National Crime Agency (NCA)
Director Investigations
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Director Investigations
London, Bristol, Birmingham or Warrington – however, this role will require frequent attendance at our London offices so you will need to be prepared to spend time there.
Your contractual place of work will be Endeavour Square, Stratford.
Job Summary
Provide clear leadership and direction to the Operations directorate on both proactive and reactive investigations, ensuring that our resources are targeted against the highest priority threats, and the full range of disruptive options are considered in the UK and overseas.
Job Description
Main Responsibilities
- Fulfil the role of Head of Profession for Investigation within the NCA, providing talent management and opportunities for learning across the directorate professionalising the investigations community and seeking opportunities to address future capability and skills gaps. Looking across the agency and outside to nurture new talent and building a responsive investigations cohort who have the necessary skills to be deployed against the changing SOC threat.
- Lead a team of high performing investigators who are capable of delivering both reactive and proactive investigations, making risk-based judgements according to the threat whilst ensuring high levels of welfare and professionalism are maintained. Promote priorities, objectives and wellbeing to the directorate through the clear communication of the organisational strategy.
- Maintain criminal justice standards delivering, high quality prosecutions and casework with prosecutors.
- Ensure that investigation activity is suitably briefed to stakeholders, partners and the wider agency including under the accountability regime.
- To lead transformational change within the Command developing tactics, capabilities and ways of working that respond to the changing threat environment.
Person specification
The role holder will be an inspirational and supportive leader with significant experience of delivering digital, data and technology capabilities at an enterprise level.
Criteria
In your application you will need to demonstrate evidence against the below criteria:
Skills
We ask that you write a statement of suitability no more than two x A4 pages, font Arial 11, using examples to explain how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria:
- Proven knowledge and experience in leading successful investigations and operations against priority threats from a range of serious and complex crime investigations. This should include evidence of practice as an investigator in Illicit Finance, Borders, Serious and Organised Crime or Counter Terrorism. If drawing on a policing background you will have operated at least at the Assistant Chief Constable rank or equivalent.
- Inclusive leadership skills –Proven track record of operating in a large and complex operational environment, with a demonstrable commitment to lead, develop and nurture a highly performing, diverse and talented workforce. You will have experience of delivering interventions that ensure Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is embedded in the organisation’s way of working.
- Proven track record of articulating a strategic forward vision for a large, complex organisation or system, ensuring that a wide range of internal and external stakeholders were engaged and supported.
- Proven ability to lead and deliver change, with a track record of delivering substantial improvements to increase operational effectiveness and value for money, including through running programmes and setting up new capabilities.
- Experience of successfully translating strategy into operational delivery, and of doing so not just in your own organisation, but also with and through partner organisations.
- Experience of successfully building effective partnerships across either government, the UK public or private sectors and with international partners at a senior strategic level. You will be able to manage strategic and operational risks.
- Exceptional communication, negotiating and influencing skills. You will be able to commission effective communication campaigns and feel comfortable communicating complex issues to a wide audience, including ministers and the media.
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At interview, we will explore your technical experience in more depth, and alignment to the behaviours of:
- Leadership
- Culture/EDI (Leadership)
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Seeing the Big Picture
Please Note
- The NCA is a 24/7 organisation, and working patterns must support business requirements. You may be expected to participate in an on-call rota (approx. 2 – 3 weeks per year).
- On-call runs 1800-0800 Mon-Fri and 24/7 weekends and bank holidays and training will be given prior to joining the rota.
- This is a corporate requirement, and no additional remuneration is paid.
- Examples for on-call include staffing incidents; building issues (flooding etc); operational incidents; cross-government liaison.
- You will be required to be in the office at least 60% of the time in line with CS policy, but this cannot be guaranteed and will change from week-to-week based on business needs and security constraints.
- This role will require frequent attendance at our London office so you will need to be prepared to spend time there, if not based there.
- Individuals will be required to undertake and pass a substance misuse test as part of pre-employment checks.
- If successful, the offer made will be conditional on you being able to obtain and retain security clearance Enhanced Developed Vetting (DV) prior to commencing in the role.
- You must be able to obtain STRAP once in post.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £149,999, National Crime Agency contributes £43,454 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
Civil Service Pension
A competitive contributory pension scheme that you can enter as soon as you join where we will make a significant contribution to the cost of your pension; your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken; and where your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire.
If you are an active police pension member immediately prior to joining the NCA, you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us.
Annual Leave
25 days annual leave on entry (plus one privilege day for the King’s Birthday), plus 8 Bank Holidays, increasing to 30 days after reaching 5 years continuous service (plus one privilege day for the King’s Birthday), plus 8 Bank Holidays.
If qualifying criteria is met new joiners to the NCA from UK Police Forces or UKIC will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for Annual Leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 30 days leave (plus 1 privilege day for the King’s Birthday).
Parental Leave
Family friendly policies including paid maternity, adoption, paternity and shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks.
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Access to the government Tax-Free Childcare (TFC) scheme. Existing employees may be able to continue to claim childcare vouchers.
Flexible Working
Flexible working arrangements allowing you to split your work between the office and home, subject to the nature of the role.
Alternative working patterns such as part-time and compressed hours options subject to business needs.
Support for officers who are Reservists and Special Constables.
Learning and Development
Access to a range of learning and development activities, and opportunities to support career progression.
Paid time off to facilitate continuous professional development, and access to Civil Service Learning up to 5 days per year.
Wellbeing and Inclusion
Occupational sick pay and access to occupational health services.
A network of qualified Mental Health First Aiders and Workplace Support Officers, who can provide advice, signposting and support to all our officers.
On site facilities including fitness centres and canteens (where available). Access to a variety of active staff network groups.
Employee Savings
Interest-free loans allowing you to spread the cost of an annual travel season ticket.
Access to a wide range of discounts, offers and gift cards with a number of high street and online retailers through the Blue light Scheme and EdenRed.
Cycle2work salary sacrifice scheme to hire a bicycle up to the value of £4,000 to assist in improving health and fitness and save you money.
Access to a home and technology purchase scheme, allowing you to purchase items and spread the cost over 12 months through salary sacrifice.
Key worker status, enabling access to accommodation at a discounted rate, subject to eligibility.
Access to a range of sports, leisure and health benefits at reduced prices through membership with Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC).
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
To apply for this post, you will need to complete the online application process, outlined below. This should be completed no later than 11:55 10th August 2026.
Applications should be sent to: https://micro.green-park.co.uk/nca/
Your Application Should Consist Of
- A two-page CV detailing your career history, including key responsibilities and achievements. It is essential that your CV reflects the role you are applying for. Please ensure you have provided reasons for any employment gaps within the last ten years.
- A statement of suitability of (no more than two x A4 pages, font Arial 11) using examples to explain how your skills and experience meet the essential criteria of the person specification on page 10 of the Candidate Information Pack.
In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency’s Diversity & Inclusion strategy, the NCA require certain personal details about you on submission of your application. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application
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