** Head of Unit

Job summary

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.

Immigration Enforcement is responsible for enforcing the government’s immigration laws, tackling illegal migration, removing foreign national offenders and immigration offenders from the UK. We also aim to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

Detention Engagement Teams (DETs) are embedded in all Immigration Removal Centres and engage face‑to‑face with people in detention to support case progression, focus individuals towards return, and act as a key link between residents, caseworkers, healthcare and service providers, with a particular focus on the early identification and management of vulnerability

We are offering the opportunity to continue the work around improving interactions with our detained population by providing strategic leadership of the Detention Engagement Teams (DET) (one of the five G7 leads), ensuring that we provide a humane, safe and secure environment for those in detention whilst the Home Office progresses their case.

Job description

The successful candidate will have responsible for the provision of on-site day to day engagement between Home Office and those in detention, your teams proactively speak and meet with those in detention to create robust plans for return, detecting and overcoming current or perceived barriers and concerns.

Whilst the Engagement Officers (Executive Officers) through to Area Team Leaders (Senior Executive Officers) work a full range of shifts, including weekends and Public Holidays utilising Annualised Hours Working (AHW), the Grade 7 roles do not.

You will be expected to join the IRSC on call rota and take part in on call duties covering evenings and weekends.

Key responsibilities

(This list is not exhaustive and duties may evolve in line with operational priorities.)

• Providing strategic leadership and direction to the operational DET command.
• Taking responsibility for the direct line management of one SEO and approximately eleven staff at at Haslar Immigration Removals Centre, increasing as Phase 2 of the site goes live.
• Leading on charter operations on behalf of DET, ensuring that onsite preparations maximise returns through the route.
• Reporting on DET performance into the wider International and Returns Service Command.
• Monitoring progress, identify risks and seek continuous improvement opportunities to shape DET, ensuring that best practice is shared with colleagues across in DET nationally.
• Establishing and maintaining effective relationships with wider International and Returns Service Command colleagues and Service Providers. Including working closely with other embedded teams within the IRCs to provide constructive contribution to the contract monitoring of performance by the service provider, who are responsible for operating and managing the centre on behalf of the Home Office.
• Collaborating and partnering with all detained casework commands, particularly the National Returns Progression Command detained hubs and Foreign National Offenders Returns Command detained teams.
• Taking financial responsibility for DET operation in the relevant IRCs, ensuring control in managing resources, propriety, compliance and value for money.
• Providing guidance and support to managers relating to complex Immigration Enforcement policy and procedural issues involving those in detention.
• Having a firm grasp of the concept of wider departmental priorities.
• Remaining visible and accessible, acting as ambassador for International Returns Service.
• Acting as an independent chair of Case Progression Panels at least 6 times a year.
• Minimising the risk and cost associated with unlawful detentions and the use of the overall detention estate.
• Supporting the wider Senior Management Team.

Working Pattern

Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.

Training

You will receive full training and support to do the job. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support.

These roles can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass Personal Safety Training (PST) Level 2 which develops skills in personal safety techniques. Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.

Travel

You will be expected to undertake some travel to other Immigration Removal Centres.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Demonstrates strong personal and corporate leadership within a fast‑paced and evolving environment.
• Proven experience of working in partnership and collaboratively across internal teams and with external organisations at a senior level, building trust and influencing stakeholders to secure commitment to shared objectives.
• Highly organised and flexible, with the ability to deliver effectively under pressure and at pace.
• Able to respond swiftly to, and lead through, unexpected changes in priorities and procedures.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, with the ability to convey complex information clearly and confidently to a range of audiences.

Desirable Criteria

• Immigration Detention knowledge.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing
• Delivering at Pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:

• Leadership

Benefits

In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:

• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
• Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement where all employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in an office.
• For both new entrants and existing civil servants, the total compensation offer is a combination of base salary and, if applicable, a capability-based allowance. New entrants to the Civil Service will start on the pay range minimum. For existing civil servants, our policies on level transfer and promotion will apply.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

Sign-up on our website to receive emails with information about careers at the Home Office.

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 gives us the best possible chance of finding the right person for the job, drives up performance and improves diversity and inclusivity.

We will endeavour to conduct the selection process in line with the dates indicated below, but cannot guarantee that these will not, where necessary, be revised.

1. Application – by 04 June 2026

As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour - Leadership (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your career history and skills/experience, including any key achievements in each role. Your CV will be scored against the experience required for the role as noted within the essential criteria.

The Personal Statement should be aligned to and demonstrate how you meet the skills and experience set out in the essential criteria, detailed in the job description.

For guidance and information on how to construct your application (CV, Personal Statement and Behaviours), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.

2. Sift – 08 June 2026

The sift will be held on the CV, Personal Statement, CV, Behaviour - Leadership, as listed in the advert.

Should a high volume of applications be received, an initial sift will be conducted on the CV and Personal Statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will then be progressed to a full sift that will consist of all the remaining elements submitted Lead Behaviour - Leadership.Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the initial sift will not have their remaining submitted elements scored and will only receive a sift score for that assessed at the initial sift.

3. Interview – 29 June 2026

If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions. All Behaviours listed in the selection process will be scored at the interview.

The interview will take place on MS Teams.

For guidance and information on what to expect and how to prepare for an interview, you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers.

Problems during the application process

If you experience problems accessing this advert, or you think you’ve made a mistake on an initial application, please contact hocandidates.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk, including the vacancy reference, at least two working days before the vacancy closes. Further information can be found on our website.

Do not create or attempt to submit another application, online test or use a different Civil Service Jobs account to proceed as this would be in violation of the candidate declaration.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made. There is no guarantee that being held on a reserve list will lead to a job offer. Further information can be found on our website.

Breaking Tied Scores

The behaviours, technical skills, experience, and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standard

All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality.

Integrity Check

As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, you will also be subject to an additional Integrity Check, as part of the pre-employment process, to determine your suitability to work for Border Force or Immigration.

Further information

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

Reasonable Adjustments

If a person with disabilities is at a substantial disadvantage compared to a non-disabled person, we have a duty to make reasonable changes to our processes.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should:

• Contact Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs

• Complete the “Assistance Required” section in the “Additional Requirements” page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if you're deaf, a language service professional

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

Feedback

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 counter-terrorist 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 : Home Office Resourcing Centre
• Email : HORCCampaignTeamIE@homeoffice.gov.uk

Recruitment team

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

Further information

If you feel that your application has not been treated in accordance with the Civil Service Recruitment Principles. and you wish to make a complaint, then contact the Government Recruitment Service via HOrecruitment.grs@cabinetoffice.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response that you receive, then you can contact the Civil Service Commission.

Attachments

Candidate_Information_v17_April_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 207kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)