Continuous Improvement and Assurance Adviser
| Posting date: | 19 March 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £42,861 to £49,716 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 29 March 2026 |
| Location: | North Shields, Tyne & Wear |
| Remote working: | Hybrid - work remotely up to 3 days per week |
| Company: | Northumbria Police |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: |
Summary
Salary: Band 9, £42,861 – £49,716 (Please note it is Northumbria Police policy to appoint at the beginning of the band)
Location: Agile, Middle Engine Lane with a requirement to travel across the organisation as required
Hours/Contract: 37 hours per week, permanent
The role
Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Corporate Hub as a Continuous Improvement and Assurance Adviser.
You will deliver initiatives that drive continuous improvement across the Force, enhancing operational effectiveness, productivity, and the overall quality of service. This involves applying recognised methodologies such as Lean, systems thinking, demand analysis, and structured problem solving to understand how workflows through the organisation and to pinpoint areas where inefficiencies or delays occur.
Through this approach, the role focuses on identifying and addressing waste, duplication, unnecessary demand, and service pressures that hinder performance. By analysing current processes and practices, the aim is to create more streamlined, efficient, and resilient ways of working that support better outcomes for both staff and the communities the Force serves.
Whilst the role is based at Middle Engine Lane Police Station, there may be occasions where travel across the Force to engage with business areas as part of the planned programme of improvement work is required.
What you’ll do
- Lead and deliver continuous improvement initiatives across operational and support functions, using recognised tools and methodologies to enhance processes and remove waste, duplication, delays, and unnecessary demand.
- Facilitate workshops, improvement events, and problem solving sessions with operational teams. Coach leaders and staff in continuous improvement techniques to build sustainable capability embedded in daily operations.
- Translate complex operational challenges into structured improvement activities with measurable outcomes and benefits. Identify opportunities to reduce cost, demand, and duplication while enhancing victim experience and organisational capacity.
- Deliver internal audits and assurance reviews that provide independent insight into governance, risk management, and internal controls. Assess compliance with legislation, national standards, internal policies, and agreed procedures.
- Produce clear, evidence based audit reports and presentations assessing compliance containing practical, actionable recommendations for improvement, and present these findings confidently to a range of stakeholders.
What you’ll bring
- Degree level education (or equivalent experience) with strong knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods, practical application of improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, PDSA), and proven experience in evaluation, quality assurance, or continuous improvement within a complex organisation.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to balance and prioritise competing demands while effectively managing research and evaluation projects.
- Strong ability to understand policing strategy and business models, using research to inform strategic decision making and effectively solve complex business problems.
- Experience leading research projects and improvement activities, with strong relationship management skills, effective teamwork, and the ability to act as a trusted adviser to senior managers.
- Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with excellent written, verbal, and presentation abilities; able to engage senior internal and external stakeholders, think critically with attention to detail, and work collaboratively and productively with a wide range of partners.
Just so you know
Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Continuous Improvement and Assurance Adviser with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.
The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by a face to face interview including a presentation. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.
If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.
Terms of appointment
This is a permanent role subject to a six-month probationary period.
If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Location: Agile, Middle Engine Lane with a requirement to travel across the organisation as required
Hours/Contract: 37 hours per week, permanent
The role
Here at Northumbria Police, we think our region is amazing! It takes a great deal of people from different backgrounds, with diverse skills and experience to serve our force area effectively, think you have what it takes to help us make a difference? This could be the perfect time for you to join us in our Corporate Hub as a Continuous Improvement and Assurance Adviser.
You will deliver initiatives that drive continuous improvement across the Force, enhancing operational effectiveness, productivity, and the overall quality of service. This involves applying recognised methodologies such as Lean, systems thinking, demand analysis, and structured problem solving to understand how workflows through the organisation and to pinpoint areas where inefficiencies or delays occur.
Through this approach, the role focuses on identifying and addressing waste, duplication, unnecessary demand, and service pressures that hinder performance. By analysing current processes and practices, the aim is to create more streamlined, efficient, and resilient ways of working that support better outcomes for both staff and the communities the Force serves.
Whilst the role is based at Middle Engine Lane Police Station, there may be occasions where travel across the Force to engage with business areas as part of the planned programme of improvement work is required.
What you’ll do
- Lead and deliver continuous improvement initiatives across operational and support functions, using recognised tools and methodologies to enhance processes and remove waste, duplication, delays, and unnecessary demand.
- Facilitate workshops, improvement events, and problem solving sessions with operational teams. Coach leaders and staff in continuous improvement techniques to build sustainable capability embedded in daily operations.
- Translate complex operational challenges into structured improvement activities with measurable outcomes and benefits. Identify opportunities to reduce cost, demand, and duplication while enhancing victim experience and organisational capacity.
- Deliver internal audits and assurance reviews that provide independent insight into governance, risk management, and internal controls. Assess compliance with legislation, national standards, internal policies, and agreed procedures.
- Produce clear, evidence based audit reports and presentations assessing compliance containing practical, actionable recommendations for improvement, and present these findings confidently to a range of stakeholders.
What you’ll bring
- Degree level education (or equivalent experience) with strong knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods, practical application of improvement methodologies (e.g. Lean, Six Sigma, PDSA), and proven experience in evaluation, quality assurance, or continuous improvement within a complex organisation.
- Excellent organisational skills with the ability to balance and prioritise competing demands while effectively managing research and evaluation projects.
- Strong ability to understand policing strategy and business models, using research to inform strategic decision making and effectively solve complex business problems.
- Experience leading research projects and improvement activities, with strong relationship management skills, effective teamwork, and the ability to act as a trusted adviser to senior managers.
- Strong interpersonal and stakeholder management skills, with excellent written, verbal, and presentation abilities; able to engage senior internal and external stakeholders, think critically with attention to detail, and work collaboratively and productively with a wide range of partners.
Just so you know
Our application form will help us understand how your work, education and life experience has prepared you for the role of a Continuous Improvement and Assurance Adviser with #TeamNP. To help support your application research what makes us tick here at Northumbria, the role you’re applying for and the values and behaviours that contribute.
The recruitment process will consist of the initial application form followed by a face to face interview including a presentation. Just so you know, you can save your application and come back to it any time prior to the closing date on the advert.
If your application is successful, we’ll ask you to complete a Recruitment Vetting (RV) form, therefore you must be a resident of the UK for a minimum period of 3 years to ensure vetting checks can be successfully performed. A job offer will be dependent upon vetting clearance, medical information, and references.
Terms of appointment
This is a permanent role subject to a six-month probationary period.
If you are successful in your application, you will have a six-month probation period with us where you will be unable to apply for any other post advertised internally or externally.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy early if we receive sufficient applications for the role. Therefore, if you are interested, please submit your application as early as possible.
Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme
Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to Disability Confident.