Operations Manager

Birmingham City Council; Birmingham; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A local government organization in Birmingham seeks an Operations Manager to lead a specialist financial investigation unit tackling illegal lending and financial exploitation. The role involves managing a national team, overseeing complex investigations, and shaping strategies to disrupt organised crime. Ideal candidates should have strong leadership skills, a background in financial investigations, and the ability to produce high-quality prosecution files. Excellent benefits include generous leave, pension contributions, and health support.

Benefits

Membership of West Midlands Pension Fund

Enhanced Holiday Entitlement

Discount access through My Rewards Scheme

Health and wellbeing support

Annual travel passes and city discounts

Qualifications

• Experience leading complex financial investigations with a strong track record.
• In-depth understanding of POCA 2002 and asset-recovery processes.
• Ability to produce court-ready prosecution files.

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of a national financial investigation team.
• Oversee complex investigations ensuring legal compliance.
• Shape national strategies to disrupt organised crime.

Skills

Financial investigations

Leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Digital and analytical capability

Education

Relevant management or investigative qualification

Tools

MS Office

Job description

Overview

Birmingham City Council's Illegal Money Lending Team (IMLT) leads the fight against illegal lending and financial exploitation across England. We are seeking an Operations Manager to lead a specialist financial investigation unit delivering high-profile, complex criminal investigations with real national impact. If you're a skilled financial investigator, senior manager or law-enforcement professional looking for a role where your work disrupts organised crime, shapes national strategy and safeguards the public, we want to hear from you!

Responsibilities

• Lead daily operations of a national specialist financial investigation team.
• Coach, develop and lead specialist staff, including Accredited Financial Investigators (AFIs).
• Oversee complex investigations, ensuring legal compliance, and investigative excellence.
• Act as a trusted advisor on financial crime, working closely with the NCA, Treasury, FCA, government and law-enforcement partners.
• Manage key financial resources, including the POCA ARIS fund, ensuring compliant and effective use.
• Shape national strategies to disrupt organised crime through financial intervention.
• Represent the service nationally, contribute to media activity, and produce high-level reports and prosecution files.
• Deliver essential operational duties such as warrant executions, safeguarding decisions, custody actions and on-call responsibilities.

Qualifications

• Relevant management or investigative qualification or substantial experience leading complex cases, strong track record in financial investigations, including acting as SAO.
• In-depth understanding of POCA 2002, Money Laundering Regulations and asset-recovery processes.
• Proven ability to produce high-quality, court-ready prosecution files.
• Experience leading and developing specialist staff in a law-enforcement setting.
• Strengths in strategic planning, risk-based targeting and national enforcement work.
• Exceptional leadership and communication, including stakeholder and public engagement.
• Confident decision making under pressure in operational and safeguarding scenarios.
• Strong digital and analytical capability, with MS Office and law-enforcement systems.
• Commitment to professional integrity, Health & Safety and continuous development.
• Full UK driving licence with ability to travel nationally.

Application and Recruitment Notes

Please upload an up-to-date CV and Supporting Statement via the attachments part of your application. The Supporting Statement should outline how you meet the criteria for the role through your personal qualities, skills and experience and include your motivation for applying to the post. Note the Personal Statement should be no more than 1500 words. Unfortunately, we cannot consider any applications without a CV and Personal Statement attached.

We encourage applications from people of all backgrounds and aim to have a workforce that represents the communities we serve. Our data tells us that for this level of role, ethnic minorities are underrepresented and therefore we will use positive action to support us to achieve diverse shortlists. This may mean that recruitment times are a little longer, but we think this is worth it to achieve our aim. Birmingham City Council is an accredited Disability Confident Leader employer, and we are committed to employing, retaining and developing all of our people. We want to ensure your recruitment journey with us is a positive and equitable one, so please let us know if there are any reasonable adjustments, additional support, accessibility needs, or if there is any way in which we can support you through your application. A Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check will be undertaken. Proof of Right to work in the UK will be required for all applicants in accordance with UK Home Office requirements, before any employment offer can be confirmed.

Working for Birmingham City Council is more than just a job; it's about making life better for the 1 million plus people who live and work in the city. The Council is a fantastic place to work, with a leadership that is ambitious in its pursuit of excellence. We focus resources on five key priorities:

• A Prosperous Birmingham: through inclusive economic growth, tackling unemployment, attracting inward investment, and maximising the benefits of the Commonwealth Games.
• An Inclusive Birmingham: tackling poverty and inequality, empowering citizens, promoting diversity and civic pride, and supporting all children and young people to thrive.
• A Safe Birmingham: making the city safer, safeguarding vulnerable citizens, increasing affordable housing, and tackling homelessness.
• A Healthy Birmingham: tackling health inequalities, encouraging physical activity and healthy living, supporting mental health, and improving outcomes for adults with disabilities and older people.
• A Green Birmingham: improving street cleanliness, air quality, route to net zero, and becoming a city of nature.

We see the Council's role as providing strategic leadership and vision, with a focus on customer-centric service and opportunities for development. We offer development opportunities, including apprenticeships.

Benefits

• Membership of West Midlands Pension Fund - with generous employer contributions
• Enhanced Holiday Entitlement - 30 days, increasing with length of service
• My Rewards Scheme - access to over 800 brands providing discounts and savings
• Health and wellbeing support - independent and confidential employee assistance and counselling, occupational health
• In return, we offer excellent terms and conditions, generous annual leave, a great pension scheme, wellbeing support, annual travel passes and discounts at city centre establishments.