Physical Piracy Investigator in London

Location: London/Remote Hybrid

Salary: £32,500 - £33,825 pa (plus benefits)

Length of Contract: Permanent

The closing date for applications is 18 May 2026.

Company Profile

The BPI champions the UK’s recorded music community, safeguarding the rights of its members and of the artists, performers and label members of collecting body PPL. The BPI’s membership consists of well over 500 independent labels and the UK’s three ‘majors’ – Universal Music UK, Sony Music Entertainment UK and Warner Music UK. Its total membership taken together accounts for around 85 per cent of legitimate domestic music consumption and 1 in 10 streams around the world. The BPI promotes British music at home and overseas through its trade missions, the Music Exports Growth Scheme and The BRIT Awards, which it owns and organises. It administers The BRIT Certified Platinum, Gold and Silver Awards Programme, co-owns the Official Charts Company with ERA, and is home to The Mercury Prize. The BPI encourages and supports innovation and technology, and additionally provides insights, training and networking with its extensive free masterclasses, networking events, Insight Sessions and reports alongside its communications and public affairs work. The BPI is committed to diversity, equity and inclusion. In support of this, the BPI is working closely with its members and industry partners, as well as its Equity and Justice Advisory Group (EJAG). The BPI’s community engagement, focussed on education & wellbeing through the power of music, is directed through The BRIT Trust. The BPI is values led in all the work it does. At the BPI we are Championing, Collaborative, Accountable and Trailblazing.

The Opportunity/Job Description

The core mission of the BPI Content Protection Unit (CPU) is to protect the intellectual property of our members, the members of PPL, and intellectual property which we own ourselves. The CPU devises and implements technical and practical strategies to protect digital and physical music content – including assisting with the development of strategies to deal with infringement via artificial intelligence, the implementation of a world-leading website blocking programme, removal of infringing content from the internet, disruption of illegal websites, seizure of goods, and assistance with the development of legal cases. BPI is seeking a professional & dynamic Physical Piracy Investigator to join its leading Content Protection department. The successful candidate will be working alongside an established investigation team in tackling unlicensed music product across a variety of online & offline channels.

Key Responsibilities

• Work with the City of London Police Intellectual Property Crime Unit (PIPCU) representing the BPI’s interest.
• Research physical piracy trends & investigate entities involved in the distribution of unlicensed music.
• Enforce content removal across various marketplace platforms, both proactively & upon member request.
• Conduct field investigations, both independently & in collaboration with law enforcement.
• Perform & log test purchases of suspected unlicensed items in compliance with evidentiary standards.
• Produce evidence & intelligence packages.
• Liaise with UK law enforcement agencies in relation to joint investigations.
• Liaise with the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry (IFPI) to further investigations beyond UK borders.
• Keep accurate record of web enforcement actions & investigative work.
• Develop quantitative & qualitative analysis.
• Deliver reports & presentations as required.
• Work with the wider Content Protection team as required to support the department’s work.

Ideal Experience

• In possession or eligible for UK police clearance.
• Music expert with a good working knowledge of music repertoire both past and present.
• Familiarity with ‘Open Source’ Intelligence (OSINT) and Social Media Intelligence (SOCMINT), with a knowledge of available online music resources.
• Familiarity with online marketplace platforms.
• Attention to detail & ability to operate within codified regulatory frameworks.
• Familiarity with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (2000), the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act (1996), the Trade Marks Act (1994), and the Copyright, Designs & Patents Act (1998).
• Understanding of music licensing.
• Familiarity with General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Disclosure & Subject Access Request regulations, and the Association of Chief Police Officers (ACPO) good practice for collecting digital evidence.

Key Skills and Competencies

• Attention to detail and ability to operate within codified regulatory frameworks.
• Critical thinking skills and a curiosity to find solutions and answers to problems.
• Ability to prioritise work in line with strategic objectives and Return on Investment (ROI).
• Ability to collect and analyse data in a methodologically sound way.
• Ability to write in a concise, clear and accessible manner, including presenting findings as required.
• Good working knowledge of MS Office Suite, including Excel.
• Flexible approach to work and ability to deal with changing and, at times, conflicting priorities.
• Friendly and collaborative nature, able to exert a positive influence as part of an inclusive team.
• A good knowledge of music trends.
• A fast learner, enthusiastic about embracing new programmes including working with our bespoke delisting software.

Salary and Benefits

• Salary of £32,500 - £33,825 pa depending on experience.
• Performance-related bonus.
• Three days of personal volunteering time per annum.
• Private Medical Insurance.
• Permanent Health Insurance.
• Life Insurance.
• Annual Wellness Allowance.
• A hybrid work environment with flexible working policies.
• 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays.

Equal Opportunities & Diversity

The BPI welcomes applications from suitably qualified candidates of all social backgrounds, including across all genders, ethnicities, sexual orientations, and those who identify as Deaf, disabled or from neurodiverse backgrounds. The BPI is an equal opportunity employer and any decision to appoint will be made solely based on candidate merit and business need. We actively encourage the best possible candidates to apply, regardless of their gender, race, age, disability, sexual orientation, religion or political belief. We believe that representation matters, and we are passionate about developing a diverse workforce at all levels of the organisation. We warmly encourage applications from historically under-represented groups, including but not limited to candidates from Black, Asian or ethnic minority backgrounds; members of the LGBTQIA+ community; people who identify as non-binary or gender nonconforming; people with a disability; and people who are neurodivergent.

If you have a disability or additional need that requires accommodation during the process of application and selection, please do not hesitate to let us know when applying. Reasonable adjustments we can make include, but are not limited to, extra time during tasks, using a different video conferencing application, providing a British Sign Language interpreter or holding the interview at a specific time of day. The BPI is proud to be a Disability Committed and Living Wage employer. The BPI is committed to offering an interview to Deaf and or disabled people who meet the minimum criteria for the job. When you complete your job application form you will find a box at the bottom that says, 'Disability Confident Application'. Please tick this box if you identify as Deaf and/or disabled and would like your application to be considered as a part of our commitments under the Disability Confident scheme. If you have a requirement to apply for the role in another format, by video for example, please ensure that you advise us on your application form that you are submitting an application in an additional format and that you wish to be considered under the scheme. There may be occasions where it is not practicable to interview all disabled people that meet the minimum criteria for the job. In these circumstances we will limit the overall numbers of interviews offered and select the Deaf and/or disabled candidates who best meet the minimum criteria for the job, rather than all of those that meet the minimum criteria.

Application Process

We know that applying for a new job can be full of uncertainties and we look to provide upfront information where possible. Our process for recruiting this role will comprise a minimum of four and maximum of five stages. After each stage, we will contact you as soon as possible to inform let you know if you will be progressing to the next stage. The closing date for applications is 18 May 2026.

Stage 1

• Submit a CV and cover letter each totalling no more than one side of A4. We ask all candidates to complete the BPI’s Equal Opportunities monitoring form, which can be found here. Equal Opportunities monitoring forms are anonymous and are processed independently to your application by members of the team not involved in the hiring process. Your application will be considered on a name blind basis by our recruiters. Following your application, you may be invited to a pre-screening call with our recruiters. Calls will take place on a rolling basis between 5 May – 19 May 2026.

Stage 2

• 45-minute virtual interview with the Content Protection Manager and a Senior Physical Investigator to be held the week commencing 1 June 2026. Interviews can be scheduled flexibly if needed.

Stage 3

• A strategic and/or practical task to be prepared in advance will be set for stage 3 candidates around the protocol for initiating an investigation. 60-minute in-person interview with the Director of Content Protection and a Senior Physical Investigator to be held the week of 15 June 2026, part of which will be to discuss the prepared task.

Although this role is London/hybrid based, at the BPI, we recognise that talented individuals come from across the UK, and we do not want financial challenges to be a barrier to attending in-person interviews. The BPI covers travel expenses for final interviews for candidates whose home address falls outside the M25. More information can be found in the Travel Expenses policy. If you have any questions, please speak to your recruiter.

Stage 4

• Employment offer, subject to reference.