Director, Fraud Investigation Service

Job summary

This is a high-impact leadership role at the heart of protecting the integrity of our financial systems. You will drive delivery at scale by ensuring collaboration across HMRC and beyond, helping to tackle our most serious threats. ​

The Director Fraud Investigation Service is accountable for some of HMRC’s most complex civil investigations, and all criminal investigations into serious tax non‑compliance, fraud and wider economic crime. The Director oversees the use of a wide range of criminal and covert capabilities and is responsible for personal authorisation of operations meeting specific criteria.​

In 2024/25, FIS teams secured and protected over £3.9 billion while launching more than 11,000 civil cases and nearly 450 criminal investigations. The directorate also plays a key role in sanctions enforcement, as well as Anti‑Money Laundering Supervision of high‑profile sectors.​

This role is vital in supporting the government’s ambition to close the tax gap. The government’s recent investment in HMRC will see FIS’s counter-fraud capability grow to increase the number of annual charging decisions for the most harmful fraud by 20% by 2029-30. ​

The role sits at the heart of a network of key partnerships, working with teams across HMRC, with a range of law enforcement partners and multi‑agency partnerships in the UK and internationally. This includes having a key role in the J5 (Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement), which works to combat international tax crime and money laundering.​

Success demands proven knowledge of tax investigations and tax compliance and/or experience of leading in a criminal justice environment, as well as exceptional leadership to inspire multidisciplinary teams. ​

If you are motivated by complex, high-risk challenges and want to play a pivotal role in public service, this is your opportunity to lead at the forefront of fighting serious tax fraud.

Job description

Reporting to the Director General, Customer Compliance, this is a pivotal senior leadership role. ​

This is a vital SCS2 leadership role heading HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS), providing strategic and operational leadership of a directorate of over 5,000 people and 10 Deputy Directors. ​

Key Responsibilities of this role include: ​

• Highly visible and engaging leadership of FIS, championing HMRC strategy and values and clearly role modelling the inclusive and collaborative culture needed to make HMRC successful. ​
• Strategic leadership of work to tackle tax evasion, fraud, and economic crime, collaborating across HMRC to tackle our most serious compliance risks in a joined-up way.​
• Ensuring robust planning and performance management to deliver stretching targets in line with Spending Review and fiscal event commitments, while improving productivity and professionalism​
• Ensuring that the work of FIS is conducted lawfully and to the highest professional standards​
• Building effective working relationships and delivering collaboratively across business boundaries. Contributing to the leadership of Customer Compliance Group and HMRC, taking on corporate leadership responsibilities. ​
• Continuously building capability and professionalism in FIS and embedding HMRC’s Charter and Compliance Professional Standards in the way we work. ​
• Senior Responsible Officer for matters relating to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), including oversight of covert investigative capabilities.​
• Supervising Anti Money Laundering compliance for nine sectors including Money Service Businesses and Art Market Participants. Leading on sanctions enforcement, ensuring compliance with UK and international regulations.​
• Working with the UK law enforcement community, fostering collaboration and intelligence sharing.​
• Working collaboratively with international partners including the J5 (Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement) and the OECD’s international tax crime forums, contributing to global efforts to combat tax evasion and financial crime.

Person specification

• A visible and engaging leader who role models inclusive leadership, and builds trust ​
• A strong strategic thinker with experience of developing new approaches to complex problems​
• A demonstrable track record of working collaboratively across team boundaries to achieve results ​
• Evidence of successfully leading large scale, complex operations, meeting demanding professional standards in a high-risk environment, while improving performance and delivering stretching targets, and confidently responding to external scrutiny​
• A track record of delivering complex change successfully, engaging colleagues and customers effectively, and ensuring benefits are realised ​
• Evidence of building strong relationships across a range of senior communities, internal and external, to deliver shared outcomes ​

And either​

• Experience of leading the delivery of complex tax investigations/ tax compliance; or​
• Experience of leading at senior levels in a criminal justice organisation of similar scale and complexity

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £100,000, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £28,970 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Pension:​​

Your Civil Service pension is a valuable part of your total reward and is one of your biggest benefits.​

​When you join the Civil Service, you get access to the alpha pension with a generous employer contribution of 28.97% and some of the lowest member contributions in the public sector.​

​Please visit Civil Service Pension Scheme for more information. ​

​

Annual Leave and Bank Holiday Allowance:​​

25 days annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 5 years’ service (allowance pro-rata for part-time colleagues). ​

This is complemented by one day’s paid privilege leave to mark the King’s Birthday in addition to your public holidays.

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 campaign is being managed on behalf of HMRC by Green Park Recruitment.. All applications should be submitted via the application link on the online candidate pack https://micro.green-park.co.uk/hmrc/ no later than 23:59 on Wednesday 18th February 2026 and must include:​

• A CV detailing your career history, key responsibilities and achievements accounting for any employment gaps within the last two years.​
• ​A short covering statement of no more than two A4 pages including why this role interests you and evidencing your suitability for the role, with reference to the essential criteria on page 10.​

Your CV and suitability statement will be assessed against the criteria set out in the person specification. Please include your full name on both documents.​

For all campaign queries including assistance with your application or if you need to discuss a reasonable adjustment, please contact richard.grayling@green-park.co.uk

Longlist / Shortlist​

The panel will assess the evidence provided in your CV and statement. Candidates whose applications best meet the essential criteria will be selected for a preliminary interview with Green Park, before the Panel reconvenes to agree a final interview shortlist.​​

HMRC is a Disability Confident leader and is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme. HMRC guarantees to interview candidates applying under the Disability Confident Scheme or Great Place to Work for Veterans Scheme who successfully meet the minimum selection criteria outlined in the person specification.​

Due Diligence​

Candidates should declare any perceived conflicts of interest at application, and these may be discussed with you at interview. Appointment is conditional upon shortlisted candidates successfully completing a tax probity check​

Informal Conversation​

Shortlisted candidates will have the opportunity to speak to Penny Ciniewicz prior to interview. This is an informal discussion to allow you to learn more about the role and is not part of the assessment process.

Assessment​

If shortlisted, you will take part in the following assessments:​

• Individual Leadership Assessment – a combination of psychometricassessments​
• Staff Engagement Exercise – a presentation and Q&A with arepresentative staff group from across HMRC.​

Assessments are designed to support the panel’s decision making andhighlight areas for further exploration at interview and do not result in apass or fail decision. ​

Interview​

You will attend a panel interview for a more in-depth discussion of yourprevious experience and professional competence. This will include a 5-minute verbal presentation (further information will be issued inadvance).​

Interviews are expected to take place in person at 100 Parliament Street, London.

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Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.This role has a minimum assignment duration of 3 years. An assignment duration is the period of time a Senior Civil Servant is expected to remain in the same post to enable them to deliver on the agreed key business outcomes. The assignment duration also supports your career through building your depth of expertise.

As part of accepting this role you will be agreeing to the expected assignment duration set out above. This will not result in a contractual change to your terms and conditions. Please note this is an expectation only, it is not something which is written into your terms and conditions or indeed which the employing organisation or you are bound by. It will depend on your personal circumstances at a particular time and business needs, for example, would not preclude any absence like family friendly leave. It is nonetheless an important expectation, which is why we ask you to confirm you agree to the assignment duration set out above.

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 developed vetting (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 : Richard Grayling
• Email : richard.grayling@green-park.co.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel a department has breached the requirement of the Recruitment Principles. In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly with the department concerned. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: http://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/civil-service-recruitm…