ethical, inclusive and safe working environment for all employees, instilling high morale and a positive culture throughout the organisation. We want to ensure that the CNC’s key driver of value – its people – are prioritised at Board level.

The Chair will need to challenge and scrutinise CNC investment, procurement and delivery decisions, ensuring the CNC continues to appropriately balance its operational and accounting responsibilities effectively. They will need to provide an enabling framework for a highly operational organisation and assist with building capability. Whilst not necessarily coming from a policing or nuclear background, the Chair should understand the context and environment in which the CNC operates, display sound judgement, and make an effective contribution to decision-making.

At the same time, the Chair will provide effective strategic leadership to the Authority and ensure it continues to provide oversight, challenge, and support to the CNC. The Chair will need to evaluate the Authority’s membership and governance structures, ensuring the retention of appropriate customer representation, capability and scrutiny, whilst seeking opportunities for the Authority’s growth and development. Further activities may be undertaken on an ad-hoc basis, including the opportunity to mentor a member of the executive. The Chair must comply with all relevant codes of conduct and maintain the highest standards of conduct and ethics.

Essential criteria

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

  • *Experience in supporting organisations to deliver transformational organisational and cultural change, and to implement change programmes.
  • A strong track record in scrutinising value for money, performance against targets, and in challenging complex proposals to achieve operational outcomes and efficiency.
  • Excellent communication skills and evidence of building effective professional relationships at the Executive and non-Executive level. Ability to constructively challenge and influence decision-making.
  • Substantial experience of organisational governance including corporate capability building and development.
  • An interest in, and a commitment to, public service, with the ability to work in an open and publicly accountable way, sometimes under the pressure of close public scrutiny.

*In the event that we receive a large volume of applications we reserve the right to conduct the sift based on one lead criteria.

Desirable criteria

We are particularly keen to receive applications from people with previous experience of operating as a non-Executive Director or at Board Level, and experience of working with Whitehall and Central Government. Please note that candidates who have worked in the nuclear sector in the six months prior to joining the CNPA Board may present a conflict of interest which will need to be explored at interview.

Additional Information

Please tailor your application to show how you meet the criteria listed. You should set out your suitability for the role and how you meet the criteria set out in the person specification.

If you are shortlisted for the role, due diligence will be carried out.

You will be asked to prepare some identification documents if you are invited to an interview – further information will be provided at that stage.

Please note feedback will not be provided after the shortlisting stage. Only candidates who attend an interview will be provided with feedback.

How to Apply

Your application is submitted in two parts.

Both parts must be submitted by 23:00 on 16th May 2022 in order for your application to be considered complete. Applications received after this date will not be considered.

Part one: CV and Statement of Suitability

  • One document combining a two-page statement of suitability and two-page CV (no more than four sides of A4 in total). The key to a good application is to give the reader specific information about how you meet the criteria for appointment. Think about your knowledge, skills, experience and personal attributes, and take full advantage of the space available. Provide practical evidence that best demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria
  • Save the document as ‘Surname, First initial – URN542 – Civil Nuclear Police Authority’.
  • Send to publicappointments@beis.gov.uk with URN542 – Civil Nuclear Police Authority in the subject heading.

Part two: Diversity Monitoring and Conflict of Interest Form.

  • Complete Diversity Monitoring and Conflict of Interest Form.