Innovation, Science and Technology Manager - National Crime Agency - SEO

Innovation, Science and Technology Manager - National Crime Agency - SEO

Belfast, Birmingham, Bristol, Calder (Normanton), London
* For roles based in London, your contractual place of work will be Stratford. While the Stratford site is expected to become operational from November 2025 – March 2026, you will be required to carry out your contractual duties from Vauxhall or another reasonable location on a temporary basis during the interim period.
Please note that, as Stratford will be your contractual place of work, any subsequent move from a temporary location will not entitle you to payments for travel time or costs under the Relocation and Excess Travel Policy.

Threat & Risk Assessment, Capability Exploration and Research (TRACER) plays a critical role in supporting the National Crime Agency’s mission to protect the public from serious and organised crime. TRACER is a collaborative function that leads the NCA’s science and technology innovation activity, ensuring capabilities remain current, effective, and relevant in an increasingly digital landscape. It also provides threat and opportunity management for digital communications capabilities on behalf of the Home Office’s Digital Communications Capabilities partnership.

The team is creative and forward‑thinking, applying design‑thinking approaches to understand and address user and customer needs. The Innovation, Science and Technology function supports the development of new capabilities by working with stakeholders to define problems and opportunities, identify requirements, develop user cases, and conduct discovery activity. This includes piloting concepts, running experiments, assessing customer benefits, and translating insights into outline business cases and clear stakeholder communications, demonstrating how innovation enables law enforcement to adapt and remain effective.

To support this work, TRACER has established the Enabling Innovation and Experimentation Environment (EIEE). EIEE is a cloud‑based platform that enables the testing and evaluation of potential solutions to digital threats and opportunities, supporting informed investment decisions. Innovation is delivered through a range of approaches, including proofs of concept, technical demonstrators, testing activity, and desktop‑based exercises, drawing on both internal and external expertise.

TRACER is seeking Innovation, Science and Technology Managers to deliver impactful innovation across the NCA and the Home Office partnership.

The Innovation, Science and Technology (IS&T) team works across the Agency and in close partnership with law enforcement and national security organisations to understand how adversaries exploit emerging technologies for criminal purposes, and to apply science and technology to counter those threats. The team also supports the development of new operational capabilities and drives the responsible adoption of emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence.

A typical day in TRACER may involve engaging with operational teams to understand their challenges, conducting discovery work to develop a deep understanding of complex problems, commissioning research, and designing experiments or prototypes. The role also includes consulting with industry partners, collaborating with academia and other government science and technology teams, and presenting evidence‑based options to strategic governance boards to inform and shape investment decisions.

This breadth of activity demands a diverse and inclusive workforce. We therefore welcome candidates from a wide range of backgrounds, with different perspectives and ways of thinking, to ensure we continue to operate with creativity, ingenuity and impact.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Research, design and deliver innovative solutions to complex problems by leading discovery activity, designing experiments, and translating insight into practical, testable outcomes.
• Clearly communicate complex problems and solutions to a wide range of stakeholders, including operational teams, technical specialists, and senior decision‑makers.
• Lead and manage multiple work streams, ensuring delivery to…