Assistant Director (Crime)

Job summary

The Insolvency Service is a leading government agency which plays a crucial role in providing essential services to the public and to business. The work we do is important to the proper functioning of markets, the economy in general and support for thousands of people each year who are in financial difficulty.

Inclusive and diverse teams are important to us. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including groups underrepresented in our workforce. The Insolvency Service strives to ensure that the agency is a safe, inclusive, and welcoming place for everybody to bring their true self to work and to help the agency to achieve its diversity objectives. We have 9 active employee network groups available to join or become an ally, these include, Carers Network, Disability network group, Employee Assistance, Representatives, FACES Network Group, LGBT+, Mind Matters, Part Time Workers, The Shed - Men’s Network Group and Women’s Network Group.

We offer full-time, part-time, job share and flexible ways of working. We value capability, technical skills and experience and we place great emphasis on lifetime development to support our people. We encourage our employees to become more involved in areas they feel strongly about, whether it be for the benefit of the agency, through our Engagement network or in their own local communities via volunteering opportunities.

The Insolvency Service is a great place to work, learn and grow your career!

Insolvency – Enforcement Group – Legal Services

Legal Services, which sits within the Agency's Enforcement Group, delivers a range of enforcement activities, both civil and criminal in nature, to support fair and open markets. We do this by effectively enforcing the statutory company and insolvency regimes, maintaining public confidence in those regimes, and reducing the harm caused to victims of fraudulent activity and to the business community.

This is a high-impact senior leadership role leading the Agency’s criminal prosecution capability. As Assistant Director (Crime), you will help shape and deliver a strategic, intelligence-led approach to criminal enforcement, ensuring the Agency maximises its deterrent effect against economic crime. You will operate at the centre of the Service’s ambition to increase its impact through stronger collaboration with partners, including Companies House and wider government, and through innovation in investigative and prosecutorial practice.

Job description

You will be a visible and influential leader, responsible for setting direction, building capability, and ensuring high-quality, effective delivery across a complex and evolving portfolio of criminal cases. The role combines strategic leadership, operational oversight, and professional authority within the Government Legal Profession.

As Assistant Director (Crime), you will be a key member of the Legal Services senior leadership team, accountable for leading the Agency’s criminal prosecution function.

You will define and deliver a clear strategy for criminal enforcement, aligned to the Investigation and Enforcement Strategy, ensuring resources are prioritised to areas of greatest risk and harm. You will oversee a portfolio of complex and high-profile prosecutions, ensuring legal quality, consistency, and value for money.

Working closely with senior leaders across Enforcement Group and the wider Agency, you will integrate criminal enforcement into a broader, outcomes-focused approach to tackling economic misconduct. You will also play a leading role across government, contributing to cross-Whitehall initiatives and strengthening partnerships to improve the collective response to economic crime.

You will lead and develop a high-performing team of senior lawyers, building capability, fostering innovation, and embedding a culture of continuous improvement.

Responsibilities

You will be an intellectually capable, highly motivated lawyer, with at least 10 years post qualification experience in the field of criminal prosecutions, with powerful leadership and communication skills. You will lead, inspire and motivate teams, welcoming feedback and championing continuous improvement both in operational delivery and personal professional development.

You will play an active role as part of the Legal Services senior team in delivering against our investigation and enforcement strategic aims, advocate innovation and use of technology to drive performance, provide inspiring, proactive, and positive leadership to a team of criminal prosecuting lawyers, working collaboratively across the agency to help deliver agency wide strategic objectives, promoting a culture of high performance, efficiency, and continuous improvement.

The ideal candidate will have:

• very strong legal technical knowledge and experience of criminal prosecution work
• strong leadership skills with ability to both see the strategic picture and focus on effective and efficient operational delivery
• the ability to provide well-articulated and evidenced advice and recommendations on complex technical matters
• the ability to influence others and communicate clearly both orally and in writing, to a wide range of stakeholders including presenting papers to Directors and other members of the Agency Executive team
• the vision to create joined-up strategies and influence the direction and culture of Legal Services and the wider Enforcement Group to increase effectiveness and engagement

Responsibilities may also include:

• undertaking the role of value stream lead for any one of the Enforcement Group's value streams, coordinating efforts across the various capabilities within the Enforcement Group to deliver enforcement outcomes against prioritised threat areas, accounting to the Group's Directors and the Executive Committee Delivery Group
• attending regular senior level meetings at Legal Services, Enforcement Group, and wider Agency level, and providing oversight and assurance of the delivery of our criminal prosecution work, the team's training and development, and its spend against allocated budget

This is a senior leadership role with responsibility for other Grade 6 lawyers and wider teams. The role requires regular engagement at senior levels across the Agency and with external partners.

Experience in insolvency is not essential; however, an interest in economic crime and public service impact is critical.

Insolvency Service policy is that a minimum 60% of your working time should be spent at your principal workplace. Requirements to attend other locations for official business will also count towards this level of attendance.

Person specification

This is a key leadership role within Legal Services and the wider Insolvency Service. We are looking for an exceptional senior lawyer and leader who can operate confidently at scale and pace in a complex enforcement environment. You will be required to manage other Grade 6 lawyers, some of whom manage teams of G7 lawyers.

You will demonstrate:

• Strategic thinking: Ability to see the big picture, anticipate emerging risks, and translate strategy into impactful delivery.
• Leadership excellence: A strong track record of leading senior professionals, building capability, and delivering through others.
• Legal expertise: Deep and credible experience in criminal prosecution work, with the ability to provide authoritative advice on complex matters.
• Influencing and communication: Ability to engage and influence senior stakeholders, clearly articulating complex issues and driving decisions.
• Collaboration: Experience of working across organisational and professional boundaries to deliver shared goals.
• Delivery focus: Strong operational grip, with the ability to balance strategic priorities and day-to-day delivery.
• Judgement and resilience: Sound decision-making in high-profile, sensitive or ambiguous situations.

Essential Criteria

• Proven experience of leading and managing legal teams in a complex environment.
• Strong track record of delivering high-quality outcomes across a complex legal caseload.
• Demonstrable experience of influencing at senior levels and working across organisational boundaries.
• Professionally qualified as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales. You must have completed a training contract/pupillage/qualifying employment or have been exempted from this by the Law Society, the Bar Council or CILEx, and have a minimum of 10 years PQE in criminal prosecution work.

Applicants qualified in a jurisdiction outside England and Wales will be subject to the rules of the professional bodies (where applicable). Barristers and Solicitors qualified in a jurisdiction outside of England and Wales will be required to complete the Bar Transfer Test or Qualified Lawyer Transfer Scheme within an agreed period of time (this is likely to be within 12 months of appointment).

Professional entry criteria for Chartered Legal Executives (i.e. Fellows): Chartered Legal Executives are eligible to apply where (i) a Qualifying Law Degree (QLD) is held; or (ii) the Graduate Diploma in Law (GDL)/CPE has been completed; or (iii) where exams have been passed (i.e. a score of 50% or above achieved), at CILEx Level 6*, in all of the following seven foundation subjects in law:

1. Contract Law
2. Criminal Law
3. Equity and Trusts Law
4. European Union Law
5. Land Law
6. Public Law
7. Law of Tort

This role requires Security Check (SC) clearances which will be completed upon accepting an offer.

From 1st October 2026, applicants will be required to meet nationality and residency requirements so that National Security Vetting (NSV) checks can be conducted. If you want to learn more, visit NSV national requirements(opens in a new window).

Qualifications

Professionally qualified as a Solicitor, Barrister or Chartered Legal Executive in England and Wales with at least 10 years PQE.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Managing a Quality Service
• Seeing the Big Picture

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £72,113, Insolvency Service contributes £20,891 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We want you to have a good work-life balance and want to support you in all that you do, so we offer a great benefits package including:

• flexible working arrangements and flexi-time
• full time new entrants to the Civil Service and those Civil Servants on modernised terms and conditions will be entitled to 25 days leave increasing on a sliding scale to 30 days after 5 years’ service
• in addition to this you are entitled to 8 public/bank holidays plus an additional day of privilege leave
• competitive maternity, paternity and parental leave
• 5 days paid leave for learning and development
• 5 days paid for volunteering
• a Cycle to work scheme
• staff have access to an employee assistance programme, Workplace Wellness, for confidential, independent support and advice during difficult times in either their professional or personal life

Your pension is a valuable part of your total reward package where the employer makes a significant contribution to the cost of your pension. Your contributions come out of your salary before any tax is taken. This means, if you pay tax, your take-home pay will not be reduced by the full amount of your contribution; and your pension will continue to provide valuable benefits for you and your family if you are too ill to continue to work or die before you retire. For more information, visit www.civilservicepensionscheme.org.uk

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

As part of the sift process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement
• Behaviours
  • Behaviour 1 - Leadership
  • Behaviour 2 - Managing a Quality Service
  • Behaviour 3 - Seeing the Big Picture

Should a large number of applications be received, an initial sift may be conducted using the CV and lead behaviour - Leadership, assessing candidates against the essential criteria. Only those who meet the essential criteria at this stage will proceed to a full assessment of their application. If a candidate does not meet the minimum requirements during the initial sift, the remainder of their application will not be reviewed. Candidates who pass the initial sift may be progressed to a full sift or progressed straight to interview.

CV Guidance

Your CV should provide a clear overview of your employment history, key responsibilities, relevant qualifications, and the skills and experience you’ve gained throughout your career including any notable achievements.

Note: Your CV will be scored as part of the assessment process and will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the job advert.

Personal Statement Guidance

Your personal statement should be no more than 750 words and must demonstrate how your personal skills, qualities, and experience align with the requirements of the role. Please ensure your statement references the essential criteria outlined in the person specification.

Note: Your personal statement will be scored as part of the assessment process and will be assessed against the criteria outlined in the job advert.

If successful at the sift stage, at interview, you will be assessed on the following:

• Experience
  • relevant to the job role and essential criteria
• Behavioural Competencies - assessed through:
  • Behaviour 1 - Leadership
  • Behaviour 2 - Managing a Quality Service
  • Behaviour 3 - Seeing the Big Picture

Expected timeline (subject to change)

Sift – w/c 13 July 2026

Interview – w/c 03 and 10 August 2026

Location - 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ or Third floor, Cannon House, 18 Priory Queensway, Birmingham, B4 6FD or 2nd Floor, 3 Piccadilly Place, London Road, Manchester, M1 3BN.

Your interview will be conducted face to face. Candidates are asked to note the above timetable, exercising flexibility through the recruitment and selection process.

Visa Applicants

To sponsor a candidate under the Skilled Worker visa, a sponsorship licence is required. The Insolvency Service does not currently hold this licence and therefore, cannot legally sponsor Skilled Worker visa applicants.

Hybrid Working

Insolvency Service operates a hybrid working policy subject to business need, giving people the flexibility to choose when and where they work and collaborate with others.

Individuals are expected to work from one of the office locations stated in the advert to connect with their colleagues, as required by their role and business team needs. There is flexibility to split the working week, spending a minimum of 60% in the workplace, which includes the office, site visits, court etc.

Furtherinformation

A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made.

Any move to Insolvency from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare; for further information visit the Childcare Choices website.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department a criminal record check may be carried out.

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service and Disclosure Scotland on your behalf.

However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing Pre-EmploymentChecks.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

For further information on the Disclosure Scotland confidential checking service telephone: the Disclosure Scotland Helpline on 0870 609 6006 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email Info@disclosurescotland.co.uk

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Existing Civil Servants and applicants from accredited NDPBs are eligible to apply, but will only be considered on loan basis (Civil Servants) or secondment (accredited NDPBs). Prior agreement to be released on a loan basis must be obtained before commencing the application process. In the case of Civil Servants, the terms of the loan will be agreed between the home and host department and the Civil Servant. This includes grade on return.

This role is full time only. Applicants who wish to work an alternative pattern are welcome to apply however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.

Reasonable Adjustment

If a person with disabilities is put at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

Contact Government Recruitment Service via insolvencyrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section in the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at an interview, or if you’re deaf, a Language Service Professional.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Feedback

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 (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).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. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Jonathan Lupton
• Email : Jonathan.lupton@insolvency.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : InsolvencyRecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

Further information

A candidate can raise a complaint to the Insolvency Service by emailing the contact point for applicants (as listed on the vacancy advert), if they think that: They have been discriminated against under the Equality Act 2010 there have been procedural irregularities at any stage of the recruitment process All complaints must be received by the contact point for applicants within 24 hours from the date the applicant is advised of their non-success at sift, assessment or interview. Complaints will be considered by an independent third-party outside of recruitment campaign. The decision will be conveyed to the applicant, in writing, within 5 working days of receipt of the complaint. The recruitment process will usually be put on hold until the complaint has been resolved. Complaints may also be made to the Civil Service Commission at any time if the individual believes their application has not been treated in accordance with the recruitment principles (appointment on merit through fair and open competition). However, complaints must first have been raised to the Insolvency Service

Attachments

Applying for a Job - A Candidate Guide Opens in new window (pdf, 3061kB)Insolvency Candidate Information Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 6509kB)