About the job

Job summary

Border Force is a Law Enforcement arm of the Home Office. We are responsible for handling the UK border control by implementing immigration and customs regulations and working with the wider Home Office on counter terrorism, organised crime, modern slavery and trafficking. Learn more on the Border Force careers page. 

Job description

Preventing small boat crossings of the Channel remains a top priority for the Home Office. All levers and capabilities across HMG are being drawn upon to reduce the number of people successfully crossing from France and to manage humanely and efficiently those that are intercepted and brought to the UK. 

A key part of the department’s response is driven by the Small Boats Operational Command (SBOC), an operational directorate within Border Force. SBOC delivers this through implementing world-leading surveillance technology on air, land and sea, developing operational initiatives with France and other near-neighbour partners, and by providing capabilities and resources to support the interception and initial processing of people arriving by small boat in the UK.

Team CTO fuses multiple source information into cutting edge intelligence products that are utilised to detect and prevent small boat crossings and illicit immigration facilitation. Your role will be to function as the Team CTO Information Higher Officer, overseeing all aspects of activity, deconflicting information with partner agencies, developing and enhancing information into intelligence packages and applying for and managing Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 Directed Surveillance Authorities (RIPA DSA). 

The successful candidate will be based within London Transport zone 1 and informed of the office address when appropriate.

Person specification

The role is multi-faceted but primarily covers the following:

1. Managing the flow of information and intelligence. 
2. Deconflicting and developing information and intelligence into high quality actionable packages.
3. Seeking opportunities to use Op Sorrel intelligence packages to assist partners in the UK and overseas to detect, prevent and prosecute those responsible for illicit immigration facilitation.
4. Assuring all activity is compliant with UK legislation and Home Office polices. 
5. Representing Operation Sorrel within the UK and international law enforcement community. 
6. Engagement with a wide range of stakeholders in the UK and overseas to develop opportunities for collaboration.
7. Supporting the Operation Sorrel Information Manager. 

Essential criteria

• Operational law enforcement experience of investigation or intelligence, preferably with a minimum of PIP 1 or IPP qualifications, or equivalent. 
• A determined investigator / intelligence officer with a proven record of being involved in successful outcomes. 
• Demonstrable ability to work at pace and effectively prioritise workflow in a fast-moving environment. 
• A confident and clear communicator with the ability to inspire others.
• Excellent people skills and diligence with a proven track record in strong partnership & stakeholder engagement.
• An initiative-taker with a track record of working proactively with minimal supervision. 
• Experience of working with IT and technology.

Desirable criteria

• A trained and experienced RIPA DSA Applicant. 
• An interest in technology and its role in supporting law enforcement operations.
• Experience of working within multi-agency work areas. 
• Being innovative, introducing and improving new and current ideas. Envisioning the future, taking risks, and using logic, reason and creativity to solve problems.

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%

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.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity. 

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

• A CV detailing job history/qualifications/skills  
• A statement of suitability (personal statement) (maximum 750 words)  
• Provide evidence of the behaviour Delivering at Pace (250 words maximum)

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

The statement of suitability should be aligned to demonstrate your skills and experience for the role and how you meet the essential criteria as detailed in the job description.  

For guidance on how to construct your personal statement, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links – Statement  

For guidance on how to construct your behaviour examples, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers. Links –Behaviours 

The sift will be held on the behaviour Delivering at Pace and the statement of suitability (personal statement). The CV will not be scored. 

However, if a large number of applications are received, the sift will be conducted on the statement of suitability (personal statement) only

The statement of suitability will be scored first for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability, will progress to a further sift where the lead behaviour (Delivering at Pace) will be scored. These candidates will therefore receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the statement of suitability will not have their lead behaviour scored and will therefore only receive a sift score for the statement of suitability. 

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview which will be a blended approach of strength-based questions and behaviour-based questions on all listed in the advert. 

Strengths are the things that you do regularly, do well and that motivate you. To find out more about strength based questions click here  

Sift and Interview date

Sift is expected to take place week commencing 8th January 2024.  

Interviews are expected to take place week commencing 29th January 2024.  

We will try to meet the dates set out in the advert, however on occasions these dates may change.  

Interviews will be carried out via video. Candidates will be required to have access to: 

• A laptop (personal or work) with a working webcam
• Good internet connection
• Skype for Business/Microsoft Teams

Further Information

For meaningful checks to be carried out, individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. You should normally have been resident in the United Kingdom for the last 3 years if the role requires CTC clearance, 5 years for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.  A lack of UK residency in itself is not necessarily a bar to a security clearance and applicants should contact the Vacancy Holder/Recruiting Manager listed in the advert for further advice.

Note for Candidates  

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. All applications are screened for plagiarism and copying of examples/answers from internet sources. If any is detected the application will be withdrawn from the process. Further action, including disciplinary action, may be considered in such cases involving internal candidates. Providing false or misleading information would be contrary to the core values of honesty and integrity expected of all Civil Servants.   

If you are currently an agency member of staff working within the Home Office, a contractor or contingent worker you can only apply for roles that are advertised externally, i.e. outside the civil service. If you are eligible to apply for a role, you are required to select yourself as an external applicant and not internal when submitting your application on Civil Service jobs. This will prevent any delays in pre-employment checks should you become successful in being made an offer of employment after the Interview stage.  

Are these Reserved Posts for UK Nationals only? 

UK nationals who hold dual nationality are able to apply for this reserved post. If a UK passport is not being presented, then candidates will need to provide alternative evidence of UK nationality in line with the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Annual Hours Working Allowance  

We operate 24 hours a day, 365 days of the year and you would be required to work flexibly and operate over a 24/7 shift rota, this can include: Night shifts; Early morning starts, sometimes before 6am; Late night finishes, sometimes after midnight; Weekend and Public Holidays; Shifts can vary in length and can be up to 12 hours; Shifts that change or extend according to business need. 

These posts include shift allowances which varies by flexibility, shifts, location; however, the average allowance is between 20.39%. You would be deployed to a range of different duties, shifts and locations and should expect to have a variance in the AHW dependent on the varying duties and shifts. The actual % of AHW paid will be for each region/port to decide, as these will be different depending in which port you may work. 

Age: These are shift working roles and so you must be 18 years or over

Additional Security Checks 

As well as successfully obtaining UKSV clearance and passing the right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force will also be subject to additional Border Force specific security checks to determine their suitability to work for the organisation. 

Please see the Home Office Recruitment Privacy Information Notice (PIN) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruitment-privacy-information-notice for more information on how your details may be shared for the purpose of additional security checks. 

Flexible working

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working.  This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office, subject to local estates capacity, by Spring 2024.  Applicants can request further information regarding how this may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details).

Every day, Home Office civil servants do brilliant work to develop and deliver policies and services that affect the lives of people across the country and beyond. To do this effectively and fairly, the Home Office is committed to representing modern Britain in all its diversity, and creating a welcoming, inclusive workplace where all our people are able to bring their whole selves to work and perform at their best.

We are flexible, skilled, professional and diverse. We work to recruit and retain disabled staff and area Disability Confident Leader. We are proud to be one of the most ethnically 

diverse departments in the civil service. We are a Social Mobility Foundation top 75 employer.

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

For further information please see the attached notes for candidates which must be read before making an application.

Existing Civil Servants should note that some of the Home Office terms and conditions of employment have changed. It is the candidate’s responsibility to ensure they are aware of the Terms and Conditions they will adopt should they be successful in application and should refer to the notes for candidates for further details.

Transfer Terms: Voluntary.

If you are invited to an interview you will be required to  bring a range of documentation for the purposes of establishing identity and to aid any pre-employment checks.

Please see the attached list of Home Office acceptable ID documents.

Any move to the Home Office 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

Additional Security Checks: As well as successfully obtaining UKSV clearance and passing the right to work and pre-employment screening, anyone who applies to work for Border Force will also be subject to additional Border Force specific security checks, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine their suitability to work for the organisation.

Please see the Home Office Recruitment Privacy Information Notice (PIN) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/recruitment-privacy-information-notice for more information on how your details may be shared for the purpose of additional security checks.

Please see the Border Force Privacy Information Notice (PIN) on Border Force privacy information notice - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk) for more information on how your details may be shared.

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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

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

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.