Vetting Officer

An opportunity has arisen to join the Police Scotland Force Vetting Unit as a Vetting Officer in a fast-paced environment. Supporting the Force Vetting Manager, you will help safeguard the organisation by ensuring all vetting for police officers, police staff, and non-police personnel with access to sensitive assets is completed in alignment with relevant legislation, policies, and processes.

In this role you will undertake vetting checks regarding police officers and police staff seeking to join Police Scotland and reviews of vetting clearances for those already in role. The successful candidate will also undertake vetting checks of (suppliers) and non-police personnel working in a police environment or have access to sensitive police assets. Specifically, you will conduct background research through a range of ICT systems to ensure suitability and integrity to work in law enforcement. In the role you will identify, assess, and manage risk relating to individuals and their associates to ascertain an understanding of their wider life circumstances.

Full training and mentorship will be provided to build on your inquisitive mindset. The successful candidate is required to obtain police vetting clearance at MV (Management Vetting) and national security clearance at SC (Security Check) levels.

Please note: Hybrid working will be (3 days in-office, 2 at home) however this is available after an initial 3–6 month in-office onboarding and training period, due to the nature of the role and access to sensitive information.

Key Responsibilities:

Gather all relevant data from available sources, including computer databases and external organisations, regarding the private and professional life, financial affairs, employment history, and associations of staff, potential appointees, and Non-Police Personnel Vetting to posts requiring vetting.
Interrogate multiple systems to investigate, evaluate, and interpret information and intelligence relating to applicants, analysing that information and making risk-based assessments on any issues that arise during these investigations.
Produce accurate and detailed written reports on results of vetting procedures and decisions for ratification by the Senior Vetting Officer.
Prepare, arrange, and conduct vetting interviews, enquiries and report on same when appropriate. This is to ascertain the most accurate information to ensure that a fair and consistent vetting decision can be reached.
Ability to extract, analyse, and identify any gaps in information from several sources and provide detailed reports of their findings.
Identify and assess any matter relevant to vetting which may arise and poses a potential threat to the security and integrity of Police Scotland.
Apply problem-solving skills using all available resources in order to risk assess and make decisions on vetting clearances being granted or declined.
Ensure that the vetting process adheres to legislative measures.
Attend and pass core-training courses, maintain an awareness of developments, and attend subsequent training courses as required.

Candidate Requirements & Preferences:

Preference will go to candidates who can demonstrate the following:

Excellent written and verbal communication skills (essential).
Strong, confident decision-making skills (essential).
Ability to assess and analyse information from a wide range of sources to make evidence-based decisions.
Ability to prioritise work and manage multiple vetting case files effectively.
Ability to work under pressure with meticulous attention to detail.
Proven analytical skills.
Computer literacy.
Ability to communicate at all levels of the organisation and regularly engage with members of the public, internal departments, and external organisations to facilitate vetting enquiries.

Why join us?

Competitive salary with annual increments
Full-time or part-time shift patterns
28 days annual leave and 6 public holidays (increases with service)
Local government pension scheme for long-term security
Ongoing training to develop your skills
Opportunities for career progression and professional growth
Comprehensive wellbeing support and dynamic work environment
Exclusive discounts and savings through our rewards and benefits network

Every role in Police Scotland plays a part in Keeping People Safe.

This is an opportunity to join a national organisation serving communities across Scotland, where integrity, fairness and respect are at the heart of everything we do. Police Scotland serves over 5 million people across Scotland’s cities, towns, rural and island communities.

Our 2030 vision is for safer communities, less crime, supported victims and a thriving workforce. We are committed to equality, human rights and building a workforce that reflects the communities we serve.

You should have been resident in the UK for a minimum of five years immediately prior to application for this role

Full details regarding this vacancy can be found in the attached Role Profile.

Applicants must be a British citizen, a member of the EU or other states in the EEA, a Commonwealth citizen or a foreign national free of restrictions.

You should have been resident in the UK for a minimum of five years immediately prior to application for this role

Currently Police Scotland have guidance in place that allows appropriate roles to be operated on an agile basis, should you have an interest in working more flexibly then we would encourage your application.