Expert Witness Officer (Drug Trafficking)

Job summary

Working as part of a small, highly specialised team within the National Investigative Capabilities (NIC) Expert Evidence Team, you will deliver world‑class expert evidence to support the criminal justice system in the UK and internationally. You will examine and assess evidence, produce legally robust expert reports, and give oral testimony in courts across the UK and overseas.

Alongside casework, you will contribute your subject matter expertise to NCA strategic and intelligence-led activity, helping shape operational responses to drug trafficking. You will also support capability development by delivering specialist training in expert evidence and related disciplines.

Job description

In this specialist role, you will provide authoritative drug‑trafficking expert evidence to support complex investigations and prosecutions in the UK and internationally. You will be responsible for examining exhibits, analysing case material, and producing high‑quality, legally compliant expert reports that meet the exacting standards required for courts at all levels. You will also deliver clear, impartial and credible oral testimony as an expert witness, contributing directly to successful judicial outcomes in some of the most serious and sophisticated drug trafficking cases.

Maintaining your professional currency is essential. You will regularly update your role‑based CV to reflect the development of your expertise, ensuring that your knowledge remains aligned with the evolving methodologies, markets, and behaviours seen across global drug supply chains.

Beyond direct casework, you will play an active role in supporting the core functions of the Expert Evidence Team (EET). This includes participating in the quality assurance of expert reports to ensure clarity, accuracy, and compliance with legal and organisational standards. You will work closely with investigation teams and partner agencies, offering timely specialist advice that guides evidential approaches and informs investigative strategy. The role also involves preparing and delivering presentations and expert evidence training to colleagues, law enforcement partners, and wider stakeholders, helping to build organisational capability in the use and understanding of expert evidence.

You will contribute to the Agency’s broader intelligence and strategic picture by submitting team‑generated insights, trend analysis, and learning to the corporate record, strengthening the NCA’s understanding of drug trafficking threats. A further element of the role involves gathering and maintaining up‑to‑date drug price data and market perspectives, ensuring that assessments and reports are informed by robust and current intelligence.

Through this work, you will help safeguard the integrity and credibility of the NCA’s expert evidence provision, ensuring that complex drug‑related investigations are underpinned by robust analysis, impartial expertise, and world‑leading professional standards.

This is not a capability that can be developed quickly. Expert witness competence in drug‑trafficking cases is built over many years of operational exposure, specialist knowledge acquisition and extensive courtroom experience. An expert must be able to demonstrate their expertise, credibility and reliability to every trial judge on each occasion they give evidence; this level of assurance can only come from sustained practice, not short‑term training.

The successful candidate must be able to provide expert evidence immediately in support of major NCA and partner investigations at the highest levels of criminality. Only a current, fully qualified expert can meet this requirement.

A suitably experienced expert will already possess, and be able to demonstrate, a thorough understanding of the legislation and guidance governing expert evidence, including the Criminal Procedure Rules, Criminal Practice Directions, CPS Guidance for Experts, and the Criminal Procedure and Investigations Act. They will be capable of applying this knowledge confidently and consistently in complex, high‑profile criminal proceedings.

Additional information regarding the assessment process: Candidates who pass the application sift will be invited to attend an in-person panel interview (location to be confirmed).

At the beginning of your interview you will deliver a 10-minute visual presentation to the interview panel. Upon arrival you will be given the topic of the presentation and will then have 25 minutes to prepare. Pens, flipchart pads and a flipchart stand will be provided.

After the presentation has concluded you will then continue with the interview.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Expert Evidence and Casework - In this specialist role, you will provide authoritative drug‑trafficking expert evidence to support complex investigations and prosecutions across the UK and internationally. You will examine exhibits, analyse case material and produce high‑quality, legally compliant expert reports that meet the standards required by courts at all levels. You will also deliver clear, impartial and credible oral testimony as an expert witness, directly contributing to successful judicial outcomes in serious and sophisticated drug trafficking cases.

Professional Expertise and Continuous Development - You will maintain your professional currency by keeping your role‑based CV up to date and actively developing your expertise. This ensures your knowledge remains aligned with emerging trafficking methodologies, market dynamics and global supply‑chain behaviours, enabling you to provide informed and current expert opinion.

Expert Evidence Team Support and Quality Assurance - You will play a key role in supporting the core functions of the Expert Evidence Team (EET). This includes contributing to the quality assurance of expert reports, ensuring they meet exacting legal and organisational standards. You will work collaboratively with investigation teams and partner agencies, offering timely specialist advice that shapes evidential approaches and informs investigative strategy.

Training, Presentations and Stakeholder Engagement - A further part of the role involves preparing and delivering presentations, briefings and expert evidence training to colleagues, law enforcement partners and wider stakeholders. Your input will help strengthen organisational capability and ensure that investigators, prosecutors and partners understand how expert evidence can best support operational and judicial outcomes.

Knowledge Management and Strategic Insight - You will enhance the agency’s strategic and intelligence picture by submitting team‑generated insights, trends and learning to the corporate record, enabling the NCA to strengthen its understanding of drug trafficking threats. You will also gather and maintain accurate drug price data and market perspectives to ensure assessments and reports are informed by robust, current intelligence.

Upholding Standards and Organisational Credibility - Through all aspects of your work, you will help protect the integrity and credibility of the NCA’s expert evidence capability. Your contribution ensures that complex drug‑related investigations are supported by impartial expert analysis, specialist insight and world‑leading professional standards.

Person specification

Expert Witness Competence – Training, Courtroom Experience and Legal Compliance - Demonstrates formal training in the preparation of expert witness reports and the delivery of opinion evidence. Proven experience providing live expert testimony in criminal courts with clarity, impartiality and resilience under cross‑examination. Strong understanding of the legal, procedural and ethical responsibilities of an expert witness, with consistent evidence of applying and complying with those duties in practice.

Legal and Procedural Understanding – Expert Evidence Framework and Practical Application - Comprehensive knowledge of the legal framework governing expert opinion, including duties to the court, evidential standards and admissibility requirements. Ability to apply these responsibilities when producing reports and giving oral evidence, ensuring accuracy, impartiality and legal robustness at all stages.

Drug Trafficking Knowledge – Global Markets, Production and Trafficking Methodologies - Detailed understanding of global drug‑trafficking markets, including key source regions, production environments, supply‑chain drivers and criminal business models. Expert insight into the production and control of drugs in relevant countries, including how commodities are manufactured, processed and regulated by organised criminal groups. Knowledge of international trafficking routes, concealment methods, transport practices and the financial structures underpinning the movement of controlled drugs.

Operational Experience – Controlled Drugs Handling, Investigative Practice and UK Supply Chains - Experienced in recognising, handling and categorising controlled drugs in an operational context. Substantial involvement in drug‑trafficking investigations, demonstrating understanding of evidential processes, investigative challenges and operational realities. Strong knowledge of UK drug supply, including distribution models, concealment techniques, movement of commodities and the mechanisms of payment and facilitation within the domestic market.

Analytical and Interpretive Skills – Drug Commodity Insight and Document/Slang Interpretation - Able to interpret drugs as commodities, demonstrating understanding of pricing structures, market fluctuations, profit drivers and criminal trade dynamics. Skilled in analysing drug‑related material such as ledgers, transaction records, coded communications and slang associated with drug supply networks.

Qualifications

Completed the NCA (or precursor Agency) Expert Evidence Course, or an equivalent recognised programme - This two‑week specialist course has been delivered to NCA and precursor Agency staff, as well as UK police officers, since 2004. It is a long‑established national training pathway for developing expert witnesses in drug‑trafficking and other specialist domains. Candidates must therefore be able to demonstrate completion of this course or an equivalent standard of expert‑witness training as a minimum requirement for the role.

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace

Technical skills

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

• Experience as an expert witness practitioner.
• Experience and appreciation of the legal and practical implications of expert evidence.
• Demonstrates timely, proportionate and well‑reasoned decision‑making during investigative activity.
• Knowledge and understanding of the geography, drivers, influences and methodologies of drug trafficking, markets and commodities.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £40,670, National Crime Agency contributes £11,782 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.

Your application will be assessed against the following:

Technical - this will be assessed by 250 word examples on:

• Experience as an expert witness practitioner.

• Experience and appreciation of the legal and practical implications of expert evidence.

• Demonstrates timely, proportionate and well‑reasoned decision‑making during investigative activity.

• Knowledge and understanding of the geography, drivers, influences and methodologies of drug trafficking, markets and commodities.

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.

- Experience as an expert witness practitioner. .

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.

Additional assessment methods used alongside InterviewAs part of the assessment process Presentation will be required to assess the criteria outlined below:At the beginning of your interview you will deliver a 10-minute presentation to the interview panel. You will be given the title and adequate preparation time at the beginning of the session.

Success Profiles at Assessment

Behaviours

• Communicating and Influencing

• Delivering at Pace

Technical

• Experience as an expert witness practitioner.

• Experience and appreciation of the legal and practical implications of expert evidence.

• Demonstrates timely, proportionate and well‑reasoned decision‑making during investigative activity.

• Knowledge and understanding of the geography, drivers, influences and methodologies of drug trafficking, markets and commodities.

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.

Medical

Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical.

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 : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
• Email : central.recruitment@nca.gov.uk
• Telephone : 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.