Independent Office for Police Conduct
Lead Investigator - Canary Wharf, Cardiff, Sale, Croydon, Birmingham or Wakefield
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
Job Title: Lead Investigator
Locations:
- Canary Wharf
- Cardiff
- Sale
- Wakefield
- Birmingham
- Croydon
Salary:
£37,596 plus London Weighting Allowance of £5,130 if based in Canary Wharf or Croydon
What We Offer:
- 27.5 days paid annual leave (increasing with service to 32.5 days)
- Option to buy, sell, or carry over annual leave, reviewed annually
- Voluntary Health Cash Plan provided by BHSF
- Civil Service pension
- Civil Service maternity leave package
- PAM employee assistance programme
- Access to Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC) membership
- Cycle to work scheme
- Opportunity to enjoy the latest home and electronics through Vivup
- Car Leasing Scheme
- Staff Networks for protected characteristics: Enable Network, Age Network, Welsh Network, Pride and LGBTQ+ Network, Sex and Family Network, Race, Religion and Belief Network
- Learning and development tailored to your role
- Flexible working options
- A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
About the Role:
Our Investigation teams cover all of England and Wales, conducting hundreds of independent investigations annually, often under extreme pressure. As a Lead Investigator, you will be part of a dynamic investigations team, working locally and nationally on a wide range of investigations that are often in the public eye within the Investigation, Oversight, and Casework directorate. This role offers an opportunity to develop your mindset and approaches to contribute to improving the police complaints system in England and Wales.
Core Investigations:
The investigations team is tasked with upholding our values while establishing the facts behind a complaint and reaching conclusions to draw recommendations. You will lead all aspects of an investigation, from setting out the initial terms of reference to collecting evidence, interviewing witnesses, drawing conclusions, and writing a final report. Many of these reports are published and include recommendations for police forces or Police and Crime Commissioners about actions to be taken to improve practice and prevent mistakes in the future.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Requirements:
- Relevant experience of undertaking investigations in any sector, such as social work, the probation services, local authority enforcement or regulatory services, as well as fraud or criminal justice.
- Highly developed analytical and report writing skills.
- Ability and commitment to acting independently.
Recruitment Process:
- Information sessions - optional
- Briefing Session - mandatory
- Assessment process includes:
- Stage 1: Technical Interview between 9 and 23 September
- Stage 2: Assessment Centre between 5 October and 13 November
Training:
- Successful applicants will start on 22 February 2027.
- Training includes induction, Professionalising Investigations Programme Level 1 (PIP1), Pearson Unit 4 accreditation, and revalidation programme.
- Training is mandatory and will be delivered remotely and in person, with potential overnight stays.
Main Responsibilities:
- Leading independent investigations into criminal and misconduct allegations.
- Undertaking investigative actions, including interviewing and taking statements.
- Visiting incident scenes and supervising scene management.
- Writing investigation reports upon completion of the investigation.
- Identifying potential learning for police forces to improve their service.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
The Ideal Candidate:
Essential Experience:
- Conducting investigative interviews, evidence gathering, analysis, and presentation.
- Effective oral and written communication skills.
- Excellent analytical and report writing skills.
- Engaging effectively with a diverse range of people and stakeholders.
- Commitment to equality and diversity.
- Delivering a high standard of work within demanding timescales.
- Identification of operational and organizational risk.
- Working effectively in a changing environment.
- Full driving licence valid for driving in the UK.
Essential Skills and Abilities:
- Ability to show initiative and adapt in a changing environment.
- Communicate effectively with complainants, bereaved families, and other internal and external stakeholders.
- Recognize development needs and be proactive in addressing them.
- Prioritize and manage tasks effectively to deliver quality outcomes within demanding timescales.
- Work effectively in a team with diverse ideas and people.
- Communicate effectively both verbally and in writing and adapt communication styles as appropriate.
Desirable Technical:
- PiP2 qualification or equivalent investigative experience.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location