Covert Human Intelligence Sources (CHIS) Controller
Job summary
Information about the Command
Intelligence Collection coordinates NCA collection capabilities against the NCA’s highest priorities. Intelligence Collection includes forensics, open source, covert human intelligence sources, undercover officers and technical collection capabilities. This includes responding to threats and exploiting opportunities relating to the use of electronic communications by Subjects of Interest using the various powers conferred within the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 (IPA). This is a dynamic and diverse arena with constant and rapid change, suiting those officers who thrive on near constant challenge.
Information about the Business Area
The International Department works with international partners and coordinates UK law enforcement support overseas to gather and share intelligence, conduct operational activity and enhance international delivery through a variety of means, including capacity building, training, and joint European and International taskforces. The International Department also provides the specialist capabilities available through its membership of INTERPOL and EUROPOL in supporting UK law enforcement intelligence and operational requirements, and working directly with partners to safeguard vulnerable members of the community.
Job description
A critical role responsible for the lawful, ethical and effective management of NCA Officers handling Covert Human Intelligence Sources in support of priority NCA investigations and intelligence collection.Role DescriptionThe CHIS Controller will ensure that all engagement with sources is compliant, secure and aligned with organisational policies and relevant legislation, including the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA) and the Covert Human Intelligence Sources Code of Practice.
Working closely with operational teams, intelligence specialists and partner agencies to ensure that CHIS activity delivers high quality intelligence while maintaining the safety and welfare of all individuals involved.
To Note:
*** Regular travel nationally and internationally will be expected as part of this role ***
*** Interviews will be conducted in person in London around the second week of July ***
Person specification
Manage, oversee and support the deployment of CHIS in accordance with legislation, policy and procedural requirements.
Conduct risk assessments, review operational plans, and ensure all activity is proportionate, necessary and properly authorised.
Maintain accurate and timely records of CHIS activity, ensuring legal compliance and audit readiness.
Management of CHIS Handlers. Providing direction, guidance while ensuring operational integrity and safeguarding standards.
Assess intelligence from sources to ensure accuracy, relevance and value to investigations.
Liaise with operational leads, investigators and partner agencies to support intelligence led activity.
Ensure the safety and welfare of CHIS is prioritised at all times, applying effective risk mitigation strategies.
Ensure the safety and welfare of CHIS is prioritised at all times, applying effective risk mitigation strategies.
Person Specification
Skills, Knowledge and Experience
RIPA/CPIA trained/experienced.
Proven experience of leading, managing and overseeing the deployment of diverse/ remote based operational teams within a multi-agency environment
Successfully leading or supervising people or a team to deliver against business objectives and performance indicators.
Effective decision making with accountability for decisions made.
Leading multiple projects
Conducting intelligence development activities
Communication - Able to convey information in a clear way using the most effective medium and with the audience in mind.
Innovation - The ability to think of, research and apply new ideas. Encourage and support innovation. Willing to experiment and follow ideas. Identify improvements. Manage delivery of initiatives.
On-call working 1 week in 3, 24 hours coverage to respond to urgent requirements ( Subject to change )
Qualifications
Trained CHIS Controller at Enhanced Level (former National Level 4) or another agency equivalent.Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Leadership
- Working Together
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £55,575, National Crime Agency contributes £16,100 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.All NCA employees are members of the UK Civil Service and eligible for the Civil Service pension scheme, alongside your salary the NCA contributes £16100. Further information on the benefits of the scheme is available on the Civil Service Pension Website.
New entrants to the NCA receive 26 days annual leave, rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service, plus 8 bank holidays.
If qualifying criteria is met new joiners from UK Police Forces or the UK Intelligence Community (UKIC) will have service with those employers taken into account for continuous service purposes for annual leave entitlement only, this will be up to a maximum of 31 days leave (including 1 privilege day).
Other benefits include:
- Flexible working, including flexi-time, compressed hours and job sharing (in line with business requirements)
- Family friendly policies, notably above the statutory minimum
- Learning and Development opportunities
- Interest free loans and advances, including season tickets, childcare and rental deposits
- Housing schemes - Key Worker status
- Discounts and Savings with a wide variety of services including Cycle to Work, Smart Tech schemes, dental insurance, gym discounts and savings on everyday spending, available through the Reward Gateway , Edenred and Blue Light Card schemes.
- Staff support groups/networks
- Sports and social activities, including membership to the Civil Service Sports Council (CSSC)
Further information is available on the NCA Website.
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 vacancy is using the Success Profiles framework and will assess using the following criteria: Behaviours, Experience, Strengths 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 for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.How we will assess you
Your application will be assessed against the following:Experience - This will be assessed:Experience Criteria - will be assessed by 250 word examples on:- Experience of the supervision and management of Covert Human Intelligence Sources to support serious organised crime investigations in the UK and overseas.
- Experience of managing risk to Covert Human Intelligence Source operations in high threat, time constrained environments
- Ability to demonstrate the development of Covert Human Intelligence Source and staff productivity, leading to operational delivery or success.
Longlist
In the event of a high number of applications, we may operate a longlist. Applicants will need to meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria.
- Experience of the supervision and management of Covert Human Intelligence Sources to support serious organised crime investigations in the UK and overseas. .
Candidates who do not meet the minimum pass mark for the lead criteria will not progress to having their other criteria assessed. Applications must meet the minimum criteria to be progressed to the assessment stage.
You will receive an acknowledgement once your application is submitted.
We aim to have sift completed and scores released within 10 working days of the closing date of the advert. For high volume campaigns this timeframe may be extended.
Scores will be provided but further feedback will not be available at this stage.
For guidance on the application process, visit:NCA Applying and Onboarding
Assessment 1
The format of this assessment will be Interview which will be tested on the criteria listed in the Success Profiles at Assessment section.
Success Profiles at Assessment
Behaviours- Leadership
- Working Together
- Experience of the supervision and management of Covert Human Intelligence Sources to support serious organised crime investigations in the UK and overseas.
- Experience of managing risk to Covert Human Intelligence Source operations in high threat, time constrained environments
- Ability to demonstrate the development of Covert Human Intelligence Source and staff productivity, leading to operational delivery or success.
Strengths are tested at interview stage - the strengths tested are not shared before the interview.
Assessment OutcomeOutcomes will be communicated via the NCA recruitment portal.If successful but no role is immediately available, you may be placed on a reserve list for 12 months.
Reserve lists can be used to fill similar role types across the Agency where the assessment criteria is considered a match by the recruitment team and the business area.
In the event of a tie at the assessment stage, available roles will be offered in merit order using the following order:
- Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
- If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
- If still tied, application sift scores will be used
Eligibility, Pre-Employment Check and Vetting
Please see the NCA T&Cs and Privacy Policy (pdf) for details on how your data is handled. If you are an internal candidate who has passed interview but is undergoing an internal investigation or have a written warning in place preventing a post move you may not be able to be posted until this investigation is concluded or restriction lifted.Security and VettingPeople working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard checks.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is SC Enhanced. All security clearances will be managed by the NCA.For more information on security vetting please visit: UK Security Vetting guidance for applicants and Demystifying Vetting and see our vetting charter at: The Vetting Charter.Vetting requirements - SC Enhanced
Prior to commencing the role, you will need to successfully complete SC Enhanced clearance and then achieve both DV Enhanced and DV STRAP clearance within the first 12 months in post. The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.The requirement for DV Enhanced clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 7 of the last 10 years.To obtain DV STRAP you must be willing to undergo STRAP induction and must hold full UK nationality or dual nationality, where one component is British. Applications will be considered on a case by case basis.Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.If you fail to obtain the increased clearance within 12 months of starting, your contract of employment is at risk of termination.For further information on National Security Vetting checks please visit the following page Demystifying VettingIndividuals will be required to undertake and pass a substance misuse test as part of pre-employment checks.Occupational Health
Successful candidates will be expected to undertake an occupational health assessment. Depending on the role an in-person medical may be required in either London or Warrington. Unfortunately, travel costs will not be reimbursed.Things you need to know
Operational Roles
The National Crime Agency is a law enforcement agency and as such we are part of the Criminal Justice System. Therefore if you are going into an operational role we need to be aware if any of our officers have, either before they join us or afterwards, any of the following:
Any criminal conviction (including Court Martial), or caution or fixed penalty notice for disorder or theft;
Any adverse judicial findings;
Any charges or summonses where the proceedings are not complete;
Any misconduct or gross misconduct findings or where proceedings are not complete.
You will be asked to complete a declaration covering the above if offered a role with the NCA.
Each case will be considered on its merits and a positive declaration does not automatically mean that your application will not be progressed. However, should you fail to disclose a relevant matter then your application or employment will be adversely affected. If in doubt, please declare it at this stage.
Multi Location
Where multiple locations are advertised, appointments will be made in merit order for each location.
Please indicate up to three location preferences clearly. Only your first three preferences will be considered. You may be allocated to any of the locations you select. If you decline an offer for a location you have selected as a preference, a further offer may not be made.
If you choose to reject an offer and no alternative preferred location can be offered, you will not be able to return to the process or be placed on a reserve list.
Only the advertised locations are available; any additional notes added to the application will not be taken into account.
Near Miss
If you meet the criteria for a lower grade, you may be offered that role if not appointable at the advertised grade.
Conversely, if found appointable at a higher grade but no posts are available, you may be offered a lower-grade role.
All offers are made based on merit.
Hybrid Working
The NCA supports hybrid working. The extent of remote working will depend on the role and can be discussed at the offer stage.Reasonable Adjustments
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and an inclusive, equal opportunities employer.
We’re committed to creating a workplace where everyone can be their authentic self. If you’re neurodiverse, have a disability, or live with a long-term health condition, we encourage you to let us know about any reasonable adjustments you may need during the recruitment process.
If you experience accessibility issues with the advert or require reasonable adjustments, please contact our Recruitment Team at Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk before the advert closing date.
Please ensure you complete the ‘Equal opportunities’ and 'Reasonable Adjustments' sections in the application form to inform us on what support you may need in the recruitment process.
For more on our Disability Confident commitment, visit Disability Confident Scheme , Civil Service Careers.
Visit NCA Benefits and Support for more details.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit on merit through fair and open competition, in line with the Civil Service Commission's Recruitment Principles.
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.
If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email: Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk (quoting the vacancy reference).
If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.
Working for the NCA
The National Crime Agency is a 24/7 organisation, and working patterns must support business requirements. Some roles may require you to respond at short notice or outside of core hours.If preferable, alternative contract types may be available. Please review the green bar of this advert to view all available contract types for this role. Where Loan or Secondment options are available, these would be for existing Civil Servants (Loan) and applicants from accredited Non-Departmental Public Bodies (NDPBs) or any other employer (Secondment). 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.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 : Central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
- Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
Recruitment team
- Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
Further information
If you believe your application has not been treated fairly, email: Central.Recruitment@nca.gov.uk (quoting the vacancy reference).If unresolved, you may escalate your complaint to the Civil Service Commission.
Attachments
NCA_T&Cs_and_Privacy_Policy Opens in new window (pdf, 2466kB)Salary range
- £55,575 per year