Serious Fraud Office (UK)
Principal Investigator
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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 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 is a unique law enforcement organisation which both investigates and prosecutes the most serious and complex cases of fraud, bribery and corruption. We focus on conduct which undermines confidence in the UK financial markets, compromises the level playing field that investors deserve, or has a particularly strong public interest dimension. We currently employ approximately 400 permanent staff including lawyers, investigators, accountants, digital forensic experts and administrators. We work closely with our colleagues across law enforcement and the wider criminal justice system, both at home and abroad.
This is an interesting and engaging role where you will be required to devise and lead an investigation into suspected serious and complex fraud or bribery and corruption effectively. This may include working towards a Deferred Prosecution Agreement.
Working with the Case Controller, you will be responsible for leading a team of investigators to investigate offences from inception to prosecution. The SFO is unique in the way we work within multi-disciplinary teams made up of other investigators, lawyers, accountants, IT experts and Counsel to bring cases to timely and successful conclusions.
You will work to support the Case Controller to deliver a highly effective investigatory function for the business. This is an important role and as an experienced investigator you will take responsibility for ensuring high profile cases are expedited.
Job Description
As a Principal Investigator you will be responsible for:
- Leading high performing teams and delivering successful outcomes in a complex, multi-strand legal and investigative environment.
- Reporting to a Case Controller and working closely with investigative lawyer colleagues, planning, reviewing and delivering the investigative strategy for complex investigations, and where appropriate supporting any subsequent prosecutions.
- Ensuring investigations are kept under constant review and conducted in line with operational standards, monitoring progress and delegated budgets and adapting strategy as necessary and providing regular updates to case controllers and staff.
- Ensuring appropriate suspect and witness accounts are sought, obtained and strategically used, following relevant lines of inquiry.
- Producing key financial and investigation witness statements for SFO cases and giving evidence in court when required.
- Conducting the disclosure process in order to satisfy the obligations of the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996.
For more information about the role, 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:
- Leadership
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £59,971, Serious Fraud Office contributes £17,373 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).
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- 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.
Application Stage
As part of the application process you will be required to provide:
- A personal statement of no more than 750 words that explains how your skills and experience meet each of the Essential and Technical experience criteria as listed in the job pack.
- A supporting CV of no more than 2 sides of A4, outlining your job history and relevant qualifications.
It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.
In Person Assessment
Successful candidates will be invited to attend an in person assessment which will assess your abilities against the essential experience criteria as listed in the Job Pack. You will be required to work alone, using a standard laptop, to respond to a series of questions on a work based scenario. Candidates will have the opportunity to attend an optional session to find out more about the assessment via MS Teams on Friday 14th August at 10am.
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Interview Stage
Candidates who are successful at the assessment stage will be invited to the final stage interview. Behaviours as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview.
Full details of the assessment and interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates at each stage.
Timeline
- Sift to take place from 5th August.
- Optional introduction to the assessment via MS Teams on Friday 14th August at 10am.
- In Person Assessments to take place from 19th August. (Due to the nature of the exercise, it will not be possible for the assessment stage to be conducted remotely as an adjustment).
- Interviews are expected to take place in person from 14th September.
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.
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).
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