About the job

Job summary

The SFO is a unique law enforcement organisation which both investigates and prosecutes the top tier of fraud, bribery and corruption and related money laundering. We bring the skills of our lawyers, investigators, accountants, analysts and administrators together on every case from the outset and work closely with law enforcement and prosecution partners in the UK and overseas.

You will be working in the Proceeds of Crime and International Assistance Division and playing a key role in the delivery of the SFO’s strategic objective of recovering the proceeds of serious or complex economic crime. You will set the strategic direction in the cases allocated to you, ensuring that asset recovery opportunities (whether Part 2 or 5 POCA or both) are identified, prioritised and resourced to ensure a just outcome and where possible, the return of money to victims. You will be experienced in global asset recovery and criminal litigation or investigation, with experience of civil litigation or civil investigations being a bonus. You will be skilled in working collaboratively with colleagues internally and externally. You will also play a key part in the overall management of the Division and its multi-agency work on policy matters relating to asset recovery representing the SFO as a key player in this field.

Job description

As a Case Controller (Proceeds of Crime) you will be responsible for:

• Lead and manage own case load of complex asset recovery cases. Using own technical proficiency and in collaboration with team members set the overall strategy and investigation plan, manage the investigative and litigation resourcing (both people and money), ensure that work is done in a timely manner in accordance with the key priorities of the case, identify risk, plan and deliver a robust risk and assurance strategy.
• Prepare and provide effective casework updates for senior managers, including Head of Division, General Counsel, Chief Operating Officer and the Director.
• Ensure Proceeds of Crime (POC) work allocated to colleagues tasked on specific cases and for which you have line management responsibilities is progressed effectively, efficiently, in accordance with the key priorities of the case with risk and expenditure identified and appropriately managed.
• Manage budgets for each case ensuring potential costs are identified and communicated promptly and counsel’s fees are agreed on a monthly basis.
• Conduct quality assurance reviews of POC work across the Division as required.
• Ensure the development and delivery of best practice across the Division and Office.

For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please see attached Job Pack.

Person specification

See above and attached Job Pack.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £68,876, Serious Fraud Office contributes £18,596 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

Application stage

As part of the application process you will be required to provide:

• A CV outlining your job history and qualifications, including how you meet the essential technical criteria for the role, as outlined in the Job Pack.

The essential technical criteria is a lead criteria; this will be assessed first and candidates who do not meet the required standard will not have the remainder of their application considered.

• A personal statement of no more than 750 words that explains how your skills and experience meet each of the essential experience criteria as listed below:
  • Significant practical experience of legal asset recovery remedies or investigations pursuant to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and the Criminal Finances Act 2017.
  • Significant experience of at least two of the following; restraint proceedings; confiscation investigations and proceedings; enforcement of complex orders (confiscation or civil recovery); civil recovery and/or civil recovery investigations; requests from overseas jurisdictions for asset recovery assistance.
  • Experience of managing and developing colleagues.

It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.

Interview stage

Experience criteria as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview. 

Candidates invited to interview will also be required to complete an assessment.

Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.

Sift to take place from 27 February 2024.

Interviews are expected to take place w/c 4 & 11 March 2024.

All dates are indicative and subject to change.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

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

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

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). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.