Director of policy, partnerships and engagement - Counter Terrorism Policing HQ

The role of CTPHQ Director of policy, partnerships and engagement is pivotal in ensuring that CTP has effective structures in place to shape the strategic goals of counter terrorism policing and ensure their effective communication via CTP’s policies, positions and approaches.

The role holder is responsible for direction and oversight across multiple linked functions: CTP external and internal communications, government liaison, policy advice and guidance, senior leadership briefings, governance secretariat, as well as co-ordinating the private offices of CTP senior principals, the HQ chief of staff function, and ensuring a crisis response function exists to streamline liaison between government and CTP operations at critical moments.

• The director has a key responsibility in providing timely advice and guidance to executive CTP leadership, including through the provision of formal briefings, policy guidance and strategic communications and engagement plans.
• The director will be responsible for fostering and maintaining strong relationships with the Home Office and wider government, engaging directly with directors and deputy directors across Whitehall to secure support for Counter Terrorism Policing (CTP) priorities and requirements. This will include ensuring that CTP's interests are effectively represented in discussions on national policy, legislation, and other strategic matters, while securing the support needed by CTPHQ. The role will also involve close engagement with counterparts across partner organisations and accountability for coordinating coherent, timely responses and communications during terrorist incidents and other national security crises.
• The director has responsibility for the implementation of an authentic, innovative communications delivery model for CTP. The role holder will represent and speak on behalf of CTP nationally and internationally.
• The role holder will have responsibility for optimising the overall coherence and effectiveness of CTP decision-making in order to fulfil the directives of the CTP national strategy; achieved though leadership of a dedicated governance secretariat, management of CTPHQ private offices, executive support teams and a central chief of staff function.
• The director has a lead role in developing the culture of CTP and in particular the individual and collective behaviours of senior leaders within the network. They will shape and oversee what leadership development looks like, as well as ensuring behaviours which fall below the standards we set are called out and tackled.

 Line Management Responsibilities

Line management responsibilities will consist principally of two deputy directors, covering respective portfolios of (1) communications [BB3] and (2) policy and partnerships [BB3].

The role also oversees a substantial directorate of staff which represents one of four directorates that form the corporate structure of CTPHQ. There are multiple underlying teams within the directorate working across all bands covering communications, policy, private offices, government liaison/briefings, governance and co-ordination.

Attitudes and Behaviours

In order to excel in this position, the Director of policy, partnership and engagement is expected to uphold the highest levels of professionalism. They will communicate clearly and transparently in decision-making and maintain impartiality when dealing with colleagues, external partners and the public in a way that builds and maintains trust and confidence.

They will lead and enable an inclusive organisational culture that promotes and supports IDE, leading by example, role modelling good practice, influencing, motivating and inspiring individuals and teams. As a senior leader they will employ ethical strategies and approaches to achieve organisational aims and take ownership of incidents and events, fostering a culture that supports, prioritises and maintains workforce wellbeing and resilience.

They will be a strategic thinker who looks ahead to understand future challenges and priorities; building collaborative partnerships across complex systems and political environments. To foster their own personal growth and improve as a leader they will also be expected to use reflection at all times and be open to feedback and other perspectives.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Leadership and Direction

• Represent CTP in regional, national and international fora to progress issues of importance to CTP, as well as speaking on behalf of CTP – including speeches and briefings – at national security-related events.
• Provide overarching leadership to the deputy director – communications and deputy director – policy and partnerships; ensuring coherence and alignment across CTP communications, leadership support, policy advice, guidance and briefing functions, as well as governance secretariat.
• Act as the senior representative for all directorate outputs, ensuring that products, advice and activity are coordinated, timely and support effective decision-making by CTP leadership.
• Ensure all areas operate with shared standards, consistent priorities, and with an effective flow of information.
• Lead the negotiation on CTP’s annual funding settlement with the Home Office, with the authority to coordinate and drive the development of spending review submissions to enable CTP to deliver its missions and duties for Counter Terrorism, counter state threats, and protective security.

Governance, Private Office, Briefing & Policy Coordination

• Advise and brief CTP’s senior leaders in their leadership of CTP while also engaging for CTP with policing, security, law enforcement and government partners, nationally and internationally to support CTP’s missions directly and by building support of other partners.
• Working with the deputy director – policy and partnerships, ensure the strategic briefing function and private offices operate effectively and work seamlessly together to produce clear, accurate and consistent briefings for ACSO, DG, both SNCs and senior stakeholders across government.
• Optimise the way that private offices, governance and briefings work together – alongside communications – to build resilience across these functions and bring early support to CTP seniors. Developing POs to be proactive in their duties.
• Maintain oversight of policy-related work, ensuring coordination of policy, assurance and alignment across capabilities and in line with 4 Ps, taking on learning opportunities on how to improve policy integration across the HQ and wider CT Network.
• Lead the development of coherent CTP positions on policy and legislation to inform their development in support of public safety and security, whilst also navigating CTP’s organisational response to operational incidents and investigations by leading and developing a coherent CTPHQ on-call function for times of crisis
• With support of the deputy director – policy and partnerships, drive improvements in governance processes across CTPHQ, ensuring that decision-making forums (boards, groups, senior meetings) are supported with high-quality papers, briefings, actions and reporting, directing actions and/or enforcing governance outcomes where applicable. Ensure seamless workflow between communications, private offices and briefings to optimise passage of information between government, CTPHQ leadership, CTPHQ and the public. Look for ways to continuously improve this process, understanding its pivotal position during times of crisis.
• Own governance frameworks and maintain responsibility for their continuous development.

Communications Leadership & Public Confidence

• Provide senior oversight of the national CTP communications function, working with the deputy director of communications to deliver authentic, innovative, trusted national and regional communications.
• Have overall responsibility for the development of the CTP brand; building a recognised and trusted brand that promotes CTP values and conveys CTP’s public mission
• Support the deputy director of communications in developing a comprehensive suite of communications products, programmes and campaigns which exploit traditional media channels whilst also exploiting new technologies to reach different audiences
• Ensure that our public communications approach is designed strategically to develop understanding of CTP, promote vigilance, encourage reporting and act as a deterrent
• Provide senior counsel to ACSO, DG, SNCs and other senior leaders on communications matters, reputation, public messaging and stakeholder sensitivities.

Crisis and Incident Response

• Provide senior strategic coordination across communications, governance, briefing, private offices and leadership support functions during major incidents; ensuring accuracy, consistency and operationally safe public messaging.
• Ensure readiness across all teams in the directorate for fast paced incident response, including clear activation processes, debriefs, learning capture, continuous improvement and on-call function.
• Support senior leaders with high quality situational briefings, stakeholder messaging and internal communications during crises. Acting with delegated authority during incidents for communications, escalation and strategic coordination decisions, ensuring alignment to DG, ACSO and SNCs directives.
• Throughout, striking the right balance between protecting CTP interests and responding to stakeholder feedback

Organisational Culture, People Leadership & Team Development

• Lead, develop, recruit and retain a multi-skilled, diverse, insightful and influential directorate of high-performing individuals at the heart of CTP to provide a professional service to CTP’s HQ and national network. Put in place and maintain strong corporate approaches to directorate team leadership and management, ensuring colleagues’ successful work delivery in stretching and challenging roles, as well as ensuring professional development and personal resilience are supported and maintained.
• Provide visible and inclusive leadership that promotes a culture of wellbeing, diversity, inclusion, professionalism and high performance.
• Ensure teams have clear objectives, strong development pathways, and effective workforce planning, identifying opportunities for capability building and talent management.
• Role model CTPHQ values, behaviours and the code of ethics, setting clear expectations for conduct, collaboration and cross pillar working. Champion giving and receiving feedback to support professional and personal development.
• Responsible for the development of IDE, overseeing its effects in CTPHQ and being clear on the CTPHQ IDE vision for the future, seeking feedback from the HQ and understanding what does and doesn’t work.
• Take a lead role in sustaining a programme of individual and collective leadership development within CTP; shaping the overall leadership development offer for CTP, as well as ensuring behaviours which fall below the standards we set are called out and tackled.

Stakeholder Engagement & Relationship Management 

• Build and maintain senior relationships across policing, government, intelligence partners and external agencies to support CTPHQ operations, governance and communications.
• Act as a representative of CTPHQ leadership at internal and external forums, providing authoritative input, ensuring consistency of messaging, and advocating for CTPHQ priorities.
• Ensure that CTPHQ is appropriately represented at key boards and engagements, with accurate and timely preparation and follow up.

Corporate Responsibilities & Organisational Oversight

• Maintain an oversight view of organisational risks, opportunities and dependencies across all directorate areas, escalating issues appropriately.
• Oversee delivery of cross HQ initiatives such as inclusion, diversity & engagement (IDE), internal engagement forums, staff events, and initiatives that strengthen organisational cohesion.
• Ensure high standards of operational security, information management and professional practice across all reporting teams

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Knowledge

• Deep understanding of complex organisational governance, briefing structures and senior decision-making environments within policing, government or similar large public-sector organisations.
• Knowledge of policy development processes, policy coordination, assurance and its role in supporting governance and decision making.
• Good understanding of Counter Terrorism Policing structures, key partners, sensitivities, and the implications of operating in a politically and operationally sensitive environment.
• Strong knowledge of national policing communications practices, the media landscape, and reputational risk management.

Skills

• Highly developed leadership skills with the ability to lead multiple specialist functions, set expectations, and build cohesive, high-performing teams.
• Ability to influence, negotiate and build trust at senior levels, maintaining credibility in politically sensitive environments.

Experience

• A track record of senior leadership and successful delivery in a similar or relevant complex organisation.
• Board level experience and/or the demonstrable capability to make that step up and rapidly gain the confidence of, and exert influence with, the network's most senior leadership.
• Experience representing organisations credibly to ministers, government and operational partners.