** Cover Officer Supervisor

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. We also aim to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

Immigration Enforcement (IE) plays a critical role in tackling the criminality associated with organised immigration crime. Our Criminal and Financial Investigation (CFI) teams are at the forefront of this work, focusing on disrupting and dismantling organised crime groups that facilitate immigration abuse. This includes utilising specialist financial investigation capabilities to recover the proceeds of crime and remove criminal assets, ensuring that illegal activity is both challenged and deterred.

CFI operates as part of a multi-layered UK law enforcement approach. By working in close partnership with the National Crime Agency (NCA), territorial policing and other government departments and agencies, our teams take decisive action against individuals and networks who seek to profit from illegal migration.

Working in CFI is both challenging and rewarding. You will be part of a highly capable and collaborative team, where colleagues support and challenge one another, and where you will be encouraged to develop your skills, knowledge and experience in a dynamic and fast-paced environment.

The Covert Projects Unit (CPU) is a specialist, nationally accredited undercover unit responsible for the management and oversight of all covert undercover activity across the Home Office in the United Kingdom.

CPU provides critical capability in the delivery of covert investigations, maintaining a cadre of fully trained and accredited Undercover Operatives and Cover Officers. The unit ensures that covert activity is conducted professionally, lawfully, and in line with strict governance frameworks, supporting the successful delivery of complex investigations.

Job description

The Cover Officer Supervisor will be responsible for the effective day-to-day staffing and management of the service. This includes line management, financial oversight, and ensuring appropriate support and wellbeing arrangements are in place for staff.

The postholder will provide strategic oversight, governance and operational supervision of undercover policing activities, ensuring all deployments are lawful, necessary, proportionate and compliant with relevant legislation, national guidance and professional standards.

The role is central to safeguarding the safety and wellbeing of undercover operatives. The Cover Officer Supervisor will also act as deputy to the Covert Operations Manager Undercover (COM-UC), and the successful candidate will be expected to work towards obtaining the A8 COM-UC qualification once in post.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include but aren’t limited to:

• Provide governance, accountability and day-to-day management of the operational undercover unit.
• Conduct, review and maintain dynamic risk assessments to support safe and effective operations.
• Maintain accurate and auditable records in line with relevant policy, legislation and operational requirements.
• Prepare role-related evidence, give evidence in court, and conduct operational briefings and debriefings.
• Oversee the application, review, update, renewal and cancellation processes in compliance with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the Criminal Conduct Act 2021.
• Assess and manage risks associated with undercover operations, ensuring appropriate mitigations are in place.
• Manage disclosure requirements in accordance with the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act.
• Contribute to stakeholder engagement and partnership working to support effective operational delivery.

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 your experience and skill set.

Working Pattern

Due to business requirements, this role is offered on a full-time basis only.

Shift Working

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.

Training

You will receive full training and support to do the job. You work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support.

This role can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training (PST) Level 3, which develops skills in personal safety, arrest and restraint techniques. This demands physical activity and physical contact with delegates on the course. You will be required to complete a PST health declaration and, if necessary, attend a medical examination. A formal offer will be conditional upon you being physically fit to undertake and pass the training.

Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Qualified Cover Officer, with the qualification gained through an accredited process such as the College of Policing training and assessment centre A3 CoP qualification.
• Strong knowledge of relevant legislation, including the Human Rights Act, Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act, Criminal Conduct Act, Data Protection Act, and Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act.
• Clear and effective communication skills, with the ability to convey information accurately and professionally.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the ability to engage confidently and constructively with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders.
• A proactive problem-solving mindset, with the ability to assess issues, identify options and support effective decision-making.

Licences

Due to the nature of the work and/or the geographical area, driving is an essential requirement for this role. You will be required to drive on official business. You must have a full valid UK manual/automatic driving licence.

Qualifications

Successful candidates must be a qualified Cover Officer having gained the qualification through an accredited process such as the College of Policing training and assessment centre: A3 CoP Qualification. Please note that there is no equivalent to this qualification.

If you require more information please contact the College of Policing: contactus@college.police.uk and the link on their site: Leadership. Standards. Performance. , College of Policing and the document attached to the advert: Undercover policing - Authorised Professional Practice.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Leadership

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Making Effective Decisions

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) of approx. 33% of salary, which equates to an additional £13,035 per annum based on salary minimum. Further information can be found on our website.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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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, Strengths and Experience.

This gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1. Application – by 06 July 2026

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

• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2. Sift – 08 July 2026

The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions, as listed in the advert.

3. Interview – 10 August 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions.

The interview will take place MS Teams.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Location Preference

You can select up to threelocations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Reserve lists will be held for each location and profession. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location and profession.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standards

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Integrity Check

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.

Further Information

In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service /Disclosure Scotland/Access NI 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

For further information on the Access NI confidential checking service telephone: the Access NI Helpline on 0300 200 7888 and ask to speak to the operations manager in confidence, or email accessni@ani.x.gsi.gov.uk

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is 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 HOrecruitment.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 interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamIE@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Undercover policing - Authorised Professional Practice Opens in new window (pdf, 380kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)Candidate_Information_v17_April_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 207kB)