Principal Technical Surveillance Officer

HMRC is the UK’s tax, payments and customs authority and we have a vital purpose: we collect the money that pays for the UK’s public services and help families and individuals with targeted financial support.

Digital Support and Innovation (DSI) sits within HMRC’s wider Fraud Investigation Service (FIS) responsible for the department’s civil and criminal investigation work. FIS ensures that HMRC has an effective approach to taking on the most serious tax evasion and fraud.

Working across Law Enforcement and government, DSI provides investigative tools and covert techniques to front-line investigations and works with key partners to develop and provide access to new technology and systems to enable investigators to respond to serious and complex tax evasion and crime.

See what it’s like to work at HMRC:find out more about us or ask our colleagues a question. Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

This is an opportunity for an exciting and fulfilling leadership role in FIS Digital Support and Innovation (DSI).

This role sits within a DSI Covert Operations on a team called the Tactical Surveillance Group (TSG). TSG’s primary responsibility is to deliver tactical or technical surveillance solutions in scenarios where conventional surveillance methods or techniques cannot be deployed or would fail. TSG’s work is diverse, challenging and frequently involves deploying into high risk environments. The team comprises of surveillance professionals with a diverse range of skill sets. This role can be accommodated in either our office in the south located in Gillingham (Kent) or our northern office in Leeds.

This role straddles operational delivery and management. The successful candidate will have accomplished skills in tactical, technical, and intrusive surveillance techniques. The jobholder will also be able to clearly demonstrate management experience and behaviours.

The jobholder will have the required aptitude to have strategic level input into developing policy alongside briefing and advising senior managers on a regular basis.

Training:

Training will depend on the any qualifications / experience already held. Please discuss with the vacancy holder.

You will be required to complete Operational Safety Training (OST) document attached.

Duties will include:

• Lead and coordinate technical surveillance operatives in order to obtain and secure expert and professional evidence/intelligence from technical surveillance equipment.
• Provide expert advice on technical solutions at all levels during the tasking and coordination process, supervising the planning and preparation of techniques and equipment to satisfy the objectives of an agreed investigative strategy.
• Lead on new technical surveillance capabilities having input into and representing HMRC at National specialist groups / forums.
• Developing SOPs and policy for capabilities, working alongside other managers and stakeholders in respect of policy related matters.
• Briefing and advising managers on a strategic level on Technical Surveillance matters.
• Identify, develop and manage partnerships with internal and external stakeholders to provide innovative technical solutions to identified problems.
• Take responsibility for the safety and security of team equipment and hardware across two sites, including all H&S requirements in relation to workshops.
• Ensure that technical solutions are compliant with all legal frameworks / requirements.
• Make evidence-based decisions to facilitate the collection and analysis of evidence/intelligence in compliance with legal frameworks.
• Review operational plans for the deployment of technical surveillance equipment and agree implementation in conjunction with the SIO.
• Develop and maintain policies for the purchase, retention and disposal of all technical surveillance assets.
• Deploy operationally as an expert level Technical Surveillance Officer across the full range of capabilities.

The role involves supporting HMRC operations nationally, which will require regularly spending nights away from home. The nature of the work necessitates frequently working outside of normal office hours, including during unsocial or antisocial hours as well as during weekends and public holidays and you will be on a 1 week in 4 on-call rotation.

Applicants must also have accomplished demonstrable experience working with tactical, technical or intrusive surveillance techniques in either a Law Enforcement, UKIC or Military setting.

Essential Criteria:

These roles are for candidates with an accomplished technical / engineering background. Applicants should be aware that the role will involve working at heights or in hostile urban/rural environments.

We are looking for candidates with knowledge and experience of the following;

• Strong communication and influencing skills; evidence that the candidate consistently displays positive interpersonal behaviours and standards.
• Strong leadership and management qualities; evidence that the candidate can manage competing priorities, set goals and objectives and challenge negative behaviours.
• Significant experience in the Technical Surveillance arena; evidence that the candidate has an accomplished technical surveillance background including:
  • The technologies behind asset tracking systems including RFDF and GPS.
  • Voice and data systems (wired and wireless).
  • Audio & video equipment. (Transmission, reception, recording and presentation).
  • Transmission systems, including GSM, GPRS, 3/4G, Wi-Fi, microwave and wired systems.
  • General knowledge of 12v and 24v vehicle electrics and electronic systems.
  • Knowledge of IP networking and associated systems/devices (hardware and software).
  • A proven technical ability to develop, deploy, maintain and repair the above technologies in accordance with legislation and operational Codes of Practice
• Hold or be able to obtain National Security Vetting of Developed Vetting (DV) within 24 months. (Must hold SC if DV not already held).
• Hold a recognised electronics or engineering qualification (i.e. BTEC / City & Guilds / HNC / HND or equivalent).
• Hold a full UK driving licence.

Desirable Criteria:

• 
  College of Policing D1, D4, D6, D7, D8 qualifications (or equivalent).
• College of Policing E1, E2, E3 specialist qualifications.

We’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

We’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Presentation

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an average employer contribution of 27%
• This post attracts a Level 2 Flexibility Payment (FP) that is paid monthly with salary.

This FP allows HMRC flexibility to change your work pattern, at short notice, to meet business needs. You will be expected to undertake periods of On Call. You will also be expected to work additional hours, at weekends and outside your normal working hours/days (including bank holidays).

In applying for a position and accepting the FP you agree that you can and will meet those attendance requirements.

FP levels are reviewed annually – on a business need and personal basis – and may be subject to change.

If you currently receive the Flexibility Payment, which may include Transition Protection and/or a Maintained Pension Value, moving to a new role may affect your payments.

Details of the Flexibility Payment can be found in the attached document.

Find more about HMRC benefits in ’Your little extras and big benefits handbook’ for further information or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Job contact :

Name :
Matt Suart
Email :
matt.suart@hmrc.gov.uk
Telephone :
03000 582735

Recruitment team

Email :
hmrcrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk