Deputy director strategic planning and risk

About the Team:
The Strategic Planning and Risk Team sits at the heart of the Metropolitan Police Service within the Strategy Directorate. We help the organisation look beyond today's challenges and prepare for tomorrow's opportunities.

The team supports senior leaders to make informed strategic decisions by developing organisational strategy, coordinating business planning, managing enterprise risks and providing insight into emerging challenges and opportunities. Working across one of the UK's largest and most complex public organisations, we help ensure the Met remains focused on its priorities, resilient to risk and prepared for the future.

The Strategy Directorate sits within the wider Strategy and Investment Business Group and provides the Commissioner and the Met's senior leadership with expert advice and insight on strategic matters.

The Directorate:

• Supports Executive Committee (ExCo) in setting organisational strategy and business plans, providing insight, assurance and challenge to support decision-making and manage risk.
• Acts as a centre of expertise for strategic planning, risk management, governance and organisational design.
• Supports senior leaders in maintaining effective governance and assurance arrangements.
• Develops policy and manages the Met's relationship with HMICFRS.

Why Join Us?
This is an opportunity to shape the future direction of one of the world's largest policing organisations.

As Head of Strategic Planning and Risk, you will work closely with the Commissioner's senior leadership team to help define the organisation's long-term strategic direction, strengthen organisational resilience, and support better outcomes for Londoners.

The role offers unique exposure to complex strategic challenges, opportunities to influence decision-making at the highest levels, and the chance to lead a talented team delivering work with real organisational impact.

The Role
As Head of Strategic Planning and Risk, you will provide overall leadership for the Strategic Planning and Risk Team and be a key member of the Strategy Directorate Senior Leadership Team.

You will lead work to:

• Develop the Met's long-term organisational strategy.
• Design, embed and lead an integrated corporate planning cycle across the organisation.
• Produce and maintain the Met's Corporate Business Plan and Force Management Statement.
• Strengthen organisational capability in strategic planning, performance and risk management.
• Support senior leaders in identifying, managing and mitigating strategic and corporate risks.
• Provide strategic advice and insight to senior decision-makers on complex organisational issues.
• Build effective partnerships across the Met and with external stakeholders to support strategic delivery.

What We're Looking For
We're interested in candidates who can:

• Think strategically and translate long-term ambitions into practical plans and deliverable outcomes.
• Navigate complexity, ambiguity and change while maintaining organisational focus.
• Build trusted relationships and influence decision-making at senior levels.
• Bring people together across organisational boundaries to achieve shared objectives.
• Lead and develop high-performing teams.
• Use evidence, insight and professional judgement to support effective decision-making.
• Foster inclusive environments where diverse perspectives are valued and everyone can contribute.

Experience and Skills
The successful candidate is likely to demonstrate experience in several of the following areas:

Strategic Leadership

• Leading strategic planning, business planning, transformation, organisational development, performance management or corporate governance activities within a complex organisation.
• Working with executive teams, boards, senior leaders or external stakeholders to shape organisational direction and influence decision-making.
• Producing high-quality reports, business cases, strategies, briefings or corporate planning products to support senior decision-makers.

Leadership

• Leading and developing teams, including through periods of organisational change, uncertainty or transformation.
• Building strong working relationships across organisational and sector boundaries.
• Developing others through coaching, mentoring and creating opportunities for growth and learning.

Risk and Performance

• Supporting organisations to manage risk, improve performance and strengthen organisational resilience.
• Developing frameworks, processes or approaches that enable effective planning, performance management or governance.

Communication and Influence

• Communicating complex issues clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Facilitating collaboration and building consensus among a wide range of stakeholders.

We Welcome Diverse Experience
We welcome applications from candidates whose experience has been gained across the public, private, voluntary, regulatory or charitable sectors.

Your background might include policing, local or central government, defence, healthcare, transport, infrastructure, housing, consultancy, financial services, utilities, higher education or other complex organisations.

Most importantly, you will bring strategic thinking, leadership capability and a passion for improving organisational performance and delivering meaningful outcomes.

Inclusion Matters
The Metropolitan Police Service is committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of London's communities.

We particularly welcome applications from women, Black, Asian and ethnic minority candidates, disabled candidates, LGBTQ+ candidates, and people whose experience has been developed both inside and outside policing.

We recognise that talent and potential are developed in many ways. No candidate is likely to meet every requirement listed. If you're excited about this opportunity and believe you can bring valuable skills, experience and perspectives to the role, we encourage you to apply.

What You'll Gain
In this role, you'll have the opportunity to:

• Influence decisions at the highest levels of the Metropolitan Police Service.
• Help shape the future direction of one of the UK's largest public sector organisations.
• Lead strategically important work with visible organisational impact.
• Build relationships across policing, government and partner organisations.
• Further develop your executive leadership capability while leading a talented and committed team.

Dimensions

• Direct budget responsibility within the Strategy function, with significant influence on organisation-wide planning and investment decisions.
• Direct line management responsibility for one senior manager and overall leadership responsibility for approximately 15 colleagues.
• Significant exposure to executive-level strategic decision-making and stakeholder engagement.