Senior Officer, Covert Monitoring Unit

Job summary

The role is for a Senior Officer within the Covert Monitoring Unit (CMU), delivering a specialist capability supporting NCA investigations into serious and organised crime. Responsible for leading a small team, ensuring lawful and compliant monitoring activity, and working closely with law enforcement partners to gather intelligence and evidence. This is a high‑impact role requiring strong leadership, operational judgement, and the ability to perform in a sensitive, fast‑paced environment.

The role is based on-site within the office due to its operational requirements, and while duties are carried out within a central location, there is limited provision for home working.

On Call Requirements

The role requires participation in a rota to provide cover outside core hours, including evenings, weekends, and public holidays. Officers will also take part in a 24/7 on-call system, with frequency determined by business need and line management.

Officers must demonstrate flexibility to adapt to changing operational demands and working patterns.

Rotas will be issued with appropriate notice in line with NCA terms and conditions. An on-call allowance is payable to eligible officers for each session worked.

Job description

We are seeking a highly motivated officer to manage the Covert Monitoring Unit (CMU) supporting serious and complex investigations both within the NCA and wider UK law enforcement. You will work alongside Senior Investigating Officers to design and deliver covert monitoring strategies, overseeing operations from initial tasking through to the conclusion of the criminal justice process. The role involves managing specially trained covert monitoring, coordinating resources, and ensuring all activity is lawful, proportionate, and aligned to operational strategies.

Based at the NCA site at Warrington, Cheshire you will be working in a fast-paced, operational role, requiring strong decision-making, leadership, and the ability to adapt to changing priorities. As part of a 24/7 organisation, you will be expected to work flexibly, including unsocial hours at short notice.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Management - Manage a dedicated team to undertake the lawful acquisition of audio and video covert monitoring product.
• Dissemination of information - Manage the handling, security, accuracy, and appropriate dissemination of evidence and intelligence.
• Provision of advice - Provide Senior Investigation Officers with advice on legislation, tactical options and evidential opportunities to assist the planning of investigations and operations.
• Operational Management - Manage a small team of officers within the CMU, resourcing deployments and overseeing monitoring activity.
• Flexibility - Support the business requirement for flexible working in order to achieve the NCA’s objectives and contribute to the provision of on-call cover outside core working hours.
• Standards - Oversee delivery through the provision of advice and direction and ensuring accurate record keeping throughout the lifecycle of covert monitoring operations.
• Management of control strategies - Manage instances of threat, risk, and evidential opportunity, collateral intrusion and confidential material.
• Identifying and management issues - Display an aptitude to identify, troubleshoot and resolve problems.

Person specification

Skills, Knowledge and Experience

You will have a strong, working knowledge of legislation governing covert monitoring activity, particularly the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), Investigatory Powers Act, and associated codes of practice. An understanding of wider UK and relevant international legal frameworks affecting law enforcement operations is also important. You must be confident applying this knowledge in an operational context, ensuring compliance while supporting investigations. Previous experience in covert monitoring, surveillance tactics, and case management in a law enforcement setting (including CPIA and the criminal procedure rules) is required, alongside an understanding of how covert monitoring benefits investigative strategies both in relation to serious and organised and major crime.

Operational Experience
You will have recent experience of managing officers involved in covert monitoring and/or surveillance activity within a law enforcement or similar operational environment. Such experience would include the planning, authorising, and overseeing of activity requiring covert surveillance or equivalent authorities, ensuring all deployments are lawful, necessary, and proportionate. You should also have a good understanding of major crime and SOC investigations, including the range of proactive, sensitive tactics available to a SIO. Further you should have experience and a good working knowledge around case management (CPIA, criminal procedure rules, the management of legally privileged, excluded and special procedure material etc) and the criminal justice process.

Leadership and Management
Proven experience of managing and leading teams in a high-pressure, operational environment is essential. You must be able to manage, motivate, and develop specialist officers, often working irregular hours in demanding conditions. Experience of coordinating resources, prioritising competing demands, and maintaining officer welfare and performance is required. You will demonstrate strong leadership presence, clear communication, and the ability to influence both peers and senior stakeholders.

Decision Making and Accountability
You will have a track record of making sound, timely decisions in complex and dynamic environments, often with incomplete or rapidly changing information. You must be comfortable taking ownership of operational decisions and outcomes, providing clear rationale, and standing by those decisions under scrutiny. Experience of advising senior officers and contributing to strategic decision-making is highly desirable.

Risk Management
You will have proven ability to identify threats, and manage the associated risk considering impact v likelihood. You should be able to balance operational necessity against legal, ethical, and reputational considerations, implementing appropriate controls and mitigation strategies in real time.

Communication and Interpersonal Skills
Strong verbal and written communication skills are essential. You must be able to deliver clear operational briefings, produce accurate and concise reports, and engage effectively and credibly with a range of stakeholders, including SIOs and partner agencies. The ability to handle sensitive information in line with legislation is critical.

Personal Attributes
You will demonstrate high levels of integrity, resilience, and personal accountability. You must be adaptable and able to respond to changing operational demands, often at short notice. A calm and composed approach under pressure, combined with strong analytical thinking and attention to detail, is essential. Commitment to continuous professional development and maintaining the highest professional standards is expected.

Licences

Candidates must hold a valid driving licence permitting them to drive a car in the UK. This may include a full UK driving licence or an appropriate international driving licence recognised for use in the UK, as the role requires regular travel to operational deployments and visits across the country.

Qualifications

The successful candidate must be trained to College of Policing H2 License, or recognised equivalent.

Behaviours

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

• Changing and Improving
• Working Together

Technical skills

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

• Understanding the Legislation, Codes of Practice and National Policy that underpins authorised covert monitoring.
• Demonstrate operational competence and experience in managing Covert Monitoring.
• Management of threat and risk in a time critial environment.
• Demonstrated practice of taking steps to improve culture on an individual or team basis.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,392, National Crime Agency contributes £14,308 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

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:

• Understanding the Legislation, Codes of Practice and National Policy that underpins authorised covert monitoring.

• Demonstrate operational competence and experience in managing Covert Monitoring.

• Management of threat and risk in a time critial environment.

• Demonstrated practice of taking steps to improve culture on an individual or team basis.

Experience - This will be assessed:

Statement of Suitability

Please provide a 250 word personal statement demonstrating how you meet the criteria below:

H2 equivalent, stating the title of the Covert Monitoring course, date taken and details of the training provider.

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

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

• Changing and Improving

• Working Together

Technical

• Understanding the Legislation, Codes of Practice and National Policy that underpins authorised covert monitoring.

• Demonstrate operational competence and experience in managing Covert Monitoring.

• Management of threat and risk in a time critial environment.

• Demonstrated practice of taking steps to improve culture on an individual or team basis.

Assessment Outcome

Outcomes 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 Team
• 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.