Superintendent

A superintendent is a core position within policing. It's a service function leader role in the policing professional profiles. The superintendent core rank profile outlines the basic requirements of the role.

Role purpose

Superintendents lead a large and/or complex area of command within forces and across collaborations, strategic alliances and partnerships, carrying responsibility for all activities in their area. They may also carry responsibility for strategic or policy lead for one or more areas of policing across the force or organisation.

Superintendents also play a critical lead role in operational policing for major or critical events or incidents. This includes planning and directing the activities in line with the legal framework and wider policing policies/objectives to uphold the law, ensure public safety and strengthen public confidence.

This role carries specific legal powers to enable the maintenance of law and order. Superintendents contribute to the development of culture, climate and working processes in their area to ensure adherence to standards, and the promotion of accountability and continuous improvement.

Key responsibilities

• Leading area of responsibility, upholding values and ethical standards. Acting with the highest level of professionalism in accordance with the law, public interest, and professional policing practice to protect the public by preventing and detecting crime.
• Fulfilling the authorising responsibilities of superintending ranks and maintaining operational oversight. Holding accountability for compliant policing responses to achieve operational objectives which support law enforcement and enable public safety.
• Leading responses to major events and serious/complex investigations. Setting strategic/tactical objectives and priorities, assessing and managing threats/risks and directing the deployment of resources to ensure an appropriate and effective response in line with legal and force requirements.
• Leading, developing, managing and maintaining strategic relationships with local and regional partners. Effectively influencing and leading collaboration for own areas of responsibility to enable an effective approach to preventing and tackling crime and vulnerability.
• Leading the design and implementation of significant organisational change projects or programmes within areas of responsibility to drive continuous improvement problem solving and evidence-based policing.
• Fostering an inclusive organisational climate where people role model ethical behaviours and combine diverse perspectives and experiences. Supporting people to contribute, challenge, and share feedback so that the team operates in line with the force’s values and ethics, enabling successful policing.
• Protecting and promoting wellbeing and welfare within area of responsibility. Embedding wellbeing strategies to protect and enhance the working environment.
• Leading, managing and coordinating the allocation of appropriate resources within areas of responsibility, in line with force priorities to meet demand and maximise the efficient use of resources.
• Developing resource and budget plans for own areas of responsibility that promote force priorities, applying knowledge of changing capability and capacity in the workforce to ensure effective use of resources and maximise value for money.
• Negotiating and controlling internal and external budgets within areas of responsibility and partnership arrangements.  Influencing budget allocation to meet the force or organisation’s priorities and make financial savings where required to maximise value for money.
• Leading and managing performance within own areas of responsibility, making use of appropriate delegation. Providing meaningful feedback and coaching, and addressing areas of organisational underperformance to ensure that appropriate standards and force objectives are met.
• Leading the assessment of future demands and emerging threats within own areas of responsibility. Developing and adapting operational and workforce plans to ensure that these demands are effectively anticipated and met.
• Developing and owning the strategy for the force’s response in respect of an incident or investigation to the media and wider public and external stakeholders, representing the force to provide information, improve visibility and build confidence in policing.
• Leading the development and implementation of policy and strategy in own areas of responsibility in line with force and national directive. Contributing to the development of force and national policy to improve policing outcomes.
• Leading, motivating and engaging teams across diverse areas of responsibility. Embedding strategies for continuing professional development and supporting regular review conversations. Enabling identification and equality of support for talent development opportunities, career planning and facilitating high-performing teams.