Financial Investigator (Staff) - Economic Crime Unit in Birmingham

The Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 creates various provisions to encourage the prosecution of offenders for money laundering and the recovery of their property through cash seizure, confiscation and civil recovery processes. The West Midlands Police Financial Investigation Team comprises police officers and staff who concentrate on opportunities to recover assets obtained through criminality. An exciting opportunity has arisen for a flexible and self‑motivated person to join the Asset Recovery Team. You will be part of a talented team of police officers and staff whose primary purpose is to seize and confiscate criminally obtained assets. The individual should possess the highest level of integrity and will be subject to a vetting process. Please note this is a part‑time role, working 33.5 hours per week.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

• Analyse financial data to investigate and identify assets obtained by persons convicted of certain criminal conduct.
• Undertake civil investigations into cash seizures.
• Support ongoing investigations in respect of money laundering and the identification of criminal proceeds.
• Prepare detailed reports, briefing documents, negotiations and ultimately give evidence on oath in court on a regular basis as a Financial Investigator.
• Collate, evaluate, structure and process information to identify financial audit trails and assets.

The successful applicant will be subject to Management Vetting and will have the opportunity to complete the FIO programme, a 12‑week distance‑learning course regulated and accredited by the National Crime Agency Proceeds of Crime Centre.

Anyone interested in the role is invited to join an awareness session on Teams where a brief on the role will be given and the opportunity to ask any questions. This will take place on Wednesday 28th January at 12:30.

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Essential

• Must either be an accredited financial investigator or be prepared to work towards accreditation by the National Crime Agency Proceeds of Crime Centre.
• Must demonstrate good investigative skills.
• Effective communication skills with the ability to confidently communicate with a range of different colleagues from different disciplines.
• Experience of preparing and conducting briefings.
• A good understanding of relevant legislation including the Proceeds of Crime Act.
• Ability to maintain the highest levels of integrity, discretion and confidentiality.
• Must be able to work on his/her own initiative within a team environment and work under pressure to meet specific deadlines.

Desirable

• Investigative experience within a financial arena.
• Experience of undertaking complex investigations.
• Experience of giving evidence in court.

Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.

Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Developed Vetting scrutiny prior to commencing their role, including a full background and financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.

Medical: Appointment to this role will be dependent upon successfully passing medical checks, which may include a drug test and, if required, a fitness test.

Location: As this type of investigation can cross local, UK and overseas borders, you must be willing to travel within and outside the West Midlands Police Force area.

In return we offer an opportunity to achieve in one of the most rewarding investigative arenas, ongoing training and a chance to make a real difference towards reducing crime and making our communities feel safer.

Contact: For further information regarding this role, please contact DI Lauren Ades at lauren.ades@westmidlands.police.uk.

As part of West Midlands Police, the Economic Crime Unit is striving to get to a position where we are confident that all disproportionality and disadvantage is a thing of the past. We are working closely with colleagues to make our processes transparent and fair to all applicants irrespective of background. This will ensure that we have a talented, innovative and diverse workforce that can deliver our vision to: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities.