Job Description

ROCU – COPO Data Analyst and Coordinator - Funded to 31st March 2027

MANAGEMENT VETTING / SECURITY CLEARANCE DESIGNATED POST

The Regional Organised Crime Unit for the West Midlands Region (ROCUWM) is a collaboration between the police forces of Staffordshire, West Midlands, West Mercia, and Warwickshire to reduce the impact of serious and organised crime.

ROCUWM targets areas of criminality that are assessed as posing the greatest regional threats to the people and businesses of the region. Working alongside other UK law enforcement agencies and other partners from both private and public sectors, the ROCU investigates organised crime groups and identifies patterns within serious and organised crime to reduce the harm caused by the offending.

An exciting opportunity has arisen to join the ROCU on a fixed term contract, funded to end March 2027 to support the delivery of Crime Overseas Production Orders (COPO) on behalf of the region. The Crime (Overseas Production Orders) Act 2019 allows police and prosecutors quicker access to electronic data held outside of the UK, supporting investigations into serious crime. The act gives law enforcement agencies and prosecutors the power to obtain electronic data directly from an overseas communications service provider.

ROCUs have been designated by the Home Office as requesting authorities for their respective regions and so play a key role in the coordination and management of applications, the review/analysis of acquired data and overall audit and compliance.

This role will form part of a small team within the ROCU, reporting to the COPO audit and compliance manager. It will include a range of responsibilities to ensure that the ROCU maintains an efficient and effective end to end COPO process, managing and exploiting data to the greatest effect. The role would suit a candidate with experience of working within law enforcement due to the legal frameworks involved, but also with experiencing of working with large datasets and data exploitation.

ACCOUNTABILITES:

• Support the COPO audit and compliance manager by assisting with the review of COPO applications for practicality and lawfulness
• Coordinate new applications with applicants / subject matter experts
• Upon receipt of COPO data, carry out post targeting assessment analysis across large datasets including minimisation and lawful dissemination
• Support the COPO audit and compliance manager with other coordination functions such as training record management, audit requirements etc to support continuous improvement and compliance with IPCO inspections
• Engage proactively with users of the service (regional forces, ROCU departments) providing advice and guidance on data availability and opportunities.
• Any other duties that are commensurate with the role and grade as requested by management

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND ABILITIES:

Essential

• Ability to research and assimilate large volumes of data, selecting the most effective dissemination methods for the product tailored to the needs of the investigation team.  
• Experience of working with communications data and other complex data sets
• Highly competent in the use of a variety of Computer software, including Amazon Workspace, Microsoft Excel and ability to recommend best practice IT solutions for data review.
• Demonstrable ability to work on own initiative, manage changing demand, and meet deadlines with high attention to detail.
• Experience of conducting structured checks and assurance against policy/legislation (e.g., IPA, DPA 2018, CPIA).
• Familiarity with Communications Data (CD) processes and Service Catalogue terminology; able to liaise effectively with accredited CD SPoCs.
• Strong audit and disclosure discipline (CPIA), including version control, sensitive handling, and accurate record keeping.
• Excellent written and verbal communication; stakeholder engagement across investigators, legal advisers, UKDA/NTAC, and courts.
• Intelligence Professionalism Programme (IPP) Accreditation
• Experience of working in a sensitive environment, dealing with both sensitive and personal data.
• Evidence of COPO capability training completion and currency (or commitment to complete).

• Completed UKDA/Home Office approved training covering the COPO Act 2019, the UK US Data Access Agreement, Targeting & Minimisation Procedures (T&MP), Freedom of Speech familiarisation, and OPO Portal usage.
• Experience of working with evidential products.
• Experience in creating exhibits. 

Hours of Work

The core hours of this role will be Monday to Friday 0800 to 1600hrs, working outside of these hours may be required due to prevailing workloads and priorities. There may also be a requirement at times to travel to other locations.

Vetting:

Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Enhanced Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Interviews:

It is anticipated that interviews will be held in early June. If there are any days or times you are unavailable during this week period please make a note of this in your application.

Contact:

If you would like more information regarding this vacancy please contact Felicity McCrory – Strategic Intelligence Manager at Felicity.McCrory@westmidlands.police.uk

West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.

It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: 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. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.

Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities"

West Midlands Police is the second-largest police force in the country, serving the three major cities of Birmingham, Coventry, and Wolverhampton, alongside the districts of Sandwell, Walsall, Solihull, and Dudley.

Against this backdrop, the force handles more than 2,000 emergency calls every day, while patrolling the streets and responding to incidents 24 hours a day, seven days a week. We have made significant improvements in reducing overall crime, improving call response times, and increasing arrest rates. This work can only continue with the right people, therefore as an employer of choice, we are looking for the right people who can serve and protect our communities.