Location: Wellingborough, Darby House - NN8 6GS

MESSAGE FROM THE CHIEF CONSTABLE

Thank you for your interest in joining Northamptonshire Police as one of our new Assistant Chief Constables.

We have an exciting future, and I am looking for two individuals who are passionate about making a difference to the communities of Northamptonshire and shares the Force’s ambition of making Northamptonshire Police the best service it can be.

With demonstrable strategic level command experience, a proven track record of delivery, and an engaged leadership style, our successful candidate will be passionate and committed to the people of Northamptonshire.

Our vision is to be the safest county, where we deliver an outstanding policing service that puts the public first in support of stronger, safer, more sustainable communities.

We are looking for Chief Officers who will support us in driving the right culture through leadership and excellence, with the highest standards of integrity that earn the trust and confidence of the people we serve.

You will value public service and care passionately about officers and staff. Protecting the most vulnerable in society will always be a top priority for me – it is the foundations of a police service with strong values.

I need someone who is not only operationally competent and experienced but someone who is not risk averse. You need to trust and support your staff and create an environment where they can work autonomously, not creating bureaucracy or hindering those you lead. You need the highest ethics and integrity, emotional intelligence - someone who listens to staff and doesn’t take professional challenge and disagreement negatively – whoever it comes from.

You will be front and centre of improving cultures - helping women and police staff feel they are treated fairly alongside officer and male colleagues.

You will be pivotal to continuing our improvements and ensure you work in partnership with other agencies to sustain long term improvements for our county.

For an informal discussion about the role, please contact Chief Constable Ivan Balhatchet at Ivan.balhatchet@northants.police.uk

Application deadline: 1st February 2026 

Interviews will be help on the 11th,12th and 13th February 2026. Appointment to the position will be subject to the relevant checks being completed.

Minimum statement of expectation is applied to ensure a return on investment in terms of training and development of Officers and to control and plan for Officer turnover in core and specialist roles. In applying for this role, please be advised that you are agreeing to the minimum tenure that comes with this post. Line Manager support at the minimum rank of second line manager must be sought prior to applying.

Why work for Us?

Northamptonshire Police has real heart. We’re a county force tackling big-city issues, and everyone in our policing family, from frontline officers to police staff, has a part to play in serving our communities by fighting crime and protecting people. If you want an exciting career that offers variety, job satisfaction and the chance to develop and challenge yourself, while improving the lives of others, and all within an organisation that’s forward-thinking and innovative, you’ll find it with us.

Equality, diversity, and inclusion

We are committed to equality, diversity, and inclusion.

We are working hard to increase diversity and inclusion within the organisations where communities are under-represented, including those from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic communities, people of all ages, abilities, faiths, religions and gender, LGBTQ communities and those from other disadvantaged or marginalised backgrounds, who share our values and wish to make a difference to the communities we serve.

Northamptonshire Police/OPFCC is a Disability Confident Employer – We aim to achieve the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. If you meet the essential criteria for the role you can choose to share your disability if you would like to take part in our disability confident interview scheme.

All applications will be treated on merit, based on the evidence provided in your application and suitability for the role you have applied for.

Flexible working

All requests for flexible working patterns will be considered and will be dependent on the role.

Recruitment and Selection Policy

Internal applicants who are at risk of redundancy or in need of redeployment and pass the selection process, will be offered the role over the remaining internal and external applicants.

Internal applicants must have line manager support prior to proceeding with an application.

Please be aware that the Office of the Police, Fire and Crime Commissioner and Northamptonshire Police are separate employers. Although Police internal vacancies are open to OPFCC staff and vice versa, if you are successful, the change of employer will require a longer onboarding process and you will receive a new contract and payroll number. Service with either employer can be carried over as continuous service.

Police Barred and Advisory lists

Individuals placed on the Police Barred and Advisory lists will not be considered for employment by the Police and OPFCC for a minimum of 5 years from the date of listing in the case of gross misconduct, or 3 years from the date of listing in the case of poor performance.

Vetting and safeguarding

We are committed to safeguarding and operate safer recruitment processes, to ensure the organisations employees are proud to work for because they feel safe, valued and part of a happy and supportive work environment. All employees and volunteers therefore will be subject to background checks including vetting and references.

Please note, you will require the following detail to complete this application form; NI Number, ID detail, address information, referee information, full employment history including dates and any qualifications you may have attained. You may also be requested to provide photos of any visible tattoos you have. The application system only remains active on a single page for a period of 60 minutes. Please therefore ensure you allow time to complete this fully as part complete pages will not be saved.