About the job

Job summary

The NCA has grown in size and complexity in recent years and it is vital that it maintains a security posture and capabilities to protect against existing, new and emerging threats. 

The Integrated Protective Security Command (IPS) is responsible for securing the Agency to protect the public. The IPS mission statement is: "Delivering integrated protective security to build a resilient, high-trust Agency able to lead the UK’s fight to cut serious and organised crime."

IPS safeguards the NCA from the full range of security threats that target the Agency, our officers and our assets, to enable the organisation to achieve its operational objectives, both domestically and overseas, with flexibility, agility and integrity. Its officers provide specialist security services to the Agency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to mitigate security risks.

Job description

The NCA’S dedicated Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) works within the NCA’s Integrated Protective Security command.  Our role is to safeguard the Agency, secure its assets, and defend its standards, whilst promoting a safe, inclusive and professional environment.

Our priorities are to: ensure the integrity of the NCA’s officers and operations; relentlessly disrupt those engaged in corruption within the NCA, impacting upon the NCA, and in support to partners; and develop capabilities and best practice, including sharing best practice with national/international partners and raising awareness of the threat.  

The ACU looks into all allegations of corruption against its officers, working to either prove or disprove these allegations to protect both the agency’s officers and activity. We carry out covert investigations into corrupt activity within, and impacting upon, the NCA. We also investigate organised crime groups and others seeking to penetrate the NCA and conduct activity to identify and investigate corruption within the agency.

We also provide regular support to partners, through intelligence development and providing specialist operational capability, and work closely with other government departments to tackle wider public sector corruption. 

The Anti-Corruption Unit also carry out detailed analysis and investigations into:

• Disclosure of Information
• Sexual Misconduct
• Inappropriate Association
• Misuse of Force Systems
• Theft and Fraud
• Abuse of Authority
• Controlled Drug Use & Supply
• Vulnerability
• Infiltration 

***To be considered, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance before commencing the role and achieve DV clearance within the first 12 months in post***

Person specification

This is an exciting opportunity to join the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit working in a multi-functional dynamic team, alongside investigators, intelligence officers and SIOs investigating the complex corruption threat to law enforcement. We are looking for Auditors to join our team and welcome applications from a diverse range candidates.

ACU Auditors will undertake comprehensive intelligence led auditing on all Agency IT Systems to ensure consistency and standards in accordance with Agency Policy are achieved and to support investigations into allegations of corruption and serious malpractice committed by NCA employees and others who conspire with them. 

Main Responsibilities:

• Proactively monitor, analyse and audit NCA Systems usage to identify instances of criminal misuse or breach of NCA Policy. Produce high quality written reports, detailing audit findings and recommendations for action. Make referrals for further investigation where appropriate, including to the Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) and Professional Standards Unit (PSU). 
• Carry out audits in support of NCA covert operational activity, working closely with ACU / PSU Intelligence Officers and Investigators. Advise Investigating Officers on the most appropriate methods of using audit data to progress their investigations.
• Monitor suspects in support of covert Anti-Corruption Investigations - where appropriate this activity is conducted dynamically in support of real time operational activity.  Carry out in-depth interpretation / analysis of audit data and assist the investigation by identifying additional lines of enquiry.
• Prepare Statements of evidence for Formal Misconduct Proceedings and/or Court and attend as a Witness if required to assist in the Criminal Justice/Misconduct Process. Earlier stages of this preparation of evidence could include presentations and attendance at CPS/Barrister conferences.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £32,892, National Crime Agency contributes £8,880 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.

If you wish to apply for this vacancy, you must submit your application by 23:55 on Sunday 25th February 2024. 

You will be asked to complete a CV as part of the application process. Please see the candidate information pack for more information.

Your CV will be used for reference only, and will not be scored as part of the application process. 

Once submitted your application will be acknowledged by the Government Recruitment Service. 

Please note depending on the volume of applications a Longlist at sift may be conducted on following criteria:

• Experience of analysing data and information from a range of sources.

Candidates must pass this criteria for their application to be progressed.

A panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the Entry Criteria section.

Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.

Sift results are expected to be released w/c Monday 11th March 2024.

Interviews will take place throughout March and April 2024 - locations to be confirmed. Please be advised that the type of interview (eg. virtual/face-to-face) may be subject to change and successful candidates will be notified of this prior to attending. However the interview is conducted, the interview criteria will remain as shown on page 16 of the Candidate Information Pack. 

The above sift and interview dates are an indicative timeline.

Should you be successful at sift but cannot attend on the interview date(s) listed the recruitment team cannot guarantee an alternative date. Please contact the recruitment team.

You will then be asked to attend an interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence.

Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted 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. Any instances of plagiarism including copying of examples/answers from internet sources will result in a withdrawal of your application. 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.

Multi-Location

Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.

Please be aware that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only. If you are posted to a location that you have requested and you do not accept that location, you may not be offered another role.

Please note, only advertised location can be offered. Notes populated in a free text box will not be taken into consideration.

Near Miss

Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in the NCA which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.

Hybrid Working

Here at the NCA we have a hybrid working arrangement in place enabling officers to work a proportion of their role remotely. Eligibility and the degree of home working will vary depending on the requirements of the role. Further details can be discussed at offer stage.

Reasonable Adjustment

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. As part of our application process you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustment to our recruitment process that you may need. If you have a disability or long-term condition (a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities protected under the Equality Act 2010) and need us to make any adjustments or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, 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:

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.

Please contact us by emailing ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk or calling 0117 372 0000 as soon as possible before the closing date if you wish to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying.

Inclusion and Accessibility

The NCA embraces and values diversity in all forms. Being truly reflective of the communities we serve and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to leading the UK’s fight against serious and organised crime – something which affects us all. We want to recruit and retain the very best and broadest diversity of officers so the NCA welcomes applications from individuals from all backgrounds.

We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

VETTING REQUIREMENTS SC

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.

Checks will be made against:

• Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
• UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records
• Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
• Security Services records

VETTING REQUIREMENTS - DV 

All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.

The requirement for DV is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If you require DV clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.

Checks will be made against:

• successful completion of the BPSS
• UK criminal record and identity checks
• credit reference checks
• relevant personnel and medical checks (if required)

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

We encourage all candidates to thoroughly review the candidate pack which explains the role further before submitting an application.

If you have any specific queries about the role that are not covered by the candidate pack, please contact:

ncarecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

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.