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.

Covert Operations, Digital Exploitation (CODE) sits within HMRC’s wider Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) responsible for the department’s civil and criminal investigation work. FIS ensures that HMRC has an effective approach to taking on the most serious tax evasion and fraud.

Working across Law Enforcement and government, CODE provides investigative tools and covert techniques to front-line investigations and works with key partners to develop and provide access to new technology and systems to enable investigators to respond to serious and complex tax evasion and crime.

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

Cybercrime & Forensic Services (C&FS) provides critical support to FIS investigations nationally through the provision of important Forensic services. From supporting warrant executions to the preservation and analysis of digital evidence.

Person specification

This is a unique opportunity to be responsible for critical elements of our Digital Forensic Service provided to HMRC’s investigation teams.

You will ensure that all aspects of Digital Forensic work are carried out to a high standard, adhering to a solid forensic strategy, and meeting all requirements of the Forensic Science Regulator.

This will involve leading and developing junior colleagues who will benefit from your expertise and experience during lab-base acquisition work, forensic analysis, and presentation of evidence.

As an effective communicator you will collaborate closely with Senior Investigation Officers (SIOs) running operations and their senior management structures. Providing consultant level services on Forensic Strategy and technical problem solving.

On-site operations, such as search warrants, are an important part in HMRC’s enforcement work, here the investigation teams will benefit from your experience dealing with frontline challenges and assisting with the forensic aspects of fast-paced operational work.

The responsibilities of this role will include (but not limited to):

• Assist and manage other staff during the seizure and retention of digital devices within a laboratory environment and during search warrant executions for subsequent Forensic examination.
• Manage Forensic exhibits to ensure continuity, confidentiality and security is maintained at all times.
• Understand, follow, and actively promote Digital Forensic good practice methodologies (ISO17025:2017 standard and FSR Codes of Practice) to examine computers, mobile phones, and other digital devices.
• Preparing evidential reports upon completion of Digital Forensic examinations.
• Providing fact and procedural-based evidence at Court as and when required.
• Being at the forefront of technical developments within Digital Forensics.
• Using a number of mainstream digital forensic software tools to process data from mobile phones, computers, and other digital devices, such as X-Ways Forensics, Nuix, Axiom, Cellebrite, Oxygen, XRY, etc.
• Working with material that may be of an obscene, offensive, or distressing nature.
• The building of a portfolio of evidence to become a member of ICDIP.
• Attending operational duties (including search warrant executions away from normal place of work with overnight stays).
• Travelling across the country, including occasional international travel.
• Managing, mentoring, and training junior members of the team as well as educating senior investigation colleagues about the field of Digital Forensics.
• Depending on existing experience, you will be expected to undertake Digital Forensics training, ranging from in-house training to external courses.

Training Requirements:

Necessary Digital Forensics training, ranging from in-house training to external courses, will be provided.

Essential Criteria:

• National Security Vetting Clearance at Security Check (SC) or the ability to achieve SC clearance.
• Experience in the use of digital forensic software tools such as, X-Ways Forensics, Nuix, Axiom, Cellebrite, Oxygen, XRY, etc.
• Be knowledgeable of the ISO 17025:2017 standard and Forensic Science Regulators Codes of Practice.
• Understanding, following, and actively promoting Digital Forensic good practice methodologies (ISO17025:2017 standard and FSR Codes of Practice) to examine computers, mobile phones, and other digital devices.
• Good communicator who can perform in a client/customer facing role.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, environment, balancing multiple tasks through to completion.
• Ability to handle time and prioritise tasks optimally.
• Proven demonstrable experience of working within a Digital Forensics environment.
• Experience and knowledge in performing Digital Forensic examinations; be able to demonstrate case experience within either the law enforcement or civil work environment.
• Ability to work with material that may be of an obscene, offensive, or distressing nature. Treat such material in the appropriate manner ensuring it is secured and handled according to defined policy.
• Ability to obtain membership of ICDIP at associate level.
• Hold a full UK Driving Licence & be willing to drive on official business.

Desirable Criteria:

• Knowledge and understanding of criminal justice procedures including the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA), CPIA 1996, and PACE 1984.
• Knowledge of Legal Professional Privilege (LPP) material and how to deal with it.
• Experience of giving evidence in court.

You will be required to complete Operational Safety Training (OST) - document attached.

Additional Information:

This role requires a certain degree of fitness and applicants will be required to be cleared by an Occupational Health assessment to be able to attend an Operational Safety Training (OST) course. Successful completion of the OST is required to undertake duties away from the office. Failure to pass and maintain the OST certificate may affect receipt of the Flexibility Payment.

Applicants who wish to work alternative working patterns are welcome to apply. The preferred working pattern may or may not be available, agreement will be subject to business need, and any request to work an alternative working pattern should be made prior to your acceptance of the provisional offer.

Appointment will be conditional upon satisfactory conduct and discipline checks and security vetting.

Candidates must live within reasonable daily travel, of Stratford Regional Centre.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £39,893, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £10,771 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, Experience and Technical skills.

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete a CV and a personal statement. Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form.

The CV consists of 3 sections: Qualifications, Career History and Skills and experience - maximum 500 words per section. Please demonstrate your technical experience within the skills and experience sections.

The personal statement should explain in no more than 1000 words how you meet the requirements as set out in the essential criteria.

The CV, personal statement, and experience will be assessed at sift.

If you progress to interview, you will be further assessed on technical knowledge and the Civil Service behaviours outlined above in the advert. Your technical knowledge will be assessed by way of a presentation, questions during the interview and then followed by a written assessment.

Desirable Criteria will only be assessed in the event of tied candidate scores.

Interviews will be held face to face.

We aim to complete the sift and interview process within 5 weeks of advert closing date.

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. 

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 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.

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 - 346089 & vacancy closing date 05/04/2024. 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 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.