Job Description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the Drug and Alcohol Detection Team within the Drug and Alcohol Group (DAG), playing a vital role in tackling illegal drug supply and substance use across the criminal justice system. Drug misuse and supply undermine rehabilitation outcomes, present serious safety risks, and contribute to cycles of debt and violence, directly impacting HMPPS’ core objectives.

The Drug and Alcohol Detection Team has responsibility for the oversight and delivery of six complex drug and alcohol detection contracts, with a combined annual value of circa £13 million. The job holder will lead key workstreams across this portfolio, working in close partnership with colleagues across DAG, MoJ Commercial and the Directorate of Contracted Operational Delivery (DoCOD) to ensure the effective management and delivery of the contracts. This includes supporting re-procurement activity for key capability areas such as trace detection and alcohol testing.

The role will lead the development and implementation of key HMPPS drug and alcohol testing policy frameworks that are evidence-informed and aligned with ministerial, operational and organisational priorities. Acting as a subject matter expert, the post holder will provide advice and briefings to Ministers, MoJ policy colleagues, senior leaders and operational staff. The role requires clear judgement, the ability to manage complexity, and confidence in influencing at senior levels.

Main Tasks

• Liaise across government and with internal and external stakeholders to ensure effective information flow, operational alignment, and collaborative problem‑solving.
• Work closely with the Senior Intelligence Analyst to monitor and interpret emerging threats, ensuring timely understanding of synthetic opioid trends and wider harm‑related risks.
• Manage the cross‑agency action plan for the synthetic opioid threat, coordinating delivery, tracking progress, and attending cross‑government working groups to represent HMPPS priorities.
• Design strategies, policies, and interventions to mitigate risk, informed by intelligence reporting, operational feedback, and evidence‑based harm‑reduction approaches.
• Collaborate with Safety colleagues to analyse data relating to drug‑ and alcohol‑related deaths, identifying patterns and insights that support targeted prevention activity.
• Lead communications for the Key Threat Team, producing clear, accessible products and messaging to support awareness, preparedness, and operational understanding.
• Deliver bitesize learning events to educate staff on key threats, emerging risks, and mitigation approaches, supporting capability growth across the organisation.

Behaviours Assessed

• Communicating and Influencing (Lead)
• Delivering at Pace
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Bigger Picture

Technical Requirements

• IT literacy
• An understanding of the process of Government, including the workings of Private Office. Experience of writing briefings, submissions, and PQs.

Additional Information

[Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal] office location. Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns.

Benefits include annual leave, bank holidays, Civil Service pension, season ticket advance, childcare vouchers, and training opportunities.

Contact Information

For further information or discussion of the role, contact Annie McLoughlin via email: [Employer hidden — sign up to reveal]

For recruitment enquiries: [contact hidden]