About the job

Job summary

The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) and HMRC are integral partners for fighting fiscal crime and protecting consumers and markets from harm. The joint nature of these organisations is crucial to the UK’s success at combating criminal finance, including fraud against consumers.

FCA & HMRC conducted a project to understand each other's organisations and develop a program of improvements to the working relationship. A report concluded; this role is designed to continue and embed the work started during the project period.

This role has a specialised and unique remit in drawing together the two organisations, acting as a single liaison point for intelligence, enforcement and supervision in one single role, developing and strengthening the joint relationship between FCA and HMRC to achieve boths’ aims and ambitions.

HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) leads the department’s civil and criminal investigations. FIS ensures that HMRC has an effective approach to tackling the most serious tax evasion and fraud, using a range of powers and approaches to protect funding for UK public services, ensuring nobody is beyond our reach.

HMRC’s Risk and Intelligence Service (RIS) is responsible for the department’s intelligence and fiscal crime liaison work. RIS ensures that HMRC has an effective approach to intelligence work, using a range of powers to collect and distribute intelligence. They are part of the UK’s Intelligence Community (UKIC).

FCA is responsible for making sure the UK’s financial market functions well. FCA’s operational objectives are to protect consumers from financial harm, to protect and enhance the integrity of the financial system, and to promote effective competition in consumers’ interests. The FCA’s focus on detecting and acting on serious harm is increasing with a more assertive and innovative approach developing. This includes partnership working and intelligence exchange.

This role encompasses and subsumes the UK Law Enforcement Liaison Network Officer role in the FCLO Network; usually housed within RIS; and the supervisor-to-supervisor relationship which is usually housed in Economic Crime Supervision [ECS] The role offers unique leverage and opportunity within both organisations to cut across all disciplines and departmental responsibilities. The role holder will report to the ECS Head of Intelligence & Risk but will work closely with a wide range of stakeholders in both organisations.

See what it’s like to work at HMRC: find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Job description

You will be:

• Actively progressing the findings and recommendations of the HMRC-FCA bilateral report.
• Proactive in exploring opportunities for better collaboration and information sharing across supervision, tactical and strategic intelligence, law enforcement, tax, insolvency (firm failure) and regulation matters, to develop the HMRC-FCA relationship.
• Ensuring that FCA and HMRC can share information and intelligence as freely as possible to support each organisation’s strategies and objectives.
• Proactively identifying opportunities for disruption of criminals and bad actors where the remits of HMRC and the FCA intersect, and where together we can have more of an impact on illicit finance and economic crime.
• Identifying training and knowledge sharing opportunities across each department.
• On a case by case basis, facilitate information/intelligence requests and support strategic, operational and tactical engagement, and direct to relevant subject matter experts.
• Responsible for leading the supervisor-to-supervisor relationship, ensuring information is shared legally and in a timely manner, especially for jointly-supervised Money Service Businesses.
• Chair of the supervisor-to-supervisor bi-weekly inter-agency meeting.
• Responsible for the sharing of intelligence and supervisory information between agencies, ensuring intelligence is handled and disseminated correctly in accordance with government classifications and handling instructions.
• Responsible for coordinating enforcement action between agencies where appropriate.
• Act as an embedded officer of both HMRC and the FCA, drawing in relevant colleagues from both agencies where appropriate.
• Collate Management Information and report monthly to stakeholders on statistics and cases to both organisations.

When in the role, you will need:

• To keep up to date with FCA/HMRC strategic objectives so as to be able to identify common areas of interest.
• To understand the FCA/HMRC’s respective remits.
• To understand the regulatory, civil and criminal powers available to the FCA and HMRC.

Depending on individual circumstances and the requirements of the role we may be able to make reasonable workplace adjustments such as flexible working, adjusting breaks and time to complete tasks, providing alternative office equipment, software etc. A successful applicant would be able to discuss this with their manager.

The role is a 1 year fixed term appointment (FTA) and may be extended for a further 12 month period. 

The successful candidate will work half their physical office time in the FCA’s own office, opposite 14 Westfield Avenue (Stratford Regional Centre). 

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• This is common practice for sensitive roles. Developed Vetting (DV) is necessary for the role. However, while we wait for the DV to come through, the successful candidate will be able to start with Security Check (SC) vetting clearance, on the basis they are content to apply for DV. 
• Experience of working between multiple agencies concurrently.
• Experience in any of the following fields: financial crime, intelligence, supervisory/regulatory or other fraud-related work.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience of drawing together disparate sets of stakeholders.

Benefits

• Learning and development tailored to your role.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity.
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%.

Find more about HMRC benefits in 'Your little extras and big benefits handbook' for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Things you need to know

Selection process details

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

As part of the application process you will be asked to complete:

• A CV detailing your qualifications, career history and experience (250 words each section). Your CV is for information purposes and will not be scored. 
• A 500 word Personal Statement which demonstrates how you meet the essential and what you and your experience can bring to the role. It is important your suitability statement is aligned with the requirements of the role. The Personal Statement will be scored.
• An example of up to 250 words on the lead behaviour of Communicating and Influencing.

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

Sift

An initial sift will be conducted on the Personal Statement. After the Personal Statement sift, a second sift will be conducted on the Lead Behaviour, Communicating and Influencing. Only the Lead Behaviour will be assessed at Sift, with the rest of the Behaviours assessed only at Interview. 

In the event of tied scores, the merit order will be determined on the overall score, and then on the relevance of the details supplied in the CV section.

Interview 

During the interview, you will also be asked to deliver a 10 minute presentation which must evidence the Seeing the Big Picture behaviour; details of the presentation will be provided at least 5 working days before the interview.

You will then be asked Behaviour-Based questions on the Behaviours listed in the advert.

You are encouraged to align example behaviours around an appropriate structure, e.g. ‘STAR’:

• Describe the Situation.
• Outline the Task involved.
• Detail the Action(s) taken.
• Results or Impact achieved.

Finally, you will be asked a series of strengths based questions. 

A sift exercise will follow within 14 days of the closing date followed by a face to face interview. 

We reserve the right to raise the score required at any stage of the process in order to manage numbers.

Interview dates to be confirmed.

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 3 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we will  let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account. 

Eligibility

To check that you are eligible to apply, review this eligibility information.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers

This role may be suitable for existing HMRC employees who are contractual homeworkers. Occasional attendance to the office will be required where there is a business need, so please review the advertised office locations for this role when applying and only select locations from the ‘location preferences’ section that you are able to travel to.  

Reasonable Adjustments 

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process because of a disability, condition, or impairment. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate. 

If you need a reasonable adjustment or a change to be made so that you can make your application, review this information on reasonable adjustments, and contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible.

Diversity and Inclusion

At HMRC we are committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues and creating an inclusive and respectful environment that reflects the diversity of the society we serve.

Diverse perspectives and experiences are critical to our success and we welcome applications from all people from all backgrounds with the experience and skills needed to perform this role. We’re committed to creating a great place to work for all our colleagues here at HMRC. We want everyone to feel valued and supported to achieve their potential at HMRC.

For more information on how we make this happen, review this information on our culture and values.

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible after considering operational and customer service needs. We can’t guarantee that we can meet all requests to work flexibly, as agreement will be subject to business ability to accommodate, and any request to work a more flexible arrangement should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process. 

The Civil Service runs 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. 

Locations 

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

Security Update

For more information on the level of security checks we will carry out, review this information on security checks.

Additional Security Information

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Developed Vetting (DV) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for DV is 10 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

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

Further Information

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application/s will be withdrawn from the process. 

Duplicate applications for the same vacancy will also be withdrawn.

Transferring into HMRC from Civil Service If you are currently working for an ‘Other Government Department’ (OGD) and would like to consider the impact on your pay when joining HMRC, please see the attached document "Combined T&C and OGD Pay English”, found at the bottom of this advert. Further information on staff transfers can be found on gov.uk.

Problems during the application process 

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. 

If you think you’ve made a mistake on a short application form (e.g. you’ve ticked the incorrect eligibility box), please contact hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk at least two working days before the vacancy closes. After this, we won’t be able to reopen your application.   

Please use the subject line to insert appropriate wording e.g. Please re-open my application - 320621 & vacancy closing date 01/03/2024. Please note that we cannot amend or re-open your application if you have submitted your full application in the interests of fair and open recruitment.

For reasonable adjustments queries or requests, please see details within reasonable adjustments section above.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. 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

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.