DNA Advisor

Job summary

Forensic Services provides a range of capabilities to support the NCA's fight against Serious and Organised crime. At the heart of everything we do is the Forensic Science Regulator's Codes of Practice (FSR CoP&C) and compliance to international accreditation standards ISO 17025/17020.

The Identification Bureau is a specialist team of Fingerprint and DNA subject matter experts who provide a range of services to deliver robust evidence and intelligence to support the identification of subjects.

The DNA Advisor will support provision of the National Crime Agency’s DNA services in accordance with relevant legislation, forensic regulation and NCA policy and procedures. They will provide support to maximise the value of DNA evidence relevant to NCA investigations and to ensure that Agency work meets time and quality objectives.

Job description

DNA Advisor duties are varied. They play a key role in quality assuring the NCA DNA forensic submissions and provide advice on specialist DNA techniques to ensure best evidence. Management of team mailbox and first line response to DNA enquiries. Provision of customer support to operational forensic practitioners and NCA Investigation teams. Maintaining and updating records, ensuring data integrity and compliance with quality standards and legal requirements such as Protection of Freedoms Act (PoFA). Interpretation of DNA reports and provision of reports to Streamline Forensic Reporting (SFR) level. A range of related business support activities involving the collation of information and data from a variety of sources in order to produce management and performance information.

Duties and Responsibilities

Records Management - Create accurate and up to date records to aid investigations for prosecution purposes compliant with Criminal Procedure Investigations Act (CPIA) and Protection of Freedoms Act. Input, maintain, monitor and troubleshoot Forensic Service Department systems ensuring the accuracy and integrity of data being relied upon. Assist the development of DNA datasets.

Quality Assurance - Quality assure DNA submissions and Forensic Service Provider (FSP) outputs to ensure optimum evidence is achieved with best value for money. Support audit and assessment activity.

Contamination Review - Carry out effective DNA contamination reviews of case material to establish implications for potential evidence and learning opportunities.

DNA Match Reporting - Process DNA matches from the UK National DNA Database and Prum DNA exchange system.

Process Development - Engage with and support implementation of departmental procedures in line with forensic regulation and accreditation standards.

Business Support - Administer the provision of DNA Staff Elimination Database. Input data from DNA examinations to support the subsequent analysis to improve performance and value for money.

Provision of Management Information - Extract, collate, analyse, present data from multiple sources/ data systems for management

Customer Service - Monitor email / telephone queries received, and respond appropriately providing advice and escalate if required. Support the forensic services department in ensuring all DNA work is carried out in compliance with documented standard operating procedures and is completed in a timely manner to meet customer agreed service levels.

Business change - Support the set up and administration of systems / case management. Contribute to the development of tactical and operational biometric intelligence products.

Building working relationships - Liaise with Crime Scene Teams, Forensic Service Providers and Police forces to resolve queries, provide advice to effectively deliver robust forensic outcomes and maximise forensic DNA opportunities for the agency. Establishing and maintaining positive relationships with both internal and external stakeholders.

Person specification

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

Communicating and influencing - Able to communicate clearly and effectively by listening, empathising and adapting language, form and message to meet the needs of different people and audiences.

Working together - Ability to work effectively in a team to achieve shared objectives, demonstrating awareness of individual differences and providing support and advice as required.

Exhibit Management -Demonstrable knowledge and understanding of exhibit management handling and continuity.

Forensic laboratory work - Experience of working within a digital forensic laboratory.

Digital devices - Experience of examination and analysis of a range of digital devices, operating systems and file systems.

Report writing - Experience of producing reports and/or statements to an evidential standard.

Research and data interpretation skills - Prove effectiveness of DNA collected by agency and to inform decisions.

Qualifications

Biological science degree or biometric training provided by a forensic service provider, police or other law enforcement agency

OR

Equivalent experience in the field of forensic biology

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Technical skills

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

• Knowledge & experience of working with DNA database systems and understanding of related information management and data integrity issues.
• Understanding of DNA standards, forensic regulation FSR CoP&C / ISO 17020, 17025:2017, and relevant legal powers/procedures/acts.
• Research and data interpretation skills.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £36,057, National Crime Agency contributes £10,445 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

How we will assess you

Your application will be assessed against the following:Technical - this will be assessed by 250 word examples on:

• Knowledge & experience of working with DNA database systems and understanding of related information management and data integrity issues.

• Understanding of DNA standards, forensic regulation FSR CoP&C / ISO 17020, 17025:2017, and relevant legal powers/procedures/acts.

• Research and data interpretation skills.

A panel will assess how well your application demonstrates the requirements outlined above.

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.

- Knowledge & experience of working with DNA database systems and understanding of related information management and data integrity issues.

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

• Communicating and Influencing

• Managing a Quality Service

Technical

• Knowledge & experience of working with DNA database systems and understanding of related information management and data integrity issues.

• Understanding of DNA standards, forensic regulation FSR CoP&C / ISO 17020, 17025:2017, and relevant legal powers/procedures/acts.

• Research and data interpretation skills.

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:

1. Lead criteria (behaviours/technical/experience)
2. If still tied, desirable criteria will be assessed (if advertised)
3. If still tied, application sift scores will be used

Feedback is provided only to those who attend an assessment.You will be subject to vetting and pre-employment checks before appointment.Once the vacancy closes, the advert will no longer be accessible. Please save a copy for your records. We encourage all candidates to visit the NCA Careers Page for more information.

Full advert details for this vacancy can found on the advert on the NCA Recruitment Portal. Please follow the link to apply at advertisers' site

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

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 : The Recruitment Team
• 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.