Senior Investigation Officer - criminal offences cohort (hybrid)

An opportunity has arisen for the right candidate to join the Investigation department as a Senior Investigation Officer (SIO), taking on a leading role as part of a new dedicated team investigating matters in our criminal offences cohort.

The criminal offences cohort

To protect the public and maintain quality standards in the profession, there are legal restrictions on who can provide certain legal services. The SRA investigates reports of breaches of these restrictions, for example where:

• An individual pretends to be a solicitor
• An individual acts as a solicitor when they are not qualified to do so
• An individual provides types of legal services they are not entitled to provide, or pretends they are entitled to provide these services
• An individual who is restricted from being involved in legal practice, or who has been struck off the roll of solicitors or suspended, has entered into improper employment arrangements
• A firm pretends it is authorised by the SRA

Where the evidential test and the public interest test is met, the SRA will issue proceedings. Successful proceedings may result in fines or custodial sentences.

Information on our approach can be found at: https://www.sra.org.uk/solicitors/guidance/disciplinary-bringing-criminal-proceedings/

The role

The SRA is establishing a new team for this core area. The work of the team will predominantly focus on this cohort, alongside other investigation matters according to capacity and business needs.

The successful candidate will:

• Maintain a caseholding of matters, with oversight of matters throughout the lifetime of the investigation including: evidence gathering, conducting interviews, and drafting notices.
• Take a leading role in cases, with particular focus on complex, novel, and/or high-risk matters
• Co-ordinate the team's work in this important area.
• Lead on interviews and statement taking in a manner compliant with the Police and Criminal Evidence Act 1984 (PACE)
• Coach and provide technical support and advice for individual Investigation Officers (IOs).
• Collaborate with stakeholders to support the progression of cases and ensure high quality decision making and outcomes.
• Hold line manager responsibilities for others within this cohort team
• Work closely with the Head of Investigation, Legal & Enforcement, and Knowledge & Development to develop and document cohort processes, trends, and analysis.

There is a Role Profile attached at the bottom of the advert.

What're we looking for

1. Experience in conducting investigations for prosecution and in compatibility with PACE and the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act 1996 (CPIA), gained through regulation, law enforcement, or similar.
2. Ability to assimilate information quickly and provide clear advice and case direction.
3. Ability to collaborate with, influence, and constructively challenge internal and external stakeholders.
4. Ability to provide coaching and guidance/feedback in a positive and constructive manner.
5. Proven experience in leading complex investigations and critically analysing information to make recommendations demonstrating risk-based judgment.
6. Excellent drafting skills, with experience of drafting complex documents or letters to a high, professional standard.

Location

If you are not based within what we consider to be a commutable distance of one of our office locations (Birmingham, London or Cardiff), we may offer you a home-based contract, where you will primarily work from home with occasional requirements to attend the office. If we determine that you do live within a commutable distance to one of our offices, you will be offered a hybrid role, typically involving 1-2 days per week in that office and the remainder working remotely.

To apply

Please click apply to submit a CV and provide evidence of your knowledge, skills and experience and how they specifically relate to key requirements of the role, in particular what we have highlighted under the 'What we are looking for' section. The responses you provide in the application form will be used to shortlist your application. Answers to each criterion must be no more than 300 words.

To find out more about the recruitment and selection process and how to make the most of your application, please visit our jobs pages.

Closing date for applications is 24 July 2025 at 23:55, however we may choose to close the application period earlier if sufficient number of applications are received. We encourage you to apply as soon as possible if the role is of interest.

Assessments will take place in early August.

Interviews will take place in late August.

If you have any questions that are not answered in the advert or on our website, you can contact us via .