Financial Investigator

Our Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) teams play a fundamental role in tackling immigration crime, as part of a multi-layered UK law enforcement approach, utilising its financial investigations capability to remove the proceeds of crime and strip criminals of their assets. You will work with Crime Teams and legal partners to investigate criminal benefit, trace assets, and recover proceeds of immigration crime using Proceeds of Crime Act powers. This includes asset restraint, confiscation, civil recovery, and cash listed asset or account freezing investigations. You'll prepare cases for legal partners and courts, giving evidence when required.

Through working closely with partners in the National Crime Agency, territorial policing and many other agencies and departments, our CFI Teams take vigorous action against those criminals that seek to benefit from illegal migration. You may not have prior Financial Investigation experience, but you should be analytical, detail focused, capable of interpreting financial data, and comfortable working in dynamic environments. You may be required to undertake the same or a similar role within a different team or teams (where possible, at your base location or within reasonable travel distance), depending on business priorities. With appropriate training and support, this will provide opportunities to broaden both your experience and skill set.

Key responsibilities

• Draft and submit applications for a wide range of financial orders in both Magistrates' and Crown Courts, ensuring accuracy, compliance with legislation, and clear presentation of evidential rationale.
• Conduct detailed analysis of financial material, predominantly bank statements and transactional data to identify criminal benefit, asset flows, hidden income, and potential avenues for further investigation.
• Produce high‐quality summaries, statements, and evidential reports for use in criminal and civil proceedings, supporting CPS lawyers, counsel, crime teams, and the courts.
• Interview witnesses, suspects, and respondents, ensuring evidence is obtained ethically, accurately recorded, and effectively utilised.
• Carry out premises searches to locate assets and evidence, while providing specialist financial investigation support to live crime investigations and prosecutions.
• Present clear and confident evidence during court hearings, maintaining full compliance with CPIA disclosure requirements, including the duty to report adverse judicial decisions or disciplinary matters.
• Progress and manage financial investigation actions including cash seizures, listed assets, frozen funds, restraint and confiscation, while maintaining accurate records on departmental systems and the Joint Assets Recovery Database (JARD).
• Actively manage a diverse caseload, participate in the FI on‐call rota, and provide regular updates to the Chief Immigration Officer and His Majesty's Inspector to ensure investigations remain timely and effective.

Working pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full‐time basis. This role is not suitable for a combination of office and home‐based working due to the requirements of the role. Successful candidates will be required to attend the office/other work location as specified in the advert at all times, to carry out this role. Successful candidates will need to be able to attend for all shifts including early starts, late night finishes, and overnight shifts. These shifts may be outside of public transport operating hours. You must be at least 18 years of age at the time of submitting your application. You will be required to work between 22.00 and 06.00, so this is a legal requirement.

Training

You will receive full training and support to do the job. Successful applicants will complete the Immigration Enforcement induction, followed by arrest training and the IE Financial Investigator pathway. Training covers investigative principles, interviewing, disclosure, cash seizure and court processes. Courses are delivered in person and may require national travel and overnight stays. You will also work towards accreditation through the NCA Proceeds of Crime Centre, supported by mentoring and CPD. Initially, you will be seconded to the National Cash Team, progressing to wider FI responsibilities once competent. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support.

Travel

Immigration Officers are operational officers and may be deployed nationally at short notice, requiring travel and occasional overnight stays.