About the job

Job summary

The SFO investigates and prosecutes the most serious and complex fraud, bribery and corruption, and pursues the proceeds of crime, and compensates victims where possible. 

We are unique in the UK because we both investigate and prosecute our cases. We have specialist powers because these kinds of cases are complicated and lawyers and investigators need to work together closely from the outset.

As a Principal Investigative Lawyer, you will have the opportunity to make a significant contribution by providing strong leadership to drive cases forward delivering high quality outcomes by collaborating with a variety of internal and external stakeholders worldwide.

Job description

As a Principal Investigative Lawyer, your job will include:

• Drafting case strategy, key decisions, team building and outcomes
• Contributing to organisational learning following innovative resolutions and legal precedents
• Drafting search warrants, attending searches, interviewing witnesses, identifying asset recovery options in tandem with our Proceeds Of Crime team and engaging counsel for trial and disclosure work.
• Engagement with overseas law enforcement and prosecuting agencies, with possible travel
• Enhancing your technical skills through working with digital evidence (training to use our software will be provided)
• Working on more than one case at a time where needed and the probability of working on a variety of cases to expand your career experience 

Person specification

See above and attached Candidate Pack

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £55,317, Serious Fraud Office contributes £14,936 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.

How to apply

Please complete the online application process via the link on the advert.

As part of the application process you will be required to provide:

• A CV setting out your career history and covering any relevant qualifications you hold to demonstrate the essential technical requirement. This is the LEAD criteria for the role and only candidates who meet this will have the remainder of their application considered.
• A personal statement of up to 500 words that explains how your skills and experience meet essential and desirable criteria as listed in the Candidate Pack. Desirable criteria will only be taken into account where it is necessary to further shortlist for interview.

The candidates shortlisted for the next stage of the selection process will be those who have clearly demonstrated that they meet the essential experience and technical criteria for the role. 

The interview stage

If you are shortlisted, you will be invited to sit a short scenario based assessment to test your legal knowledge and skills. You will also be interviewed to explore the behaviours, strengths and experience in more depth.

Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates.

The closing date for applications is Monday 1st April 2024, however applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis so you may be shortlisted and invited to interview before the advertised closing date.

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 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.