Professional Standards Investigator - Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre

Mitie; Greater London; On-site; GBP 37,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading facilities management company is seeking a Professional Standards Investigator based at Heathrow Immigration Removal Centres, UK. This role involves overseeing investigations while ensuring compliance with regulations and ethical standards. Required qualifications include a relevant degree and at least 5 years' investigative experience. You will work collaboratively with various stakeholders and support the mission of maintaining high integrity and compliance within the organization. The position offers a full-time contract with a competitive salary and various benefits.

Benefits

Pension scheme

25 days annual leave

Flexible lifestyle benefits platform

High street discounts

Cycle-to-work scheme

Professional development and training opportunities

Qualifications

• Proven experience in conducting investigations, ideally in law enforcement or regulatory bodies.
• At least 5 years' experience in investigative work.
• Experience in a middle-management capacity.

Responsibilities

• Lead investigations ensuring thoroughness and impartiality.
• Manage a caseload of complex investigations.
• Conduct compliance and risk assessments.

Skills

Investigative Skills

Leadership and Communication

Resilience and Ethics

Technical Proficiency

Problem-Solving

Education

Relevant degree in Criminology, Law, or related field

Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) Levels 1–2

Tools

MS Office

Case management systems

Data analysis tools

Job description

Better places, thriving communities.

Job Title: Professional Standards Investigator

Location: Heathrow Immigration Removal Centres, UK (with potential travel to other sites)

Reporting to: Head of Business Assurance

Salary: £37, per annum, plus benefits including pension scheme, 25 days annual leave, and access to employee assistance programmes.

Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week (flexible working may be available, including occasional out-of-hours duties).

Contract Type: Permanent

Role Purpose

As a professional standards investigator at Heathrow Immigration Removal Centre (IRC), you will play a pivotal role in maintaining the highest standards of integrity, compliance, and professionalism among staff. This middle management position focuses on leading and conducting internal investigations into staff conduct, allegations of misconduct, complaints, and breaches of policy or procedure. You will ensure that all investigations are thorough, impartial, and aligned with UK legal frameworks, including the Human Rights Act, Equality Act, and Home Office guidelines for detention centres.

Working within a secure and sensitive environment, you will collaborate with senior management, HR, and external bodies such as the Independent Monitoring Board or Police where necessary. Your expertise will help foster a culture of accountability, supporting the IRC's mission to provide safe, humane, and lawful detention for individuals subject to immigration control. This role demands discretion, resilience, and a commitment to ethical standards in a high‑pressure setting.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead Investigations: Plan, execute, and oversee internal staff investigations, including gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, suspects, and complainants, and analysing documentation such as CCTV footage, incident reports, and electronic records. Ensure investigations are completed within agreed timescales and to a high evidential standard.
• Case Management: Manage a caseload of complex investigations, prioritising based on risk and severity. Prepare detailed investigation reports with clear findings, recommendations, and action plans. Present outcomes to senior leadership and contribute to disciplinary proceedings or referrals to external authorities.
• Compliance and Risk Assessment: Identify patterns of misconduct or systemic issues through investigative work. Advise on preventive measures, policy improvements, and training needs to mitigate future risks. Ensure all activities comply with data protection laws (GDPR), whistleblowing policies, and IRC operational standards.
• Team Leadership and Development: Supervise junior investigators or support staff, providing guidance, mentoring, and performance feedback.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Liaise with internal departments (e.g., HR, Operations, Security) and external partners, including the Home Office, legal advisors, or law enforcement. Handle sensitive communications with staff unions or representatives during investigations.
• Training and Awareness: Deliver training sessions on investigation techniques, ethical conduct, and complaint handling to IRC staff. Stay updated on best practices in investigations within secure environments.
• Administrative Duties: Maintain accurate records in line with audit requirements. Use investigative software and databases to track cases and produce management information reports.

Person Specification

Essential Qualifications and Experience

• Proven experience in conducting investigations, ideally as an ex‑police officer, detective, or in a similar role within law enforcement, regulatory bodies, or secure facilities (e.g., prisons, detention centres).
• At least 5 years' experience in investigative work, with a track record of handling sensitive internal staff matters such as misconduct, harassment, or fraud.
• Relevant qualifications, such as a degree in Criminology, Law, or a related field; or professional certifications like the Professionalising Investigation Programme (PIP) Levels 1–2, or equivalent.
• Experience in a middle‑management capacity, including supervising teams and managing caseloads in a fast‑paced environment.

Desirable Qualifications and Experience

• Knowledge of UK immigration detention policies, human rights legislation, and safeguarding principles.
• Background in immigration, asylum, or border control sectors.
• Experience using digital forensics tools or handling evidence in secure settings.
• Familiarity with Home Office detention centre rules, MOJ policy and the Adults at Risk policy.

Skills and Competencies

• Investigative Skills: Exceptional analytical abilities, attention to detail, and the capacity to remain impartial under pressure. Proficient in evidence collection, interview techniques (e.g., PEACE model), and report writing.
• Leadership and Communication: Strong interpersonal skills for managing teams and stakeholders. Ability to communicate complex findings clearly, both verbally and in writing, including to non‑specialists.
• Resilience and Ethics: High levels of integrity, discretion, and emotional resilience to handle challenging or distressing situations. Commitment to equality, diversity, and inclusion.
• Technical Proficiency: Competent in MS Office, case management systems, and data analysis tools. Willingness to undergo enhanced DBS checks and security vetting.
• Problem‑Solving: Proactive approach to identifying risks and implementing solutions in a regulated environment.

Additional Information

This role requires enhanced security clearance and may involve shift work or on‑call responsibilities during critical incidents. We are committed to creating an inclusive workplace and encourage applications from diverse backgrounds. Reasonable adjustments will be made for candidates with disabilities.

Our market‑leading offering provides you with benefits that suit your lifestyle.

We have a virtual GP on hand for you and members of your household. So you can get expert advice by video or phone without having to leave your home. We offer financial wellbeing assistance through our Salary Finance scheme. For example, you could access 50% of your earned pay before payday for a small fee. Salary Finance also offers competitive loans.

When you join us, we’ll give you a link to our flexible lifestyle benefits platform, Choices. You might choose to purchase up to five extra days’ holiday each year. You might buy critical illness insurance, seek dental treatment or buy technology products at an affordable cost. There are many choices!

We give you access to high street discounts from thousands of well‑known retailers, gyms and more through our MiDeals platform. And we have a cycle‑to‑work scheme. Life cover of up to four times your salary is available. We also offer enhanced pension contributions, a save‑as‑you‑earn scheme, and a Mitie Matching Share Plan (you could even be awarded free shares in Mitie).

We award our employees with Mitie Stars as recognition for their hard work. There are cash prizes up for grabs each month and at the end of the year there’s a chance to scoop a top prize of £10,.

Our success is a direct result of the experience and quality of our people. Progressing your career is therefore a top priority for us. We offer a diverse variety of training and development avenues via a wide selection of learning resources to suit you.

We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. If you have a disability or long‑term condition (for example dyslexia, anxiety, autism, a mobility condition or hearing loss) and need us to make any reasonable adjustments, changes or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing at .