About the job

Job summary

The Investigatory Powers Act gained royal assent in November 2016. The Act creates the roles of the Investigatory Powers Commissioner (IPC) and Judicial Commissioners (JCs) to authorise and oversee the use of investigatory powers by public authorities.

The IPC and JCs have the important constitutional function of balancing the public interest and the rights of the individual independently of Government, in particular assessing when it is justifiable for these rights to be interfered with.

The IPC and JCs are supported by the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO), an organisation of around 160 civil servants headed by a Chief Executive, comprising secretariat, policy, legal, finance and communications functions, as well as technical experts and Inspectors.

IPCO has a vacancy for a Grade 6 Chief Inspector, who is primarily responsible for leading a team of Inspectors to deliver a comprehensive and effective inspection regime to oversee the use of the following investigatory powers: surveillance, covert human intelligence sources (CHIS), and property interference. These powers are used by a wide range of public authorities and this role plans and delivers the IPC’s oversight of law enforcement agencies, government regulators, local authorities and prisons.

The new postholder will work closely with two fellow Chief Inspectors, responsible for oversight of other covert investigatory powers, to lead IPCO’s Inspectorate. Our Chief Inspectors are responsible for managing their teams of Inspectors and resources to collectively deliver IPCO’s oversight responsibilities. As members of IPCO’s Executive Board, they are also senior and visible leaders within the organisation who support the IPC and Chief Executive on corporate matters.

This post is available at National or London pay rates. National contracts can be homeworking or based in our offices in Birmingham or Manchester. London contracts will be based in our London office. In any case, the role requires regular travel throughout the UK and to spend some nights away from home, for a mixture of inspections, team meetings and Executive Board business at IPCO’s offices in London, Manchester or Birmingham.

Note: The role is only available on a full-time basis due to business needs. 

Job description

The key responsibilities will include:

• Taking responsibility for personal performance and for delivering work objectives in a manner consistent with IPCO’s Mission and Values, including support to the IPC and Chief Executive on corporate matters.
• Direct line management of a team of Inspectors, delivering IPCO’s inspection programme in relation to surveillance, CHIS and property interference, and promoting high standards and team-working across the Inspectorate.
• Planning and managing delivery of an annual programme of scheduled inspections in accordance with our inspection principles and a risk-based approach, as well as ad hoc oversight requirements as they arise.
• Attending a selection of inspections to support Inspectors, enable line management oversight, and to engage public authorities; and scrutinising public authorities’ progress against inspection compliance findings and advising the IPC.
• Maintaining high inspection standards, by ensuring: Inspectors use appropriate skills and methodologies; inspections are conducted in a consistent manner; and inspection reports are well-moderated and deliver clear accountability.
• Acting, with fellow Chief Inspectors, as senior, independent, oversight relationship managers, representing IPCO at regular stakeholder meetings, building positive working relationships with the Home Office, law enforcement, agencies and other public authorities, and addressing complex or persistent compliance issues.
• Clearly articulating inspection findings openly and convincingly in an appropriate style to suit the level of the audience and lead others to understand the findings and accept key conclusions.
• Managing the use of Inspector resources to support thematic and special enquiries, serious error investigations and undercover officer reviews.
• Assisting IPCO colleagues to produce the Annual Report to the Prime Minister and other publications, drafting correspondence and briefing papers for the IPC and Chief Executive, and providing information and data to support internal and external IPCO reviews and communications.
• Scrutinising draft revisions to national operational policies and Codes of Practice and offering suggestions for improvements arising from oversight findings.

Note: An employee may be required also to carry out other duties within the scope of the grade and within their skills, competence and training.

Person specification

Essential criteria

• Excellent communication, management and organisational skills to successfully maintain and develop the oversight regime and resolve complex and persistent compliance issues.
• Proven ability to deliver through others and negotiate effectively at senior levels both internally and externally.
• Confidence and capability to garner the respect of others through their knowledge, management experience and ability to lead an experienced team.
• A clear working understanding of the external operating environment and strategic awareness in managing inspections and compliance issues.
• Proven ability to actively listen, empathise and promote a communicative and constructive environment. Whilst this is a compliance role, candidates must demonstrate emotional intelligence and approach their oversight in a supportive and constructive manner.
• Proven ability to: gather information, facts and evidence during the inspections from a range of sources and evaluate this against legislation and policy; act decisively; and make well-judged, objective and logical conclusions from a robust assessment of the available evidence.
• Experience to recognise where an area may require further investigation and be able to challenge areas of non-compliance or poor practice, respecting confidentiality and privacy.
• Proven ability to produce clear, accurate and well-structured written reports that set out key issues, options and where necessary, any action required.

Desirable criteria

• Experience in inspection methodology and techniques or an auditing background, with a good eye for detail.
• Technical and operational knowledge in relation to the covert investigatory powers overseen by IPCO.

Note: Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. This role requires Developed Vetting.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £69,200, Home Office contributes £18,684 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

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

At application you will be asked to complete a CV, personal statement (max limit: 1000 words) and five behaviour examples: Working Together, Managing a Quality Service, Leadership, Communicating and Influencing and Changing and Improving.  

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your personal statement should be aligned to the essential criteria set out in the person specification.

The sift will be held on the personal statement and the five behaviour examples. The CV is for illustration purposes only and will not be marked.   

In the event a high number of applications received, the sift will be scored against the personal statement and Working Together behaviour example.

At interview you will be assessed using behaviour-based questions on all behaviours listed in the job advertisement.

Sift and interview dates

Sift will take place week commencing 8th April 2024.

Interviews will take place week commencing 22nd April 2024.  

This timeline may change subject to business needs.

In person interviews will take place in London. Further information will be provided to those who progress to this stage of the process.

Further Information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting

A reserve list may be held for a period up to 12 months from which further appointment may be made.

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes. 

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs
• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the ‘Contact point for applicants’ section.

Feedback

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 developed vetting (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

Open to UK nationals only.

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.