Serious Fraud Office (UK)
Head of People
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Job Location
The role will be based at our offices at 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5BS, in central London, however, please note that we are due to move to Canary Wharf in early 2027. Please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas. Informal hybrid working arrangements apply and there is an expectation that staff will attend the office regularly. Work pattern and office attendance will be agreed with successful candidates.
Job Summary
The Head of People is a senior leadership role within the People and Culture function, responsible for leading a broad, high-impact and customer-focused People service. Working closely with the Chief People Officer and Head of Culture, the postholder will lead a team of highly capable functional leads to deliver operational excellence, strategic insight and measurable value across talent acquisition, people operations, employee relations, case management, people data and insights, HR information systems and continuous improvement.
The role will ensure that managers and leaders receive timely, practical and evidence-based support to resource, manage and develop their services effectively. It will balance the delivery of high-quality transactional HR services with strategic workforce planning, customer-focused service standards and a strong emphasis on data, insight and performance. A key priority will be supporting the development and optimisation of the HR information system (Oracle), so that people data, workflows, reporting and manager self-service enable better decisions and more efficient service delivery.
This role will deputise on all people management matters in the absence of the Chief People Officer.
Job Description
As Head of People you will be responsible for:
- Leadership and Management: Lead, empower and develop a team of highly capable functional leads across talent acquisition, people operations, data and insights, employee relations, case management and HR systems.
- People Service Delivery: Ensure the effective delivery of high-quality transactional, advisory and strategic People services across the employee lifecycle, including recruitment, onboarding, employee relations, case management, workforce administration, policy application and people data management.
- Strategy and Planning: Work with the Chief People Officer, Head of Culture and People Business Partners to translate the People Strategy into practical delivery plans for each business area.
- Talent Acquisition and Resourcing: Oversee a proactive talent acquisition and resourcing service that supports managers to plan, attract and secure the capability required to deliver their services effectively.
- Data, Insights and Performance: Lead the use of people data, metrics and insight to improve service delivery, workforce planning and organisational decision-making.
- Relationship and Stakeholder Management: Build trusted relationships with senior internal stakeholders, ensuring People services are responsive, joined up and aligned to organisational priorities.
- Financial Management: Manage relevant operational budgets and resources effectively, ensuring value for money and alignment between investment, service priorities and agreed performance indicators and service standards.
- Service Improvement: Lead continuous improvement across People team working practices, processes and service levels.
- HR Information System / Oracle: Lead the People function’s contribution to the development and optimisation of the HR information system, including Oracle, ensuring that workflows, data quality, reporting, manager self-service and user experience support efficient service delivery and reliable workforce information.
- Policy, Governance and Professional Standards: Develop, govern and apply HR policies, procedures and guidance to promote fairness, consistency, compliance and good people management practice across the SFO.
- Subject Expertise and External Engagement: Represent the People function across Civil Service networks, government bodies and external partners.
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For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please see attached Job Pack.
Person Specification
See above and attached Job Pack.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Leadership
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £73,365, Serious Fraud Office contributes £21,253 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).
- Option to join the Civil Service pension scheme. For further details, click here http://www.civilservice.gov.uk/pensions
- Generous annual leave provision of 25 days which increases to 30 days after five years’ service plus an additional day in recognition of the King’s Birthday and the option to buy or sell up to five days’ leave per year. Different terms may apply if you are already a Civil Servant.
- Discretionary performance-related bonus scheme.
- Interest-free season travel ticket, bicycle loan and cycle to work scheme.
- Access to the Rental Deposit Salary Advance Scheme which assists employees in meeting the costs of deposits for privately rented homes.
- Opportunities for learning and development.
- Flexible working arrangements and family-friendly policies.
- Voucher for eye care and discounted spectacles.
- Access to a range of discounts through membership of the Civil Service Sports and Social Club, CSSC Sports and Leisure. http://www.cssc.co.uk/
- Maternity and paternity leave provision over and above the statutory entitlements.
- Access to My CPS Rewards Gateway. My CPS Rewards offers staff a range of rewards and savings including:
- Discounts with high street retailers
- Savings on grocery shopping at a range of supermarkets
- Special salary sacrifice and recognition schemes
- Reloadable gift cards and e-cards
- Instant vouchers
Any move to the Serious Fraud 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/
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
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
Get help with your application
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Application Stage
As part of the application process, you will be required to provide:
- A personal statement of no more than 1000 words attached to your CV in one document that explains how your skills & experience meet each of the essential & desirable experience criteria as listed in the job pack.
- A supporting CV outlining your job history & qualifications, (including how you meet the essential technical criteria for the role)
Please note, desirable experience will only be taken into account if there is a large volume of applications & there is a need for further shortlisting for interview.
It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.
Interview Stage
Behaviours & experience as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview.
Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.
Closing date is 11:55am on the 12th October 2026.
Interviews are expected to take place in person at the SFO Offices on 21st October 2026.
All dates are indicative & subject to change. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Requirements
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. To be eligible you must meet the following residency requirements dependent of the level of security vetting required:
- SC: 5 years residency in the United Kingdom preceding this application.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
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.
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 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
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