About the job

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading Government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty. 

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 10 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include LGBT+, FACES, Disability & Health, Break the Stigma, Women’s, The Shed, Carers, Part Time Workers, No Limits and Grass Roots.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, though our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career.

Our Structure

Our Criminal Investigation Teams, part of the Investigation and Enforcement Services directorate (IES), are spread across England and Wales and are responsible for conducting criminal investigations into insolvency and corporate-related criminal offences which support the agency’s objective to tackle financial wrongdoing. These teams work closely with our civil investigation teams and our Legal Services Directorate internally and other law enforcement partner organisations to ensure that we fulfil our role in delivering Governmental strategies.

Job description

Following the recent enactment of new legislation, over the next two years we will be significantly expanding our criminal investigative remit and capability. This new role will support this expansion and provides an excellent opportunity for an experienced criminal investigation leader to help build our resilience, professionalism and develop pathways for our criminal investigation teams.

You will report to one of the Assistant Directors within IES and will work very closely with the Chief Investigators who lead our criminal investigation work in each of our three operational regions: North, Midlands & West and South. You will be able to base yourself in any one of our regional centres across England and Wales, although regular travel to other sites to meet with colleagues, and externally with other regulators, often at other offsite locations across the country will be required. Occasional overnight stays may be required. 

Part time working will be considered but there is a minimum requirement of 30 hours per week.

Responsibilities

The main duties of the role include:

• Working collaboratively with our operational Chief Investigators, Intelligence and Compliance and Targeting Teams and agency business partners to ensure that our criminal investigation teams are well supported, with quality standards and best practice consistently applied and continuously improved.
• Working influentially and in partnership with other law enforcement, prosecuting and enforcement authorities as well as Regulatory Bodies in relation to criminal enforcement activity. This will include maintaining Memorandum of Understandings with external partners.
• Contributing to agency development and capability initiative for criminal investigators. This will include line managing the Training Lead-Criminal Investigations and working with the agency Capability Team to develop a new training regime for new criminal investigators and continuous professional development activities for more qualified staff.
• Providing a gateway function for the provision of technical guidance for criminal investigators, ensuring such guidance remains accessible and up to date.
• Providing Special Point of Contact (SPOC) support as Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) 2000/Investigatory Powers Act (IPA) advisor and manage any applications through to consideration for authorisation (RIPA), for IPA ensure National Anti Fraud Network (NAFN) end to end service is effective and timely.
• Liaising with Investigatory Powers Commissioners Office (IPCO) in relation to bi-annual inspection and develop and deliver action plans in response.
• In conjunction with the Training Lead-Criminal Investigations, maintain and oversee Communications Data standards and training delivery to authorised staff.
• Contributing positively as a member of the IES Senior Leadership Team to future IES and agency strategies and other agency-level activities.
• In time there may also be a requirement to oversee some criminal investigation.

The successful candidate will have the opportunity to:

• Develop their leadership skills
• Influence the design and development of a training regime for our expanding criminal investigation teams, building capability, professionalism and career pathways
• Providing technical and governance support to our operational criminal investigation teams, including audit and risk management activities
• Play a key role in developing the future IES, best practice and embedding the Government Counter Fraud Profession and standards
• Appreciate the bigger picture of the investigation and enforcement environment across government and raising the Agency’s contribution to it.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate:

• A proven track record of successful leadership of criminal investigations into serious and complex crime, leading to successful prosecution
• Very strong understanding and experience of prevailing criminal investigation standards, including demonstrable knowledge of CPIA(Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996), PACE(Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984), RIPA, POCA (Proceeds of Crime Act 2002) and IPA
• Confidence in decision-making, exercising sound judgement, and the ability to challenge others in a constructive way
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a proven track record of successful internal and external relationship management
• Forward thinking and innovative; initiates, drives and embraces new ways of working
• Excellent planning and communication skills

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £51,518, Insolvency Service contributes £13,909 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.

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete a CV, 500-word Personal Statement and Behaviour Statements. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

Your Personal Statement should be no more than 500 words and should explain how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with particular reference to the essential criteria in the person specification.

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift, or progressed straight to assessment/interview.

We will test your behaviours and experience as part of the sift process, if successful you will be invited to a short interview where we will test your behaviours and experience. Full details of the selection process will be made available to shortlisted candidates once the sift has been completed.

Expected Timeline

• Sift – w/c 02/04/24
• Interview – w/c 15/04/24
• Location - TBC

Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Further Information

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency Service 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

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 Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

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

Transforming Workplaces

The Insolvency Service is currently delivering an exciting five-year transformation project that started in April 2022 which will define our future direction supporting a gradual migration to a Regional Centre model combined with smarter ways of working. As part of this, transforming our estate will align us with the government modernisation programmes making The Insolvency Service a great place to work.  

We are letting you know about our future plans because if you are joining the Insolvency Service and are recruited into an office over the next five years that is not one of the Regional Centres, you will be expected to move to one of the Regional Centres in the future. This move would not attract financial assistance.   

The 11 Regional Centres are : Birmingham, Cardiff, Croydon, Edinburgh, Exeter, Ipswich, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Stratford.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put 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 insolvencyrecruitment.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 will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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.