Senior Manager Investigations

Job summary

UKRI
Salary: £46,743 per annum.
Band: UKRI Band E.
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Hours: Full-time.
Location: Swindon, Wiltshire - Hybrid working available, Minimum 2 days per week in the office.

Closing Date: Sunday 8th March 2026.

About the role

The Senior Manager Investigations role champions the delivery of proactive and preventive counter fraud activities in-conjunction with the UKRI Counter Fraud, Bribery, and Corruption Strategy.

The role will support UKRI’s work to proactively identify common trends, risks and controls and identify areas where there may be a high risk of fraud. Occasionally, investigating specific issues which require immediate action and collaborate with the wider Risk and Assurance directorate to ensure UKRI operates within procedure throughout its risk and management assurance processes.

Security

As a minimum, due to the nature of this role, candidates must be eligible for clearance in line with UK National vetting guidelines and willing to undertake the process. Please indicate eligibility in the written submission. Candidates not meeting this level of clearance will not be considered. To qualify, applicants must have spent at least three of the last five years in the UK, with the two most recent years being consecutive and directly before submitting their application.

The level of clearance required is security check.

Job description

Success Factors

• Increased engagement with senior leaders, councils and committees on data informed counter fraud issues.
• Identification of trends and potential risks early on, guiding on mitigation and control improvements.
• Improved efficiency and effectiveness of fraud risk management and assurance processes.
• Implementation of standard process from across government and alignment to PSFA requirements.
• Targeted investigations into areas of high risk leading to improvement of UKRI control environment.

Management and Leadership Role

• Autonomy to undertake work in accordance with agreed objectives.
• Provide advice and recommendations to improve UKRI’s overall management of risk and internal controls.
• Act as a visible member of the team, building strong and impactful relationships across a diverse group of collaborators internally and externally as appropriate.
• Apply the highest standards of integrity, maintaining confidentiality, and conducting yourself suitably in highly confidential and potentially politically sophisticated situations.

Your responsibilities

• Operate within the GovS013, UKRI assurance framework and counter fraud action plan to guarantee UKRI aligns with the organisational vision and strategic objectives.
• Ensure any proactive investigation processes operate optimally within corporate expectations, legal and regulatory requirements, and procedure.
• Assist the Management Assurance Lead to provide appropriate assurance support for the organisation to enable UKRI to set an appropriate risk appetite for counter fraud, balanced against UKRI’s core funding objectives and delivery model.
• Ensure that risks and issues arising from investigations are identified and brought to the attention of key collaborators for action.
• Undertake specific internal reviews, projects or commissions as needed.
• Design and delivery of training, tailored to meet specific team requirements.
• Assist UKRI’s responses to Counter Fraud Investigations by working closely with colleagues involved in the develop SMART action plans.
• Support evaluation of action closure evidence within the policies and process, challenging where needed.
• Engage with all relevant risk, investigations, counter fraud and assurance activities as needed to deliver a professional service to the organisation and a joined up and cohesive team approach.

Person specification

About you

Key Skills

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, able to influence and build and maintain strong working relationships with a wide range of collaborators at all levels, both internally and externally.
• Enthusiastic, motivated, adaptable, proactive and able work flexibly in a changing environment and respond to shifting priorities.
• Insightful business awareness, understanding and analysing changing business context and landscape to assess and handle fraud risk, capitalise on emerging opportunities, make sound evidence-based judgements, promote the interests of UKRI and research and innovation.
• Ability to instil confidence within partners at the most senior levels, acting as a trusted advisor.
• Excellent attention to detail and good system based and general administration skills, including good experience of writing reports to a high standard.

Knowledge

Strong understanding of prevailing governance standards and public sector rules including but not limited to:

• Handling Public Money.
• Government Functional Standards.
• HM Treasury and Cabinet Office standards and rules, particularly in relation to: Corporate Governance; Risk management; Spending Controls; Regularity and Propriety. (conflicts of interest, gifts and hospitality, ethics)

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Essential

• Accredited Counter Fraud Specialist (ACFS) or equivalent (with commitment to complete upon appointment). Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development. (S)
• Strong counter fraud experience, including supporting and implementing effective counter fraud and assurance management frameworks in an organisation. (S&I)
• Experience in successful delivery of counter fraud investigations. This experience will include review of data, informal interviews as part of a preliminary investigation and where appropriate, the conduct of interviews under caution in compliance with the Police and criminal Evidence Act (PACE) if the investigation is directed towards possible criminal action. (I)
• Ability to innovate and challenge established thinking in self and others, and to offer insights and ideas with practical application coupled with the ability to inspire change. (S&I)
• Experience of working effectively with internal and external agencies relevant to your work experience. (S)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £46,743, UK Research and Innovation contributes £13,541 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. UKRI are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• 30 days holiday (in addition to 10.5 bank holidays and privilege days).
• Flexible working hours.
• An excellent defined salary pension scheme.
• Easily accessible public transport links/ free parking
• Excellent learning and development opportunities.
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities.

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see :

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

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

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact Recruitment@ukri.org.

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 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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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

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 : UKRI Recruitment Team
• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : Recruitment@ukri.org