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 

The Investigation and Enforcement Services Directorate (IES) aims to deliver and promote a range of investigation and enforcement activities both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets and to promote high standards of corporate behaviour. IES plays a key role in enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes to maintain public confidence in those regimes and to tackle the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity.

Job description

The post sits within the Financial Investigation Unit, which is part of the Investigation and Enforcement Services Directorate. The team of Accredited Financial Investigators provides the primary Proceeds of Crime Act Enforcement capability for the agency. Currently this focuses heavily on Financial Investigation, Restraint and Confiscation, with plans to accredit staff with Part 5 Powers and use Civil Forfeiture in Summary Proceedings.

Historically our work has focused on confiscation after the prosecution of persons charged with offences related to bankruptcy and insolvency, but recently we have branched out into a wider variety of offences including prosecution of offences against the COVID 19 loan schemes.

Future portfolio will reflect our close working with Companies House colleagues and will include confiscation matters arising from the new offence in the Economic Crime and Corporate Transparency Act 2023.

The successful candidate will report to the Head of Intelligence and line manage a team of Accredited Financial Investigators providing technical, operational, and strategic guidance to the team.  

Part time applications are welcome but due to the demands of the role a minimum of 28 hours per week would be required.

Responsibilities:

As the financial investigation manager, you will

• Lead the Financial Investigation Unit in delivering a full POCA recovery service to the Agency and its partner agencies across Government in support of the Agency’s 5-year strategy.
• Lead from the front, managing and undertaking work on larger or more complex projects.
• Take the on role as a Single Point of Contact (“SPoC”) with the National Crime Agency (NCA) Proceeds of Crime Centre.
• Support the team and wider agency in providing technical, operational and strategic advice on Proceeds of Crime work.
• Line management of a team of Accredited Financial Investigators.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of the Agency.
• Undertake high-level confiscation or other recovery work and liaison with other agencies and similar units where appropriate.

Person specification

The successful candidate will be able to demonstrate the following:

• A proven track record in financial investigation and recovery work which will have been gained with a Government Department/Agency, Police, or similar organisation.
• Experience of working within the proceeds of Crime field 
• A well-developed ability to assimilate technical matters.
• You will have or be willing to work towards a Diploma in Financial Crime Prevention.
• Ability to deliver independently.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with the ability to work with colleagues at all levels of seniority both within and outside the Agency.
• You will have a keen eye for detail and have a tenacious approach to your work.
• An inquisitive mind and is someone not afraid to challenge.
• Work collaboratively and positively with both internal and external stakeholders, so must demonstrate a proven track record in establishing and maintaining relationships.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £41,880, Insolvency Service contributes £11,307 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 Behaviours. 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 lead behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions' . 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.

Timeline (subject to change)

• Sift: w/c 11 March 2024
• Interview w/c 18 March 2024
• Location: MS Teams

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.

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

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. 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.