Covert Human Intelligence Source Handler - Bristol

Discover a career in your hands at HMRC. Whether you’re seeking purpose, growth, or a workplace that gives you a true sense of belonging, hear from some of our employees as they share their story about what it’s really like to work at HMRC. HMRC is the UK's tax, payments, and customs authority. We collect the money that funds public services and provide targeted financial support to families and individuals.

The Risk and Intelligence Service (RIS) leads HMRC's compliance and enforcement activity. Within RIS, the Intelligence team develops intelligence on serious fraud and organised crime, delivering high-quality intelligence products to support decision-making and compliance action.

Source Management (SM), part of RIS Intelligence, acquires and manages sensitive human intelligence. It oversees the safe, legal handling of covert human sources in the UK and internationally, providing 24/7 operational support to HMRC and law enforcement partners.

We have vacancies across the UK for Covert Human Intelligence Source (CHIS) Handlers to support HMRC's efforts to close the Tax Gap and disrupt organised crime. As a handler, you will be one of HMRC's authorised points of contact for dealing with CHIS/HumInt, including their duty of care. This will involve directing their day-to-day activities, taskings and de-briefing them. At times, travel to a variety of geographical regions as part of the authorised activity will be required.

Handlers build and maintain trusted relationships with CHIS/HumInt to gather intelligence, manage taskings, debrief sources, and ensure their safety and legal compliance. You’ll plan and conduct meetings, often during the working day, but with requirements to work flexibly and outside normal hours. Travel and occasional overnight stays are expected. You’ll write detailed records, risk assessments, intelligence reports, and maintain legal and financial documentation. You’ll also assess risks and act quickly in challenging situations. Representation at external meetings, including court hearings, may be required.

You’ll receive tailored training, including a four-week residential course (October 2025), followed by a 12-month Training Assessment Period (TAP) with ongoing mentoring and development. Safety and psychological support is also provided.

This role attracts a Flexibility Payment:

• FP Level 1a (from month 2): Allows changes to work pattern at short notice. National & London - £4100
• FP Level 1b (post CHIS 3 course): Includes 1 in 4 on-call weeks. National & London - £3000
• FP Level 2 (post-TAP): Adds 275 extra annual hours and increased flexibility including nights, weekends, and public holidays. National - £12,400; London - £13,300

A two-year commitment to SM is expected post-training. Permanent appointment is subject to TAP completion.

Person specification

Successful handlers will demonstrate:

• Strong listening, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Sound judgement and ability to assess and act on intelligence.
• Teamworking and planning skills to help meet business goals.
• The ability to manage complex situations under pressure and prioritise workloads.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and a willingness to contribute to innovation and continuous improvement.

Candidate Information Sessions

We will be holding one information session for you to hear from the team, understand the role and ask any questions you may have about day-to-day life and the application process. 27th May 2025 at 10:00am. If you would like to attend this session please email with the slot you wish to attend. In the subject please quote "Pod 2 - Covert Human Intelligence Handler - 404741.

Essential Criteria

• Proven ability to communicate effectively, build rapport and influence others.
• Experience building and maintaining relationships with a diverse range of people.
• Able to work dynamically in time-sensitive and challenging operational environments.
• Experience of working within structured processes or under legislative requirements and delivering documentation.
• A full UK driving licence*, willingness to drive official vehicles and commitment to travel frequently (reasonable adjustments considered for disability or health conditions).

*We recognise that some people cannot drive due to a disability or underlying health condition (as covered by the Equality Act) and may not be able to meet these requirements. Where this applies, you will be able to request these are removed by means of a reasonable adjustment. You will have the opportunity to tell us about any reasonable adjustments if you are offered a post.

Training

You will receive tailored training in October 2025, and have dedicated support from a mentor to develop the skills required for the role. You will attend a 4-week residential training course (weekend breaks) in order to give you the skills and knowledge required to undertake the role. You will then return to your unit to consolidate your training over a 12-month Training Period. During the 12-month Training Assessment Period (TAP) you will have the opportunity to put into practice what you have learned. You will complete Public and Personal Safety Training (PPST) and attend annual one-to-one meetings with a psychologist. You will also be required to take on additional training and support with SMO training events in line with operational and domestic commitments. This will build both individual and team capability.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Making Effective Decisions
• Working Together

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £29,475, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £8,538 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs. We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days. Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues' Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary. Family friendly policies. Personal support. Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRC hear from our insiders or visit Thinking of joining the Civil Service.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths and Experience.

How to Apply

As part of the application process, you will be asked to provide the following:

• A 750 word Personal Statement used to demonstrate how you meet the first four Essential Criteria. Please demonstrate any statements with examples as evidence, referencing any related employment experience. The driving licence essential criteria will be addressed separately as part of the application process).

At the end of the application you will answer a yes/no question. If you meet any of these criteria, answer 'YES' in the box (but do not tell us which one):

• I hold a full current UK driving licence and I am prepared to drive as part of this role, or
• I hold a full current UK driving licence but I have grounds to request this requirement is removed as a reasonable adjustment (due to a disability or underlying health condition as covered by the Equality Act), or
• I have grounds to request this requirement is removed as a reasonable adjustment (due to a disability or underlying health condition as covered by the Equality Act) and I do not hold a full current UK driving licence.

You must answer 'NO' if you do not meet one of the three criteria above. If you do not meet one of the above criteria, you do not meet the essential criteria for this role and should not submit an application. Applications that do not meet this essential criteria will be rejected at this stage, and your personal statement will not be assessed.

Further details around what this will entail are listed on the application form. We acknowledge that AI can assist you in your application. Find our guidelines here.

Stage 2 - Sift

At sift your Personal Statement will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview. We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Stage 3 - Interview

You will be invited to a Civil Service Interview on Microsoft Teams where you will be assessed against the behaviours set out in the advert and Strength questions. 'Strength' based questions demonstrate the things you do well and are motivated by.

This is an example of a strengths-based question: "It is often said that the customer's needs should come first. To what extent do you agree or disagree with this statement?" There is no expectation or requirement for you to prepare for the strengths-based questions in advance of the interview, though you may find it helpful to spend some time reflecting on what you enjoy doing and what you do well. More information can be found at Success Profiles - GOV.UK.

The behaviours to be assessed are as follows:

1. Communicating and Influencing (Lead)
2. Making Effective Decisions
3. Working Together

We will contact you by email so please ensure you check junk folders as well as your main mailbox. Interview dates to be confirmed. Candidates who are successful at interview will be given further details regarding the JSE.

Stage 4 - Job Simulation Exercises (JSE) - 90 minutes via Microsoft Teams. Job Simulation Exercises are immersive, interactive assessments that replicate the tasks and challenges candidates will encounter in their prospective roles. These simulations assess both knowledge and interpersonal skills.

Stage 5 - Psychological Resilience Assessment - Before a job offer can be made a psychologist will meet with you to discuss and explore your resilience in difficult situations. This is to ensure that HMRC are not exposing you to scenarios that would have a detrimental impact on you. These discussions take place every 12 months whilst you are in post as well to ensure you receive the right support.

We may raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications. Interviews will take place via video link. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, please contact us via email as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles - if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate. If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the UBS Recruitment team via email as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Additional Security Information

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers: Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

Additional Information

We are looking into ways to enhance the applicant experience. As part of our legitimate interests, we are testing the use of new technologies such as automation and/or Artificial Intelligence in the assessment for CV, personal statement and behaviour statement. Please note that for this specific vacancy, this testing may run in parallel with our standard assessment process and will not influence or determine the outcome of your application in any way.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process. HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences. Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process. Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert. Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant's details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band. Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract. If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section. Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check. See our vetting charter.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code 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. 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.