About this role
The Vacancy
The Royal Academy of Arts is currently looking to recruit a professional and vigilant Security Control Room Operator to join the Royal Academy’s Security team.
As a Control Room Operator, you will ensure the safety and security of the Royal Academy of Arts premises, artworks, visitors and employees. Working within the RA’s control room, this role will monitor and manage security systems, ensuring any signs or unusual or suspicious activity is responded to and managed effectively, with minimal disruption to operations. You will monitor and control access to the premises and ensure only authorised persons and visitors are permitted entry.
About You
A vigilant individual, you will have previous experience in a security control room or similar role, managing safety and security systems. You will have working knowledge of CCTV, alarm, and access control systems together with exceptional observation skills and the ability to notice details and anomalies. You will possess the ability to think critically and resolve incidents effectively and calmly, especially in high pressure situations and when unforeseen circumstances arise.
Contractual hours will be 45 hours per week, working a shift pattern of 4 days on, 2 days off (including weekends and bank holidays). Please note, this role will work day shifts only.
The successful candidate will be subject to comprehensive pre-employment and reference checks.
The Company
The RA dates way back to 1768 when a group of artists and architects persuaded King George lll to help them to ‘establish a society for promoting the Art of Design'. The original academy, in Pall Mall, was less than 10 meters long. Since then, there have been many changes, though the RA’s core purpose of bringing art and design to a broad audience and championing art and artists still holds true.
Today we are a contemporary art organisation hosting internationally acclaimed exhibitions and through investment in employee training and development, with courses such as Unconscious Bias, LGBTQ+ Awareness, Bystander, and Mental Health First Aid training, we are striving to foster a safe space for everyone through positive action. We also have Employee Network Groups, Ways In Groups, and an Employee Council so every employee has a voice and a way to feel heard by colleagues through the CEO.
The RA is truly a unique place, both as an attraction to our visitors, but also as a workplace. Our people are at the heart of all we do, and we support a broad and inspiring mix of departments; from exhibitions, curators, art handlers, researchers, publishers, and digital to schools and education, visitor welcome, fundraisers, and corporate support.
The Benefits
Exhibitions
Reciprocal Agreements with galleries across the UK
Enhanced Pension
Generous employer contributions
Enhanced Holiday
25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays
Wellbeing
Access to a virtual GP Service and Mental Health First Aiders
Agile Working
The opportunity to work flexibly
RA Staff Council
Where your views are heard and listened to
Employee Clubs
Football, Staff Choir and more
About security roles for ex-police
Security management, operations and consultancy roles. Years of operational policing — command, incident response, public order — translate directly into corporate security, and employers in this sector actively rate police experience.
See all security jobs in London →Why this fits a police background — match score 75/100
- Security operations
What security roles pay ex-police
Advertised UK ranges, editorial estimates reviewed July 2026
| Security officer (SIA) | £24,000–£29,000 |
| Security supervisor / team leader | £28,000–£34,000 |
| Site / security manager | £38,000–£52,000 |
| Regional / operations security manager | £50,000–£65,000 |