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National Crime Agency (NCA)

Officer-Central Authorities Unit (CAU)

London
£36.1k/yr
Posted 11 days ago
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National Crime Agency

Covert Authorities Unit - Central Authorities Unit Advisor

Location: London, Warrington Grade: £36,057


About the Role

The Central Authorities Unit (CAU) consists of two teams based in London and Warrington. Responsible for the provision and quality assurance of authorities and warrants for covert activity undertaken by NCA operational teams across the UK, the CAU offers:

  • Specialist support, advice, and guidance to colleagues and partners on lawful authorisation of covert activity in accordance with legislation.
  • Expertise in Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) legislation (including under the Criminal Conduct Act (CCA)) and Undercover (UC/Undercover Operational Law) (UCOL) legislation.
  • Key contact point for operational teams and the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO) to ensure compliance and reporting accuracy.

The CAU prioritises maintaining comprehensive and accurate records of CHIS and UC activity, adherence to IPCO reporting timelines, and monitoring review and renewal processes.

The ideal candidate is highly skilled to navigate complex legal frameworks and collaborate with cross-departmental teams to ensure operational transparency within a high-risk environment.


Core Responsibilities

Assurance & Legislative Compliance

  • Act as a Recognised Subject Matter Expert (SME) in CHIS and undercover law, applying and interpreting RIPA, CCA, and UCOL legislation to provide authoritative guidance and post-authorisation challenges.
  • Ensure second-line compliance assurance by maintaining high standards in authorities and warrants supporting covert operations.
  • Deliver consistent, compliant, and high-quality assurance from start to finish, driving improvements in operational n activity but also embedding best practice.
  • Monitor CHIS/UC operational timelines and notification compliance to the Investigatory Powers Commissioner’s Office (IPCO).
  • Maintain accurate detailed operational records for retrospective assurance checks.
  • Validate and verify sampled authorisations (dip-sampling) to detect trends and drive compliance improvements.
  • Collaborate closely with appointed review panels to ensure best practice delivery.
  • Ensure ion areas such as mentoring and training. Shadowing of operational teams.

Collaborative Working & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Partner with internal CHIS/UC specialists and external stakeholders (e.g., IPCO, law enforcement partners) to foster efficient working relationships and align actions.
  • Get capturing the feedback from home IPCO inspections and integrating learnings into CAU’s operating procedures.

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Record-keeping and Reporting Integrity

  • Oversee detailed record-keeping strategies for CHIS/UC operations to ensure traceability and accountability in recordings and activities.
  • Ensure accurate and timely reporting to IPCO in full accordance with legal requirements.
  • Monitor compliance notifications and resolve delays, troubleshooting issues relating to the PRIVACY and PREVENT notification network.

Benefits

Salary & Pension

  • Specialised Civil Service for pension purposes with an enhanced Civil Service defined benefit pension scheme benefiting with a £10,445 contribution.

Leave & Working Hours

  • Standard entitlements include 26-day annual leave, increasing to 31 days after 5 years of service.
  • ROTAs benefit type (further conditions vary per location—e.g., rotations in and out of locations will be defined in line with job role requirements).
  • Seniors (the original application may include examples adjusted for UK police.)
  • Flexible work arrangements, including compressed hours and job-sharing policies (subject to service needs).
  • All banks’ holidays and public holidays are paid at full salary.

Career Growth & Support

  • Strong commitment to developmental opportunities: mentoring, guidance and endorsements.
  • Flexible working policies, including potential roles in UK locations; a seating preference request process for the opportunity.
  • Families policies – Inclusive culture with family leave entitlements/support above standard.

Financial & Discount Benefits

  • Discounts through Rewards Gateway, Cycle to Work, season ticket loans, childcare, smart tech schemes including cryptocurrency policies, and savings plans such as shoppers loans.
  • Dental insurance, discounted gym memberships, and support for financial well-being tools under Blue Light/smart teams Card.

Vetting Requirements

Must achieve the following at the start of employment:

  • SC Enhanced Vetting comprehension requirements :
    • Requirement asks for 3 of the last 5 years spent physically present in the UK.
  • Within 12 months of appointment, you must achieve Developmental Vetting (DV) Enhanced and *DV STRAP deed standard).
    • “Becomes necessary applicants MUST also demonstrate that for the last 7 years in 10 they have been present in the UK to achieve DV Enhanced.
    • Security exposure: Must be a pass on vetting, continually post-appointment.

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  • Dual nationalities accepted if one is British.

Application Checklist:

UK Submission Protocol

Must meet SC Enhanced criteria before employment starts:

  • Constant 3 out of 5 in previous years for or presented in UK.
  • Possess 5 out of the last 10 years for the DV Enhanced.
  • Take on STRAP before classified legal work or portfolio access sessions respected at the NCA.

Policy & Procedure Override:

Alternate Protections

  • Travel or requests effectively by Deductions/meanings of team leaders compliance must extraditingly undertake SV related vetting these covert roles SOI.
  • Candidates seeking roles remotely must verify readiness vetting has been though.

Intern employment distinctions at handback/differs to four levels Job applicants not can ('threshold as acceptability' = moving entry grade)


Qualifications & Experience Required

Legislative Knowledge

  • Rigorous understanding of CHIS/UCOL frameworks: Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA), Criminal Conduct Act 2022, and operational legal nuances.

Process & Record-keeping

  • Coordinating record-requires for formal documentation, and home ensure accuracy.

Experience

  • Demonstrable record of working in:
    • a highly regulated dynamic environment.
    • Legislation application linked to covert law, PHL, technical justice schemes.
    • Stakeholder-focused consultative skills.
    • Continuous interfacing external authority handling sharing with internal teams.

Skills & Attributes

  • Ability to balance proactively taking charge in high-risk situational decision-making.
  • Build trust and inductiveness across varied professional contexts.
  • Resilient training expertise (assurance, internal control).
  • Demonstrable communical(policies & adaptable) reinforcing authority applications.

Why join us?

  • Making a difference in criminal litigation and complex relational challenges, enhancing oversight whilst ensuring afer law provides guidance guidance to support tangible outcomes necessary to the country.
  • Diverse and inclusive work environment as reflective of multi-professional team approaches and focused support entities.
  • Encompassed by benefits ripe for acconting contributory.

Visit the NCA Careers page: [www.nationalcrimeagency.gov.uk careers]

For individual inquiries:

  • Central Recruitment Team:
  • central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk.
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Skills

Covert Human Intelligence Sources
Legislation
Compliance
Quality Assurance
Stakeholder Engagement
Decision Making
Communication
Organizational Skills

Location

London, England, United Kingdom

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