Serious Fraud Office (UK)
Higher Intelligence Officer
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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 late 2026. 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 SFO tackles the most serious and complex cases of fraud, bribery and corruption nationally and internationally. The Intelligence Division (ID) drives the identification and development of new cases for the SFO. We work in partnership with wider law enforcement, regulators and the intelligence community.
Plans are underway to increase the size and scope of the ID. The SFO will become more proactive in case identification and more innovative in our use of sources and tactics to tackle serious and organised economic crime.
The role of the Higher Intelligence Officer (HIO) is central to triaging and developing referrals and intelligence, as well as supporting and developing colleagues.
HIOs work as part of an Intelligence Development Team collecting, evaluating, analysing and assessing information and intelligence from a variety of sources, and disseminating intelligence to internal and external stakeholders. HIOs build and maintain relationships with individuals and organisations who can provide relevant information and intelligence to SFO cases. This includes communicating with members of the public and representatives of corporate entities. All activities are carried out within a defined legal and procedural framework.
We encourage applicants who have experience in public or private sector intelligence and investigations roles.
Job Description
As a Higher Intelligence Officer you will be responsible for:
- Evaluating and quality assuring intelligence referrals against the SFO case acceptance criteria and the Director’s Statement of Principle, taking into account a range of factors.
- Management and supervision of 1-2 Intelligence Officers in the timely delivery of research and intelligence products. This includes the completion of performance appraisals as appropriate.
- Working with Senior Intelligence Officers on intelligence development operations, and in some instances lead on casework as time and resources allow.
- Develop and maintain systems and processes to track the progression of work undertaken by staff within the Intelligence Division.
- Handling email and postal correspondence received by the SFO, to accurately capture intelligence and provide a professional first point of contact for the organisation.
- Developing accurate and comprehensive intelligence pictures which identify potential suspects and criminality, and where necessary seeking clarification, obtaining additional material or making further enquiries.
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
- Changing and Improving
- Communicating and Influencing
- Working Together
Alongside your salary of £35,556, Serious Fraud Office contributes £10,300 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
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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.
Application stage
You will first need to successfully complete the Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test. Following this,
Required
As part of the application process you will be required to provide a personal statement of no more than 500 words that explains how your skills and experience meet each of the essential criteria as listed below:
- Proactively collecting, recording, evaluating, developing and risk assessing information, intelligence and/or evidence from a variety of sources in criminal, civil or corporate investigations within the public or private sector. (This is the lead criteria; this criteria will be assessed first and candidates who do not meet the required standard will not have the remainder of their application considered.)
- Interrogating databases and computer systems to identify and extract relevant data.
- Producing timely, relevant and detailed intelligence or research reports and briefings, to be used for decision-making, case progression, or tasking and coordination processes.
- Building and maintaining effective relationships with internal and external partners, in accordance with relevant policies for data sharing.
Please note, desirable experience will only be taken into account if there is a large volume of applications and there is a need for further shortlisting for interview.
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A supporting CV outlining your job history and qualifications.
It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.
Interview stage
Behaviours and experience criteria as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview.
Candidates invited to interview will also be required to complete an exercise, no prior preparation is needed.
Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.
Sift to take place from 11th August
Interviews are expected to take place w/c 24th August
All dates are indicative and subject to change.
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.
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.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
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