Employment Agencies Higher Inspector

Job summary

The Employment Agency Standards (EAS) Inspectorate is one of three government enforcement bodies regulating the labour market. Specifically, EAS is the state regulator for the recruitment sector, and assures the minimum legal standard are complied with whilst also supporting the growth of the sector.

This role is part of the Employment Agency Standards (EAS) team within the Employment Rights and Enforcement branch. The team operates in a small, friendly, and collaborative environment, with a strong sense of purpose and a growing operational presence, offering considerable learning and development opportunities.

We are recruiting for an EAS Inspector to join our professional, committed, and high performing team. This HEO role is an amazing opportunity to develop your operational skills in a dynamic and impactful environment. If you’re someone who thrives on working with others, process improvement, and delivering for the public, we’d love to hear from you.

Job description

We are seeking a detail-oriented, proactive individual to support EAS’s enforcement and regulatory functions. The successful candidate will ensure high standards of compliance across the temporary recruitment sector. They will work transparently with stakeholders to ensure that those operating within the sector do so equitably and lawfully, thereby supporting fairness for all.

You will play a critical role in delivering EAS’s aims and objectives by supporting the operational team through the delivery of efficient casework triage, robust investigations, and proactive inspections. Your work will help drive operational efficiency, uphold standards, and ensure transparency, enabling the team to deliver high-quality outcomes for workers, businesses, and stakeholders.

We are looking for someone who is highly motivated, a self-starter, and passionate about customer service. You should have a strong track record of managing significant and complex caseloads to ensure robust regulatory outcomes for workers and business, ideally in a fast-paced operational environment of a national team.

You will be confident in planning and organising resources, building operational links, and coordinating activity with other enforcement bodies. Experience in applying complex legislation and delivering at pace across competing priorities is essential.

This role is part of a transition process and is expected to transfer to The Fair Work Agency (FWA) as part of planned organisational changes. Further details will be provided during the recruitment process.

Flexibility and adaptability will be key as we evolve to meet to new organisational needs and priorities.

Person specification

Key Responsibilities:

Investigations & Enforcement: Lead complex investigations into complaints about employment agencies, acting as a single point of contact for specific business areas. Analyse and assess complex information to determine compliance with legislation, prepare clear and constructive warning letters, and updates to complainants. Where serious non-compliance is identified, prepare Labour Market Enforcement Undertakings, Orders or prosecution cases, gather evidence from witnesses, and support legal proceedings, including attending court or employment tribunal hearings.

Operational Delivery: Plan and deliver proactive operational activity by identifying target businesses, assessing risk, conducting inspections, and evaluating outcomes. Manage significant caseloads to ensure robust regulatory outcomes and uphold standards. Maintain accurate records of investigations and inspections using EAS case management systems.

Workflow & Case Management: Triage incoming cases to ensure efficient assessment, allocation, and progression—enabling timely resolution and consistent oversight of complaints and inspections. Plan, prioritise, and manage time and resources to deliver an effective and efficient service.

Stakeholder Engagement: Provide expert advice and guidance to internal and external stakeholders. Engage confidently with business owners, trade bodies, workers, and law enforcement partners. Raise the profile of EAS through webinars, training, and promotional work as a subject matter expert.

Team Collaboration & Oversight: Actively share expertise, insights, and best practices across the team. Champion consistency in decision-making to uphold high standards and support the development of a resilient, informed inspectorate. Drive continuous improvement and provide oversight and support to inspectors, focusing on guidance and consistency rather than formal line management.

NB: This role does not currently include direct line management responsibilities. However, this may evolve in the future.

We are recruiting for 4 vacancies, split evenly between our North and South Teams.

Due to the nature of the role, extensive travel across Great Britain will be required, including frequent overnight hotel stays depending on the location and type of inspections or investigations. There may be periods where travel is more frequent, depending on delivery priorities and operational needs. A full UK driving licence is preferred.

Essential criteria:

The below criteria are essential and will be assessed at application stage.

• Strong verbal and written communication skills, capable of articulating complex subjects clearly for diverse audiences
• Objective and analytical thinker with keen attention to detail
• Proficient in assessing complex information from multiple sources to draw sound conclusions and make evidence-based recommendations aligned with guidance and legislation
• Possess a strong commitment to operational excellence to consistently deliver high-quality services
• Effective organisational skills to enable effective management of multiple projects, meeting deadlines, and working at pace across competing priorities

Desirable criteria:

The below criteria are desirable only. These will not be assessed throughout the recruitment process, but will be used in the event of tied scores between candidates.

• Experience in public sector governance, regulatory, enforcement or customer-facing roles.
• Knowledge of employment law, employment rights and agency work.

Full training on the legislation and investigation process will be provided.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Managing a Quality Service

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £35,367, Department for Business and Trade contributes £10,245 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

We recognise the challenges that people with (multiple) protected characteristics may experience on the job market and in their career progression. We are fully committed to being an inclusive employer and ensuring equal opportunities. We are keen to make our workforce as diverse as possible, and we hope to attract applications from underrepresented groups, including ethnic minorities, people with a disability, and people with gender diverse identities.

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.

After submission of the first stage of your application you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Judgement Test. If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

Please complete the online tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the tests is 23:55 on 08/03/2026. If you fail to complete the online test before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.Our online test supplier will be performing scheduled maintenance between 16:00 - 00:00 and 16:00 - 19:00 on 01/03/2026 and 08/03/2026. You will be unable to access tests during this period.

If you are in the middle of a test when the maintenance begins, your progress will be paused. You will be able to resume your test from where you left off via your application centre once the downtime has ended. Please note that you will not be able to launch any new tests while the system is offline.

Interviews for this vacancy will be conducted virtually. We will, however, consider in-person interviews by exception.

Please ensure that you check your emails regularly as all updates from us will be sent to you this way.

To apply for this post, you will be asked to complete the following as part of the online application:

• A CV setting out your career history, with key responsibilities and achievements. Provide employment history that relates to the personal specification, and that any gaps in employment history within the last 2 years are explained. The CV should not exceed more than 2 x A4 pages.
• A Personal Statement of up to 750words, explaining how you consider your personal skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role in reference to the person specification.

Your application will be sifted against the Civil Service Success Profiles.

We aim to sift both the CV and the Personal Statement but, in the event of a large number of applicants, a sift may be conducted on the Personal Statement only.

Candidates who pass the initial sift of the Personal Statement will either progressed to a full sift where the CV is then assessed, or progressed straight to further assessment/interview.

Candidates who pass the sift will be invited to interview, where we will assess you on the Success Profiles elements of Behaviours.

It is likely that the sift will take place 1-2 weeks after the closing date and interviews 4-5 weeks after the closing date, though this is subject to change.

Reasonable Adjustments

We are committed to supporting candidates so they can perform at their best throughout the recruitment process. This includes making reasonable adjustments to our process. In order to request an adjustment:

Complete the ‘Assistance required’ section on the ‘Additional requirements’ page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process.

Alternatively contact the Government Recruitment Service at DBTrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

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

Please see attached Candidate Pack for further information on: Diversity and Inclusion; Benefits; Learning and Development; Working Patterns and what we deliver as a department.

Further Information:

• A reserve list may be held for a period of 12 months from which further appointments can be made. Reserve Lists will be for each location and appointments made in merit order based on location preferences.
• Any move to the Department for Business and Trade from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments.
• The Department will not consider sponsoring a visa or issuing a Certificate of Sponsorship. We are unable to offer advice on any Visa and Immigration cases.
• New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.
• Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty. Any applicant who has details held on the IFD will be refused employment.
• A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.
• Terms and Conditions are attached. Please take time to read the document to determine how these may affect you.
• Please note – the successful candidate will be expected to remain in post for a minimum of 18 months before being released for another role.
• Candidates that do not quite meet the standard for this role may be offered a position at a lower grade.

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

Feedback

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.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.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).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 : Rhys Jones
• Email : rhys.jones2@businessandtrade.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

Our recruitment process is underpinned by the principle of appointment on the basis of fair and open competition and appointment on merit, as outlined in the Civil Service Commissioners’ Recruitment Principles.
If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DBT by email: Resourcing@businessandtrade.gov.uk.
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive, you can contact the Civil Service Commission, which regulates all Civil Service recruitment.
For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission please visit their web pages: Click here to visit Civil Service Commission/Complaints.

Attachments

DBT candidate pack July 2024 (1) Opens in new window (pdf, 943kB)DBT T&Cs 2025-08-18 Opens in new window (doc, 46kB)