Operations manager

Ceremonial events. The Notting Hill Carnival. New Year’s Eve. The Met Police keep the public safe at these and many other events throughout the year. As an operations manager, you’ll provide technical and operational assistance for special events and operations, directly supporting our team. It’s a varied, unique role where no two days are the same.

Your main task will be to support the senior manager and to specify and deliver a range of logistical, engineering and surveying solutions, working with a team of internal specialists and a wide supply chain. It will be your responsibility to ensure that all operational support, engineering, building and logistical solutions are fit-for-purpose, safe, and meet statutory and legislative requirements while providing value for money. 

When you’re not busy creating solutions, you’ll be planning, drafting documentation, ordering works, supervising on-site and acting as a liaison and authorising payments to contractors. You’ll also be part of the response to major incidents, attending crime scenes and deploying crowd control barriers.

To join us, you’ll need a qualification in either building surveying or mechanical or electrical engineering along with knowledge of relevant legislation including the Health and Safety at Work Act. However, it’s just as important that you have excellent networking skills, with the ability to build up a list of contacts, including everyone from builders to scaffolders.

A quick-thinker, you’ll bring a hands-on approach, with the ability to manage a variety of building and engineering works personally if needed. This could include the design and manufacture of specialist bespoke items at short notice.

Although you’ll be based at Lambeth your work could take you outside London and outside normal working hours. It’s therefore important that you’re a qualified driver, who is flexible and prepared to carry an on-call pager or mobile phone for an on-call rota. This role comes with a working pattern that flexes with the demands of the work.

In return for your efforts, you can expect a competitive salary, a Civil Service pension, excellent career development, and a role that’s fulfilling every day.   

The role

To provide technical and operational support to a variety of special events and operations in direct support to police operations and public events.

You will support the senior manager and department, specify and manage delivery of a range of logistical, engineering and surveying solutions working with a direct team of internal specialists and a wide supply chain to deliver operational support across the Met. 

You'll be responsible for ensuring that all operational support, engineering, building and logistical solutions are fit-for-purpose, safe, meet statutory and legislative requirements whilst providing value-for-money. 

There is a requirement to attend meetings, liaise with other support departments, external organisations and police colleagues, sometimes to a senior level, to undertake planned and non-planned ceremonial events, public order and special operations. 

You'll be required to plan support to events, produce drawings and necessary documentation, order works, supervise on-site, act as liaison and authorise payments to contractors.

The activities you support range from major public safety, such as:

• Notting Hill Carnival and New Year’s Eve
• public order, such as demonstrations
• ceremonial events, such as state visits
• responding to major incidents and attending crime scenes
• facilitating police searches
• supporting small discreet projects

Activities include:

• deployment of crowd control barriers
• providing temporary accommodation and welfare facilities
• temporary connection to utilities
• erecting scaffold structures
• deploying Hostile Vehicle Mitigation measures
• making safe potentially dangerous structures for police and forensic activity

Excellent networking skills are required, with the ability to build up a complete list of contacts, including builders, electricians, building and wholesale merchants, scaffolders, specialist cleaners, toilet and cabin suppliers, who are willing and able to provide 24-hour cover and materials at very short notice.

A hands-on approach is expected along with a necessary ability to manage a variety of building and engineering works personally, both mechanical and electrical, when required. This will also include the design and manufacture of specialist bespoke items at short notice as requested.

Scope

• deliver operational support projects ensuring right first time solutions are delivered on time
• ensure all operational support projects comply with statutory and legislative requirements, contractual obligations, PCR2015 regulations, Property Services, Met Police and Mayors Office of Policing (MOPAC) policies and standards
• co-ordinate health and safety risk assessments and method statements
• develop supply chain and report against key performance indicators
• monitor standards and service delivery to a variety of contracts within supply chain
• provide specialist and technical advice to various MPS departments
• write specifications, produce and interpret technical drawings and plans
• pro-actively assist with budgets, prepare financial forecasts, and be fully aware of financial accountability, ensuring all activities comply with MOPAC Finance and Procurement Regulations and policies
• assist with the procurement of materials and services, including the preparation, review and analysis of tenders
• undertake research and development of modern logistical solutions and new technologies to meet current and future operational needs

Additional information

A significant amount of the workload is seasonal and delivered out-of-normal-working-hours, very often during weekend periods and bank holidays

Due to the sensitive nature of the work undertaken by the section, you must pass enhanced Security Check (SC) Vetting. You will on occasions work outside of London and remote areas so a full driving licence is essential.

Vetting

This post requires access to the most sensitive intelligence material on a daily basis. Applicants must hold or be prepared to undergo National Security Vetting (NSV) Security Check (enhanced) (SC(e)) level before taking up the post; with a willingness to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) once in post, if required.

Additionally, this material is of particular sensitivity to the UK and its distribution must be restricted to UK nationals. In approved circumstances dual nationals (of which one element is British) may also be granted access. However, in the event that potential conflicts of interest cannot be managed the post holder will not be able to see the intelligence material and will not be able to perform their duties.

For the purpose of safeguarding national security and in line with Cabinet Office Policy, supported by Section 82(2) to (4) of the Police Reform Act (2002), applicants who do not hold or acquire Security Check (enhanced) (SC(e)) OR Developed Vetting (DV) clearance and meet the nationality requirements cannot be offered the post.