Chief Investigator, Criminal Investigation, South
Description
- Job grade: Grade 7
- Contract type: Permanent
- Business area: Investigation Services – Enforcement Group
- Type of role: Investigation, Senior leadership
- Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time
- Number of jobs available: 1
Location
About the job
Job summary
About Us
We help the UK move forward, faster.
For nearly 150 years, we've protected the UK economy with deep expertise and rigour, building the confidence that helps businesses access lending, investment and opportunity.
We help people deal with personal insolvency. We make statutory redundancy payments when insolvent employers can't. We investigate director conduct and take action where it's needed.
And right now, we're changing how we do all of this, becoming faster, more digitally driven, and more focused on stopping problems before they escalate.
More than 2,000 of us work in offices across England, Scotland and Wales. It might be time for you to join us.
Investigation Services within the Enforcement Group aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities, both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets.
We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes, and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community.
The Role
We're looking for a Chief Investigator who wants more than a job that ticks boxes. As a Chief Investigator, you will support your team, helping The Insolvency Service to meet one of its strategic objectives by combatting misconduct effectively, broadening our reach across emerging harms and making better use of intelligence, data and technology.
This is a role for someone who wants to think bigger, challenge the way things have always been done, and take ownership of the outcomes that matter.
We offer full-time, part-time, job share, and flexible working. We invest in your development and give our people the space to grow, take ownership and make decisions.
Job description
Reporting to the Assistant Director, this post is responsible for the leadership, management and operational delivery for a team of approximately 18 investigators/investigator managers carrying out criminal investigations (mainly under the Insolvency Act 1986, Fraud Act 2006, Companies Act 2006, Theft Act 1968, Company Directors Disqualification Act 1986 and Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023) and for ensuring the team meets their objectives.
You will be based at Stratford, Croydon or Ipswich and will need to attend the relevant office regularly. Regular travel to other sites and to attend liaison meetings with stakeholders and other regulators, often at other offsite locations across the country will be required. Occasional overnight stays may be required.
What you'll do (Responsibilities)
- lead the operational delivery of serious and complex criminal investigations, ensuring cases progress effectively and support appropriate enforcement outcomes
- lead and manage Investigation Managers and their teams, including trainees, to build capability and deliver high-quality work
- ensure investigations meet Government Counter Fraud standards, best practice and relevant legal requirements, including PACE, RIPA, CPIA and UK GDPR
- manage team performance, governance and risk, taking accountable decisions and creating an open environment that supports challenge, change and innovation
- work with Legal Services, Insolvency Group, intelligence, proceeds of crime, civil investigation and case targeting teams, as well as law enforcement, prosecuting authorities and regulators, to progress enforcement action promptly
- represent the Insolvency Service in discussions with solicitors and counsel, at court where required, and in dealings with stakeholders and the media
- contribute to the Senior Leadership Group, Directorate Leadership Team and Chief Investigator network to deliver the enforcement strategy, improve consistency and develop organisational capability
In their own words:
“I’m proud to have delivered new digital software redaction capability to the agency, which has provided investigators across the board with the tools to effectively redact large volumes of material in line with guidance and at much speedier rate than previously. This is in line with the Enforcement Group strategy objective of investment in technology, to provide colleagues with the right tools to perform.”
Chris, Chief Investigator
Person specification
We're looking for someone who can:
- lead serious and complex criminal investigations to successful prosecution or other appropriate enforcement outcomes
- inspire and lead investigation teams, set clear priorities and remain accountable for high-quality operational delivery
- apply criminal investigation standards and use your understanding of the criminal justice system to guide effective casework
- assess evidence, risk and competing priorities, explain your reasoning and make sound decisions, including when to challenge or refer an issue
- build constructive relationships with internal teams, legal advisers, law enforcement partners, prosecutors, regulators and other stakeholders to achieve shared outcomes
- identify and lead improvements to investigative practice, capability and ways of working.
Essential criteria
An accreditation as a Professionalising Investigations Programme (PIP) level 2 supervisor/manager (or above), or equivalent qualification held previously.
Desirable criteria
It is desirable for candidates to have experience in complex criminal investigations, although not essential.
Further information
The role requires the successful candidate to attain Security Check (SC) vetting clearance, current holders of SC (or above) can transfer their clearance across.
The Insolvency Service will commence SC for those who require it as part of the onboarding process.
Qualifications
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Communicating and Influencing
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
- Seeing the Big Picture
Benefits
We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:
- flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
- full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
- in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
- competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
- 5 days paid leave for learning and development
- 5 days paid for volunteering
- a Cycle to work scheme
- staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life
Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Selection process details
Application and Sift
As part of the sift process, you will be asked to complete:
- CV
- Personal Statement
High volume applications and benchmark scoring
Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV, assessing candidates against the essential criteria. Only those who meet the essential criteria at this stage will proceed to a full assessment of their application. If a candidate does not meet the minimum requirements during the initial sift, the remainder of their application will not be reviewed. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.
Where high volumes of strong applications are expected or received, we may raise the ‘benchmark’ minimum score required at the sift stage. If a high volume of candidates meet the benchmark score, we may further raise the score required for interview selection. Scores will be applied fairly and consistently. Applicants eligible under a recruitment scheme may, where appropriate, continue to be considered against the agreed ‘benchmark’ score, to support the purpose of the scheme.
CV Guidance
Your CV should provide a clear overview of your employment history, key responsibilities, relevant qualifications, and the skills and experience you’ve gained throughout your career including any notable achievements.
Note: Your CV will be scored as part of the assessment process and will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the job advert.
Personal Statement Guidance
Your personal statement should be no more than 750 words and should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, in reference to the essential criteria and values in the person specification.
Interview Stage
If successful at the sift stage, at interview, you will be assessed on the following:
Behavioural Competencies - assessed through:
- Behaviour 1 - Communicating and Influencing
- Behaviour 2 - Making Effective Decisions
- Behaviour 3 - Leadership
- Behaviour 4 - Seeing the Big Picture
Expected timeline (subject to change)
Sift – w/c 16 November 2026
Interview – w/c 30 November 2026
Location - South East Regional Centre, 5th Floor, 1 Ruskin Square, Dingwall Road, Croydon CR0 2WF
Your interview will be conducted face to face. Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment process.
Visa Applicants
To sponsor a candidate under the Skilled Worker visa, a sponsorship licence is required. The Insolvency Service does not currently hold this licence and therefore, cannot legally sponsor Skilled Worker visa applicants.
Hybrid Working
The Insolvency Service’s hybrid working policy offers flexibility over when and where you work and collaborate, subject to business needs.
You are expected to work from an office listed in this advert to connect with colleagues, as your role and team require. You can split your working week, but must spend at least 60% in the workplace, including offices, site visits, court and other work locations.
Queries and Support
When contacting us or the Government Recruitment Service (GRS) using the contact details at the bottom of this advert, please include the 6-digit Vacancy ID, job title, your full name and, where applicable, your 8-digit Applicant ID in the email subject line. This will help us process your enquiry more efficiently.
Further Information
A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.
If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf.
However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.
New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
Reasonable Adjustment
We must make reasonable adjustments if our recruitment process puts a disabled applicant at a substantial disadvantage. These are changes or support that help remove or reduce that disadvantage.
If you need an adjustment to apply, contact Government Recruitment Service at [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date.
For adjustments later in the recruitment process, complete ‘Assistance required’ on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form. Examples include wheelchair access at interview or communication support if you are deaf or hard of hearing.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.
Feedback
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
- individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
- Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service
Working for the Civil Service
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).
Diversity and Inclusion
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Further information
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