Job Description

Head of CONNECT User Support

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Vacancy Reference Number
19798


Number of Vacancies
1
(B) OCU
Digital, Data & Technology
Location
Bromley, Other
Building
Newlands Park
Band
Band S
Part/Full Time
Full Time
Hours per Week
36 hours per week
Type of Contract
Permanent
Job Advert

Job Title:

Head of CONNECT User Support

Salary:

The starting salary is 90,336, which includes allowances totalling 2,928.


The salary is broken down as 87,408 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale 96,341. Plus, a location allowance of 1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of 1,000.

Location:

The primary Met Location for this role is Sydenham. Travel across the Met Estate, to attend meetings as required by the business, is expected.

"Keep checking Met Careers on a daily basis for new and exciting opportunities being released to join DDaT!"

Policing London is a hugely complex challenge that evolves every day.

To make sure the Met is up to the task, we need the right IT and systems across our organisation. As a Head of CONNECT User Support, you will help to enable us to do our best for the London area. Join us and play your part in making London the safest capital in the world and delivering 'More Trust, Less Crime and High Standards'.


As a member of the Met, you will also enjoy great benefits including annual leave, civil service pension arrangements, maternity/paternity support, as well as being part of a

continuous learning culture.

Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT)

The mission of Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) is to provide the Met with information (and specifically data), communications and technology to help frontline officers and Met staff do their jobs more efficiently, in order to deliver the New Met for London plan. In other words, DDaT is about "passionately delivering trusted technology for precise data driven policing".


As well as keeping up to speed with developments in technology and making recommendations for new equipment and systems that will help modernise policing, DDaT also comprises the Data Office which:

Owns and drives the data compliance and analytics agenda. Brings together the accountabilities that are currently dispersed across the Met business areas. Consolidates and further develops existing Met data and insight services. Enables data sharing and collaboration to serve the public and external partners.

DDaT is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We support hybrid working, and the hiring manager will be happy to discuss arrangements for this role.

Job Purpose

The Head of CONNECT User Support manages the User Support unit. They oversee the User Support teams which include Flagging & Saved Search, User Access, Configuration, and CST. A breakdown of these teams can be found below:

Saved Search

- The Saved Search team oversees creation, publication and maintenance of Public and Shared Connect saved searches; Manage background configuration around searches and sharing. They provide guidance to the business around searching, and identify and spearhead opportunities to improve Connect search functionality and accuracy of MPS data.

Flagging

- The Flagging team implement and maintain CONNECT data security. They apply restrictions to data to ensure integrity of the system and the data entered into CONNECT.

User Access

- The User Access team manage access and permissions for all CONNECT users. This includes implementing changes on CONNECT where there are personnel moves, to ensure the end user has the correct access and relevant permissions.

Configuration

- The Configuration Team make specific updates to CONNECT, enabling an enhanced user experience by ensuring specific data is captured or presented. This includes the design, build and testing of Document Templates, Risk Assessments/Question Sets and Decision Trees. They also ensure that CONNECT is correctly aligned to various interfaced databases, including accurately reflecting regular updates to the PNLD and Investigation Classifications.

CONNECT Support Team (CST)

(36 FTE)- The CST provides dedicated 24/7 support from a single location, using a variety of software, online self-help guides and a dedicated team of specialists to support Police Officers, staff members and external partners who use CONNECT.

CONNECT Functional SMEs

(12 FTE) - The CONNECT SME team provide ownership and input into the development of the CONNECT solution, including ongoing 3rd line support and future input into the product roadmap. The team of Functional SMEs are specialists in each module area of CONNECT (i.e. Case, Custody, Investigation, Property, Proactive Management Plan (PMP) and Intelligence) and they are able to advise on technical and functional areas across the product.

The Head of CONNECT User Support is accountable for the smooth implementation of changes on CONNECT to ensure the end user has the correct access, relevant permissions and required data. They are also accountable for CONNECT being operational and ready to accept any configuration changes at all times based on end-user demands.

Key Role Responsibilities

The role of the Head of CONNECT User Support includes but is not limited to:

Oversee and direct the following teams within the User Support unit: Saved Search, Flagging, User Access, Configuration and CST overseeing approximately 70 people. Without this position, there is a missing layer of leadership within the CONNECT Unit, and the technical teams may lack correct line management and direction. The role holder will line manage the respective team Managers, and conduct regular productivity assessments of individual teams. Provide senior leadership and technical oversight on the planning and execution of work within the User Support team, ensuring alignment with wider CONNECT and MPS objectives. This includes providing clear direction and oversight to team leads within the User Support Unit. Without this clear direction, CONNECT operations and support may be impacted, with a risk of not having appropriate configuration, flagging and access standards in place. Maintain an advanced understanding of key technical aspects and complexities of CONNECT and how these are managed by the different User Support teams. The role holder will leverage their knowledge of CONNECT and/or Police Applications and Products to ensure that the complexities of CONNECT are managed effectively, and key areas are progressed. Ensure that the User Support teams are well-equipped to technically implement any changes within agreed timeframes. This includes maintaining accountability for sign-off of recruitment and training plans across the User Support teams. This added level of leadership will allow full visibility and support across teams to ensure demands are met. Without this position, there will be a lack of visibility and accountability of day-to-day tasks, overall workload and recruitment/workforce requirements. Monitor the technical delivery of the User Support objectives and teams against technical and business requirements. This includes but is not limited to:

smooth operation of saved searches and configuration implementation

flagging guidance, advice and its operational adherence by the CONNECT team

resolution of technical issues including troubleshooting

maintenance of the CONNECT HUB and documents

testing and technical quality assurance within the User Support teams

Act as a point of escalation for risks and issues within the User Support Team, ensuring critical path risks and issues are escalated, progressed and resolved in a timely manner to avoid impacting the User Support team and wider operations (including technical risks and operations). Manage dependencies, ensuring smooth delivery of outputs, change implementations with minimal impact on BAU, and effective alignment across teams. Oversee supporting activities related to the existing and new CONNECT solution designs. Provide design and implementation assurance for CONNECT suppliers to inform and assure their high- and low-level designs. This assurance is critical to the operations of CONNECT and will ensure that the suppliers are able to meet the demands of the design by effectively implementing desired changes. Support an architecturally coherent solution through providing architectural input to planning and design activities, and engagement with the CONNECT Programme, other CONNECT architects, MPS enterprise architects, CONNECT suppliers and external partners interfacing to the CONNECT solution.

Additional Information

Vetting Clearance

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.

Hybrid Working

Hybrid Working available in line with the Metropolitan Police Service hybrid working policy.

Working Pattern

The role requires that you attend the Newlands Park office 3-days per week: Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday between the core hours of 10:00 to 16:00.

How to apply

To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply now" button below. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement (1000 words maximum), and an online application form. In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and/or Personal Statement.

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 9th September 2025.

Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence end of September.


Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interview dates will commence mid-October.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

Essential For The Role
Essential For The Role, e.g. qualifications, licenses, languages, training

Essential Criteria:

Knowledge

Thorough understanding of the technical concepts required by the role and ability to explain how these fit within the wider technical landscape. Knowledgeable in a wide range of Information and Communication (ICT) technologies, and in particular, Policing ICT systems, understanding their technical concepts. Highly proficient in financial management with a strong commercial awareness, ensuring cost-effectiveness with specific knowledge of public sector requirements for internal control. Proven experience and understanding of risk management, mitigation and quality assurance.

Skills

Highly experienced IT leader, skilled in demonstrating effective delegation of tasks, responsibilities and authority. Able to clearly identify goals and objectives, and motivate teams to achieve these. Excellent communication, interpersonal skills and proven stakeholder management at a senior level to establish effective relationships across the organisation. Core analytical, problem solving and technical resolution skills. Advanced negotiation and conflict resolution skills, with the ability to influence key decisions and manage their impact. Technical skills and experience working with the following: Oracle Database, Open Source and/or Ensemble platforms. Evidence of inclusive behaviour.

Experience

Extensive experience providing strategic direction in complex IT environments, with a background working within a product development, maintenance, troubleshooting and change. Experience in a technical operations and delivery environment in a large organisation, ideally within policing or security organisations. Experience leading medium to large cross-functional and technical teams. Technical experience working in structured development environment with a proven track record of successfully managing complex applications overseeing incident resolution and managing configuration requests.

Desirable Criteria:

Familiar with government and MPS strategic priorities, the wider police environment, and how these impact on the delivery of programmes. Understanding of the CONNECT product architecture, including:

Core (internal) CONNECT solution components

Systems integration design (internal MPS and external interfaces)

assurance to the CONNECT overall solution and distributed multi-vendor supply chain

Understanding of user and data access rules within the MPS. Robust understanding of the MPS Security Requirements. Higher education - Degree or significant experience




Required Languages
English
Reports To
BB3 - CONNECT Product Director
Candidate Information Pack
Band-S-Product-CONNECT-Head-of-CONNECT-User-Support-202508.v2.docx - 118KB Opens in a new window


Converted File Band-S-Product-CONNECT-Head-of-CONNECT-User-Support-202508.v2.docx.pdf - 257KB Opens in a new window
Additional Information
mps_a-new-met-for-london_external-summary-rgb-accessible_online-final.pdf - 590KB Opens in a new window

Disability Confident Statement

The Met is committed to being an equitable (fair and impartial) and inclusive employer for disabled people, striving to have a diverse and representative workforce at all levels. We encourage applications from people from the widest possible range of backgrounds, cultures and experiences. We particularly welcome applications from people with disabilities and long-term conditions, ethnic minority groups and women.



As a Disability Confident Leader, the Met has committed to making disability equality part of our everyday practice. We ensure that people with disabilities and those with long term conditions have the opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations.



The Met is committed to making reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process to ensure disabled applicants can perform at their best. If you need any reasonable adjustments or changes to the application and recruitment process, we ask that you include this information within your application form. All matters will be treated in strict confidence.




Please note, if you are applying for a police officer role or to become a police community support officer (PCSO) or designated detention officer (DDO), there is a minimum requirement that you must pass a job-related fitness test (JRFT) at point of entry. This does not apply to police staff roles. Find out more about police fitness standards.



Read our full disability confidence statement.