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Government Recruitment Service; Pontypridd; On-site; GBP 58,000 - 68,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Disability Confident employer scheme

Job summary

Government Recruitment Service in Pontypridd is seeking a Head of HR Investigation Service to provide strategic leadership for the department's most complex HR investigations. You will lead a geographically dispersed team of investigators, ensure investigations meet high professional standards, and drive continuous improvement across the HR function.

The role reports to the Head of DWP Casework and Investigations and focuses on strengthening capability, partnerships, and organisational learning

Responsibilities

• Setting the strategic direction for the HR Investigation Service, ensuring investigations are delivered consistently, professionally and in line with legislation, policy and best practice.
• Leading and developing a geographically dispersed team of specialist HR investigators, building capability, promoting accreditation and career development, wellbeing, and high performance.
• Managing investigative resources, workforce planning and workload prioritisation, with oversight of high-risk and complex cases.
• Acting as the senior escalation point for investigators, HR Business Partners, managers and stakeholders, providing expert guidance on complex matters.
• Driving continuous improvement and quality assurance across HR investigations, updating policies, processes and outcomes with lessons learned.
• Building strong relationships with senior stakeholders across DWP, government networks, promoting the service and sharing best practice.
• Partnering with senior leaders to influence policy development and people management practices based on investigation insights.
• Leading the HR investigations risk management approach with governance and QA to mitigate risks.
• Using trends from investigations to drive organisational learning and capability development across the department.

Job description

Head of HR Investigation Service

Company: Government Recruitment Service

Salary: £57,946 to £68,205 a year

Hours: Full-time

Location: Pontypridd

Job type: Permanent

Posting date: 1 Sept 2026

Closing date: 14 Sept 2026

Summary

This leadership role sits within the People and Place function in DWP, with accountability for leading the HR Investigation Service (HRIS) within the HR Advice and Support Team. The HR Advice and Support Team delivers specialist HR services across DWP through four key functions: HR Casework Operations, Employment Tribunal and People Risk, HR Investigation Service, and Continuous Improvement. HRIS provides expert support and oversight for the Department's most complex, sensitive and high-profile HR investigations, while also driving investigative capability and standards across the wider organisation.

The HR Investigation Service has undergone significant transformation in recent years, including professional accreditation of investigators, expansion of the team and the development of a more collaborative and insight-led operating model. The service plays a critical role in supporting organisational risk management, employee experience and continuous improvement across the Department.

The post holder will provide strategic leadership for the HR Investigation Service, ensuring investigations are delivered to the highest professional standards and in line with legislation, DWP policy and recognised best practice. They will lead a geographically dispersed team of specialist investigators, drive continuous improvement and quality assurance, and ensure insights and lessons learned from investigations inform organisational learning, policy development and cultural improvement.

As a member of the HR Advice and Support senior leadership team, you will shape the future direction of HR investigations across DWP, building capability, strengthening partnerships and ensuring the service remains professional, responsive and aligned to departmental priorities.

Reporting to the Head of DWP Casework and Investigations Team, you will operate with a high degree of autonomy, providing visible and credible leadership for the HR Investigation Service across DWP.

You will play a pivotal role in maintaining professional investigative standards, managing organisational risk and ensuring the effective delivery of complex and sensitive investigations.

Working closely with Senior HR Business Partners, HR Policy, Employee Relations, wider DWP investigation networks and cross-government partners, you will lead service improvement, organisational learning and capability development across the HR investigations profession.

Responsibilities

• Setting the strategic direction for the HR Investigation Service, ensuring investigations are delivered consistently, professionally and in line with legislation, DWP policy, ACAS guidance and recognised best practice.
• Leading and developing a geographically dispersed team of specialist HR investigators, building capability, supporting professional accreditation and career development, promoting wellbeing, and fostering a culture of high performance and continuous improvement.
• Managing investigative resources, workforce planning and workload prioritisation, ensuring effective deployment of capacity, appropriate oversight of high-risk and complex cases, and delivery against agreed standards and timescales.
• Acting as the senior escalation point for investigators, HR Business Partners, managers and senior stakeholders, providing expert advice and guidance on complex, sensitive and high-profile investigation matters.
• Driving continuous improvement and quality assurance across HR investigations, ensuring policies, processes, guidance, documentation and investigation outcomes are regularly reviewed and enhanced through feedback, lessons learned, stakeholder insight and best practice.
• Building and maintaining strong relationships with senior stakeholders across DWP, wider government and professional investigative networks, promoting the HR Investigation Service, sharing best practice and strengthening investigative capability across the Department.
• Acting as a strategic partner to senior leaders, HR Policy and Employee Relations teams, using investigation outcomes and insights to influence policy development, address organisational and cultural issues, and improve people management practices.
• Leading the HR investigations risk management approach, ensuring robust governance and quality assurance arrangements are in place to identify, assess and mitigate operational, legal and reputational risks.
• Using trends, themes and lessons learned from investigations to drive organisational learning and continuous improvement, while providing strategic leadership and oversight of the Department's most complex, sensitive and high-risk investigations.

Proud member of the Disability Confident employer scheme

About Disability Confident

Disability Confident is a government scheme. It encourages employers to recruit and retain disabled people and those with long term health conditions.