Anti-Corruption Investigator

The National Crime Agency; Crawley; On-site; GBP 45,000 - 60,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Civil Service pension

26 days annual leave

Learning and Development opportunities

Job summary

The National Crime Agency (NCA) is recruiting for Anti-Corruption Investigators in Crawley. You will join the Integrated Protective Security command, focusing on safeguarding the Agency and its officers while investigating corruption within the NCA and across partners.

You must hold PIP2 accreditation or equivalent and a full DVLA driving licence to support covert and routine investigations. The role requires flexibility, strict integrity, and the ability to work in a multi-functional team

Qualifications

• Interviewing witnesses and suspects with custody time limits and bail
• Strong communication, ability to adapt language and message to different audiences
• Experience with investigative techniques and covert methods
• Experience of conducting arrests; dealing with exhibits; knowledge of CPIA legislation
• PIP2 accreditation and a valid DVLA driving licence

Responsibilities

• Collaborative Working with partners to develop responses to corruption.
• Maintain the highest levels of integrity in all actions.
• Participate in investigations where covert tactics and surveillance support operations.
• Develop intelligence with a team of investigators and intelligence officers.
• Flexible working, including outside normal hours when required.
• Complete case files to support prosecution within the judicial process.
• Understand and apply the powers and privileges of the constable, Revenue and Customs, immigration and general customs officials.

Skills

Interviewing witnesses

Communication

Investigations techniques

Arrests

Seizure of exhibits

Completing case files

Education

PIP2 accreditation

DVLA Driving Licence

Job description

Working pattern Full time

Number of roles available 2

Anti-Corruption Investigator

Location(s)

About the Role

Information about the Command

The Integrated Protective Security Command (IPS) is responsible for securing the Agency to protect the public. IPS safeguards the NCA from the full range of security threats that target the Agency, our officers and our assets, to enable the organisation to achieve its operational objectives, both domestically and overseas. Its officers provide specialist security services to the Agency 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, to mitigate security risks. People are at the heart of the NCA and play a key role in ensuring we stay at the forefront of combating serious and organised crime. IPS are responsible for people, processes, technology and standards, operating across the NCA to support operational and non-operational teams, along with the Command Team, to ensure the Agency remains resilient and retains public confidence in a volatile and complex threat landscape.

Information about the Business Area

Personnel Security covers the following teams: Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU), Professional Standards Unit (PSU), Security Vetting, People Risk Management Team (PRMT). The Personnel Security functions are focussed on improving the Agency’s ability to protect the public through counter corruption activities and to develop a safe, secure environment for our officers. The sensitivities of intelligence and operations, and the extent to which information must be shared securely, mean that NCA Officers and contractors must maintain the highest levels of integrity, reliability and trustworthiness. The organisation is vulnerable to attack by its key targets who will seek to corrupt its officers. In relation to personnel security, our object is to eliminate as many risks as possible, and mitigate the impact of those that remain.

Role Summary

The NCA’S dedicated Anti-Corruption Unit (ACU) works within the NCA’s Integrated Protective Security command. Our role is to safeguard the Agency, secure its assets, and defend its standards, whilst promoting a safe, inclusive and professional environment.

Our priorities are to: ensure the integrity of the NCA’s officers and operations; relentlessly disrupt those engaged in corruption within the NCA, impacting upon the NCA, and in support to partners; and develop capabilities and best practice, including sharing best practice with national/international partners and raising awareness of the threat.

The ACU looks into all allegations of corruption against its officers, working to either prove or disprove these allegations to protect both the agency’s officers and activity. We carry out covert investigations into corrupt activity within, and impacting upon, the NCA.

We also investigate organised crime groups and others seeking to penetrate the NCA and conduct activity to identify and investigate corruption within the agency.

We also provide regular support to partners, through intelligence development and providing specialist operational capability, and work closely with other government departments to tackle wider public sector corruption.

Role Description

This is an exciting opportunity to join the NCA’s Anti-Corruption Unit working in a multi-functional dynamic team, alongside Intelligence officers and Senior Investigators investigating the complex corruption threat to law enforcement.

We are looking for experienced Investigators who hold a current/active PIP2 or an equivalent recognised qualification/accreditation in investigative crime issued by a Government body. The successful candidate must have experience in utilising covert tactics and a full DVLA Driving Licence (includes full EU licences).

The opportunity may arise for Investigators to be Q100 (Surveillance trained) and Advanced Driver trained.

Please Note: The ACU work from three NCA Locations two of which are covert locations which cannot be disclosed on the advert however the nearest location to our covert site in the South is Crawley.

DV Vetting must be achieved within 12 months of commencing the role.

Duties and Responsibilities

Collaborative Working

Working to support our partners to develop their own response corruption, nationally and internationally.

Integrity

Demonstrate the highest levels of integrity.

Investigations

Participate in investigations where covert tactics – confidentiality, sensitive intelligence and surveillance will provide the basis for tactical activity.

Developing Intelligence

Work with a team of self-contained – multifunctional ACU Investigators and Intelligence Officers to develop intelligence and build evidence to support NCA and partner Anti -Corruption operations within a context of serious and organised crime.

Flexible Working

Required to work flexibly – often outside of normal working hours and occasionally for extended periods of duty.

Completing case files

Experienced and competent in completing case files – Working as part of a team progressing the case through the judicial process for prosecution.

Powers:

• the powers and privileges of a constable;
• the powers of an officer of Revenue and Customs;
• the powers of an immigration officer; and
• the powers of a general customs official.

Officers joining the agency will be provided with online access revision material and offered classroom based tutorials to support them taking exams.

Those working in Northern Ireland and Scotland are currently required to successfully complete the NCA Exams as above, Northern or Scottish powers course and the National Investigators Exam (NIE), if not previously passed.

Person Specification Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Interviewing – Competent and experienced at interviewing witnesses and suspects (custody time limits/procedures, extensions and authorisations), use of bad character evidence and bail. Communication – Good communication skills with the ability to listen, empathise, provide support and adapt language, form and message to meet the needs of different people and audiences. Investigations techniques – Experience and knowledge in the use of investigations techniques to meet operational outcomes. Experience of conducting arrests – Experience of conducting arrests; competent and experienced at interviewing witnesses and suspects (custody time limits/procedures, extensions and authorisations), use of bad character evidence and bail. Seizure of exhibits – Experience and knowledge around seizure of exhibits, continuity of evidence, and seize/sift legislation, including experience in disclosure, and scheduling of material, and knowledge of CPIA legislation. Completing case files – Experienced and competent in completing case files and liaising with prosecuting agencies or authorities.

You must meet the essential criteria and evidence this within your application to be considered for the role.

Qualifications, Membership and Licences

• PIP2 accreditation (see attached NCA Guidance for Applicants) – Your PIP accreditation must be current/active within the last 3 years.
• Full DVLA Driving Licence (includes full EU licences).

Any applications from candidates not meeting this eligibility criteria will not progress.

Desirable criteria are only used for assessment in the event of a tie break.

Q100 (Surveillance trained) Advanced Driver trained.

A pay flexibility case seeking to modernise NCA pay frameworks was approved by the Government in July 2026. The NCA recognises and engages in collective bargaining with three trade unions: The National Crime Officers Association (NCOA), Public and Commercial Services Union (PCS) and FDA. Therefore, our terms and conditions are currently undergoing a formal review, in consultation with these recognised trade unions. The outcome is expected to be known by early 2027.

Allowances are reviewed annually and may be increased, decreased or removed.

All salary offers will be made in line with Remuneration Policy.

• Roles based in London will receive an additional London Weighting (Per Annum) of £4379

Operational Role Salary Information This role attracts a SPOT Rate salary. SPOT Rate offers a progressive increase in pay to reflect the skills and experience of the officer.

All NCA employees are members of the UK Civil Service and eligible for the Civil Service pension scheme, alongside your salary the NCA contributes £12711. Further information on the benefits of the scheme is available on the Civil Service Pension Website.

New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.

If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).

Other benefits include:

• Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
• Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
• Learning and Development opportunities
• Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
• Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway | Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
• Staff support groups/networks
• Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)

This vacancy is using the Success Profiles framework and will assess using the following criteria: Behaviours, Technical Skills

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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

How we will assess you

Your application will be assessed against the following:

Technical - this will be assessed by 250 word examples on:

• Demonstrable experience of applying covert or proactive investigative techniques to achieve operational outcomes within serious and organised crime and/or counter‑corruption investigations outcomes.
• Strong working knowledge of covert tactical options and associated legal frameworks, including the lawful authorisation, deployment and management of covert activity.
• Proven experience of building robust evidential case files for criminal prosecution, progressing investigations through the judicial process and supporting cases to charging and prosecution.

A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.

In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.

Demonstrable experience of applying covert or proactive investigative techniques to achieve operational outcomes within serious and organised crime and/or counter‑corruption investigations outcomes.

Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.

You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.

We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.

Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.

The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.

• Demonstrable experience of applying covert or proactive investigative techniques to achieve operational outcomes within serious and organised crime and/or counter‑corruption investigations outcomes.
• Strong working knowledge of covert tactical options and associated legal frameworks, including the lawful authorisation, deployment and management of covert activity.
• Proven experience of building robust evidential case files for criminal prosecution, progressing investigations through the judicial process and supporting cases to charging and prosecution.

Assessment Outcome

Outcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal. If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months. Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.

In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:

• Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
• If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
• If still tied, application sift scores will be used

Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.

You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.

Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records.

Eligibility, Pre-Employment Check and Vetting

If you are an internal candidate who has passed interview but is undergoing an internal investigation or have a written warning in place preventing a post move you may not be able to be posted until this investigation is concluded or restriction lifted.

Nationality Requirements

• UK nationals or dual nationals, where one component is British
• Nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• Nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• Nations 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)
• Nations 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

You will be required to participate in digital right to work and address checks as part of the recruitment process.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC Enhanced. All security clearances will be managed by the NCA.

Prior to commencing the role, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance and then achieve DV Enhanced clearance within the first 12 months in post.

The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.

The requirement for DV Enhanced clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.

Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.

If you fail to obtain the increased clearance within 12 months of starting, your contract of employment is at risk of termination.

For further information on National Security Vetting checks please visit the following page Demystifying Vetting

Individuals will be required to undertake and pass a substance misuse test as part of pre-employment checks.

Occupational Health

Successful candidates will be expected to undertake an occupational health assessment. Depending on the role an in-person medical may be required in either London or Warrington. Unfortunately, travel costs will not be reimbursed.

Things you need to know

Operational Roles

The National Crime Agency is a law enforcement agency and as such we are part of the Criminal Justice System. Therefore if you are going into an operational role we need to be aware if any of our officers have, either before they join us or afterwards, any of the following:

Any criminal conviction (including Court Martial), or caution or fixed penalty notice for disorder or theft; Any adverse judicial findings; Any charges or summonses where the proceedings are not complete; Any misconduct or gross misconduct findings or where proceedings are not complete.

You will be asked to complete a declaration covering the above if offered a role with the NCA.

Each case will be considered on its merits and a positive declaration does not automatically mean that your application will not be progressed. However, should you fail to disclose a relevant matter then your application or employment will be adversely affected. If in doubt, please declare it at this stage.

Near Miss

If you meet the criteria for a lower grade, you may be offered that role if not appointable at the advertised grade.

Conversely, if found appointable at a higher grade but no posts are available, you may be offered a lower-grade role.

All offers are made based on merit.

Hybrid Working

The NCA supports hybrid working. The extent of remote working will depend on the role and can be discussed at the offer stage.

Reasonable Adjustments

We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive, equal opportunities employer.

We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone can be their authentic self. If you’re neurodiverse, have a disability, or live with a long-term health condition, we encourage you to let us know about any reasonable adjustments you may need during the recruitment process.

If you experience accessibility issues with the advert or require reasonable adjustments, please contact our Recruitment Team at [e-mail] before the advert closing date.

Please ensure you complete the ‘Equal opportunities’ and 'Reasonable Adjustments' sections in the application form to inform us on what support you may need in the recruitment process.

In order to monitor the effectiveness of the National Crime Agency's Diversity & Inclusion strategy, we require certain personal details about you on submission of your application for statistical and monitoring purposes only. Please note that this will be treated in confidence and will not impact your application.

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.

If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email: [e-mail] (quoting the vacancy reference). If unresolved, you may elevate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission .

Working for the NCA

The National Crime Agency is a 24/7 organisation, and working patterns must support business requirements. Some roles may require you to respond at short notice or outside of core hours.

If preferable, alternative contract types may be available. Please review the green bar of this advert to view all available contract types for this role. Where Loan or Secondment options are available, these would be for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) or any other employer (Secondment). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

If you have any specific queries about the role that are not covered by the advert, please contact:

Name : Central Recruitment Team Email : [e-mail]