About the job

Job summary

HMRC is the UK’s tax, payments, and customs authority and we have a vital purpose: we collect the money that pays for the UK’s public services and help families and individuals with targeted financial support.

About Risk and Intelligence Service (RIS)

Risk and Intelligence Service (RIS) is at the heart of HMRC compliance activity. The purpose of the Intelligence Deputy Directorate within RIS is to develop and enhance the intelligence picture of organised crime and serious fraud impacting HMRC. We then deliver quality intelligence products to drive decision making and compliance interventions to maximise our impact.

We do this by:

• Collecting, collating, and exploiting intelligence to identify the greatest threats to HMRC and drive operational decision making.
• Providing information, intelligence, and live operational support to HMRC teams, Law Enforcement and international partners to increase their impact and effectiveness.
• Developing and delivering high impacting intervention opportunities to stop and disrupt serious non-compliance.
• Collaborating with national and international partners to increase our collective impact and capability.

The Fiscal Crime Liaison Officer Network (FCLO Network) plays an important role in the delivery of this function.

Fiscal Crime Liaison Officer Network

HMRC’s FCLO Network sits within RIS Intelligence and comprises both overseas and UK intelligence liaison and supporting functions.

The international network consists of diplomatically accredited staff based in UK Embassies and High Commissions overseas who disrupt and dismantle serious and organised criminal attacks on the UK through close engagement with host country Law Enforcement Agencies.

The UK network works with Police and other UK law enforcement agencies to identify and utilise intelligence opportunities for their benefit and that of HMRC.

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

This is an exciting opportunity to join HMRC’s intelligence capability as it embarks on a transformation programme.

The Head of HMRC’s Fiscal Crime Liaison Officer Network is a demanding and rewarding job leading a team of around 130 people across the UK and abroad.

You will report to the Deputy Director Intelligence.

Having direct line management responsibility for ten Grade 7 leaders, you will set direction for the network to ensure it effectively and efficiently achieves its goals. Building an inclusive culture focused on continuous improvement, you will use a broad range of leadership skills to support business delivery. You will have a clear focus on maximising performance delivery across the breadth of the FCLO Network , continually looking for opportunities to maximise impact and enhance HMRC’s reputation and ensure HMRC has an international and domestic liaison network fit for the future.

As a member of the RIS Intelligence Senior Leadership Team and the RIS Senior Leadership Group, you will role-model inspiring, confident, and empowering leadership. You will work with other senior colleagues to engage people and actively shape the direction of the wider Intelligence business and deliver transformation across HMRC’s Intelligence function.

You will manage risks, both financial and personnel across the globe, working with Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) policy teams to ensure HMRC and our officers are compliant with wider HMG alignment principles.

The post involves a significant amount of travel, both domestically and internationally. There is a need for the post-holder to host overseas counterparts and delegations. Most of this occurs in London and there is the expectation that the post holder will travel to London to cover these events.

This is a reserved role for which you will receive flexibility payment to fulfil your out-of-hours responsibilities.

The fraud landscape is ever-changing, and we are looking for a highly motivated and forward-thinking individual who can help us build our capability for the challenges ahead.

Person specification

You will need to demonstrate the following skills and experience within your application.

Key Responsibilities

• Leading geographically diverse teams to deliver stretching performance targets in an uncertain and fast-paced environment.
• Representing HMRC at national and international levels. Articulating HMRC’s strategic priorities, the practical application of intelligence in delivering those priorities and the ability to balance customer and partners requirements against HMRC’s own functional priorities.
• Being a role model in engaging, motivating, and developing others. Your exceptional leadership qualities will be tested both in terms of the complexity of the role and your continued engagement with senior stakeholders across government.
• Leading transformational change within the network and the wider business area to continuously improve what we do, how we do it to increase our efficiency and effectiveness.
• Building and enhancing the FCLO Network and HMRC’s intelligence capability. This is to ensure we are versatile to meet the challenges of the ever-changing fraud landscape.
• Using excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills to manage existing relationships and establish new ones with internal and external customers and partners.
• Setting out and measuring clear and unambiguous performance expectations across your business areas and ensuring delivery across the diverse range of FCLO Network functions.
• Managing a complex financial budget with multiple funding sources and delivering value for money in achieving our business objectives.

Essential Criteria:

Experience

• Senior leadership experience in a complex and geographically diverse environment.
• Experience of working in an intelligence environment or of using and/or producing intelligence.

National Security Vetting

National Security Vetting (NSV) at Developed Vetting (DV) clearance level and STRAP induction are essential for this role.

You must hold NSV at Security Check (SC) clearance level as a minimum at the application stage.

If NSV at DV clearance level and STRAP induction are not held at the application stage, you will be required to apply and achieve NSV at DV clearance level and STRAP induction as a condition for permanent appointment in this role.

If successful at interview, a job offer will be conditional on currently holding NSV at SC clearance level and subsequently achieving NSV at DV clearance level and STRAP induction. If you do not hold or are unable to obtain the required security vetting, we will withdraw the offer of employment. This is because you will not have met the conditions for employment in this role.

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%

Added Benefits

Flexibility Payment 1B

This post attracts a Level 1b Flexibility Payment (FP) that is paid monthly with salary. This FP requires you to undertake periods of On Call. You will be expected to work On Call 1 week in 4 or 1 week in 3 depending on grade.

In applying for a position and accepting the FP you agree that you can and will meet those attendance requirements.

FP levels are reviewed annually – on a business need and personal basis – and may be subject to change.

If you currently receive the Flexibility Payment, which may include Transition Protection and/or a Maintained Pension Value, moving to a new role may affect your payments.

Details of the Flexibility Payment can be found in the attached document.

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 and Experience.

The selection process consists of 3 stages. Your application, sift, and interview.

The vacancy holder and two independent panel members will form the selection panel.

1.Application

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide an essential criteria statement, CV, personal statement, and two behaviour examples.

Your 250-word essential criteria statement will be in response to the role-specific question. You should demonstrate how you meet all the requirements set out in the essential criteria. If successful, your application will progress to sift.

Your 500-word personal statement should demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the key responsibilities of the person specification.

Include examples of what you have done and how you achieved it.

Your separate 250-word behaviour statements should demonstrate:

• Leadership (Lead Behaviour)
• Communicating and Influencing 

Your 500-word CV should provide details of up to your last 5-year job history and include a brief description of your:

• Roles and responsibilities
• Skills and experience
• Key achievements/Deliverables
• Qualifications.

Match these to the key responsibilities in the job advert. 

Your CV will be for context only and will not be scored.

Any additional wording will not be considered. 

Your CV, essential criteria evidence, personal statement, and behaviour examples must not contain any personal details which could be used to identify you.

2. Sift – week commencing 8 Jan 2024.

If you meet the essential criteria, the selection panel will assess your personal statement and behaviour examples to determine the extent to which you have demonstrated your suitability for the role. 

An initial sift based on your Personal Statement and the lead behaviour (Leadership) may be held if a large number of applications are received. 

If you pass the initial sift your application will progress to full sift, and your Communicating and Influencing behaviour example will also assessed.

We reserve the right to raise the pass mark to manage the number of successful candidates to be interviewed.

3. Interview – Week commencing 22 Jan 2024.

Interviews will be held either in person or online via Microsoft Teams and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

The interview will also include a presentation.

Candidates who are successful at sift will be given further details regarding the interview.

The behaviour Seeing the Big Picture will be assessed at interview.

Behaviour-based questions will explore in detail what you are capable of.

Experience-based questions will assess your current level of experience and evaluate your track record.

We recommend you use the STAR model in your responses.

The above progression timeline may be subject to change.

Reserve Lists

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll 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:

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

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 

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 Security Check (SC) 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 SC is 5 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.

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.

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 - 330475 & vacancy closing date 03/01/2024. 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.

Due to operational needs, these posts are full-time; however applicants who need to work a more flexible arrangement are welcome to apply. 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.

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

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.