The role will be based at our offices at 2-4 Cockspur Street, London, SW1Y 5BS, in central London. 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
You will be working in the Proceeds of Crime and International Assistance Division ("POCIAD”) and playing a key role in the delivery of the SFO’s strategic objective to deliver justice for victims and recover the proceeds of financial crime.
As a Financial Investigator you will be allocated a diverse caseload of proceeds of crime work which includes conducting confiscation and civil recovery investigations and utilising other powers for asset recovery e.g. cash seizure, account forfeiture and listed assets. This requires the individual to utilise their investigation skills and specialised knowledge and experience in order to uncover evidence of criminality, criminal benefit, realisable assets and recoverable property.
The International Assistance Team deal with Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) between states for obtaining assistance in the investigation or prosecution of criminal offences and identifying and recovering the proceeds of crime. You will hold a portfolio of Mutual Legal Assistance (MLA) requests and be responsible for progressing them at pace, analysing new requests, devising an investigation strategy to ensure that evidence is obtained, analysed and transmitted expeditiously while managing the associated legal and reputational risks. Your work will include drafting section 2 notices for material or interview(s), interview planning and conducting witness and suspect interviews. You may be required to give evidence in overseas proceedings. You will review requests and the evidence obtained to identify asset recovery opportunities, domestic lines of enquiry and further lines of enquiry that the requesting authority may wish to pursue. You will collaborate with a wide range of domestic and international partners in the criminal justice and law enforcement landscape to deliver continuous improvement in the service provided by the SFO to its international partners.
The Enforcement Team are responsible for enforcing confiscation orders obtained by the SFO, along with re-visiting historic SFO cases to determine if further assets can be recovered. Financial Investigators assigned to the enforcement team will be expected to demonstrate the aforementioned investigation skills and be able to utilise knowledge and experience around search warrants and enforcement proceedings.
Financial Investigators are expected to manage their own caseload, ensuring that all case work is progressed in an appropriate and timely manner, and work closely with POCIAD Lawyers to progress investigations and fulfil requests for assistance from oversea jurisdictions.
Job Description
As a Financial Investigator you will be responsible for:
- Planning and conducting restraint and confiscation investigations, using analytical skills to identify lines of enquiry, criminal benefit and realisable assets with the ultimate aim of obtaining and enforcing confiscation orders that may be used to compensate the victims of crime
- Conducting enquiries, to the criminal standard of proof, into allegations of money laundering offences, including obtaining statements from third party witnesses and interviewing suspects under caution
- Undertaking investigations into cash forfeiture, fund freezing orders, listed assets and civil recovery action where appropriate
- Ensuring the enforcement of confiscation orders obtained
- Producing robust witness statements in a high standard of written English in support of court applications or to introduce evidence to court in criminal trials
- Identifying appropriate investigative powers to acquire material, including obtaining court orders and warrants under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please see attached Job Pack.
Candidates may be assigned to a specific Team within the Proceed of Crime and International Assistance Division (Proceed of Crime Team, Enforcement Team or International Assistance Team). However, we welcome applicants to indicate their preferred area of interest, and will take these into consideration where possible during the allocation process.
As a Financial Investigator You Will Be Responsible For
- Planning and conducting restraint and confiscation investigations, using analytical skills to identify lines of enquiry, criminal benefit and realisable assets with the ultimate aim of obtaining and enforcing confiscation orders that may be used to compensate the victims of crime
- Conducting enquiries, to the criminal standard of proof, into allegations of money laundering offences, including obtaining statements from third party witnesses and interviewing suspects under caution
- Undertaking investigations into cash forfeiture, fund freezing orders, listed assets and civil recovery action where appropriate
- Ensuring the enforcement of confiscation orders obtained
- Producing robust witness statements in a high standard of written English in support of court applications or to introduce evidence to court in criminal trials
- Identifying appropriate investigative powers to acquire material, including obtaining court orders and warrants under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002
For more information about the role and for a full list of key responsibilities, please see attached Job Pack.
Candidates may be assigned to a specific Team within the Proceed of Crime and International Assistance Division (Proceed of Crime Team, Enforcement Team or International Assistance Team). However, we welcome applicants to indicate their preferred area of interest, and will take these into consideration where possible during the allocation process.
Person specification
See above and attached Job Pack.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Delivering at Pace
- Making Effective Decisions
- Working Together
Alongside your salary of £36,950, Serious Fraud Office contributes £10,704 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
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/
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 500 words that explains how your skills and experience meet each of the essential and desirable experience criteria as listed in the job pack.
The following experience is a lead criteria; this experience will be assessed first and candidates who do not meet the required standard will not have the remainder of their application considered.
- General investigative or comparative economic crime knowledge and/or experience in the context of financial investigations, or comparative investigations of asset tracing and recovery.
Please note, desirable experience will only be taken into account if there is a large volume of applications and there is a need for further shortlisting for interview.
- A supporting CV of no more than two A4 sides, outlining your job history and qualifications.
It will not be possible to provide feedback to applicants who are unsuccessful at the application stage.
Interview stage
Behaviours and experience criteria as outlined in the job pack will be tested at interview.
Full details of the interview process will be made available to shortlisted candidates in the invite to interview.
Sift to take place from 24 July 2025.
Interviews are expected to take place throughout August and September 2025.
All dates are indicative and subject to change.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
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.
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.
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).
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job Contact
Recruitment team
Further information
For external competitions there is no appeal against the selection decision. However, individuals have a right to appeal if they feel that the principle of appointment on merit through fair and open competition and the Civil Service Commissioners’ recruitment principles have not been met. Individuals who want to appeal should do this by setting out their grounds for appeal in an email for the attention of Head of People to
[email protected]. If, after an internal appeal, you still believe that the Civil Service Commissioners’ Principles have not been met, then you can contact the Commission directly: Complaints should be sent in writing to: Civil Service Commission, Room G08 ,1 Horse Guards Road, London SW1A 2HQ. Email
[email protected]
