**Surveillance Officer

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.

Criminal & Financial Investigation (CFI) is a directorate within Enforcement, Compliance & Crime (ECC). Our mission is to investigate all aspects of immigration crime and bring the full force of the law against those who are seeking to abuse our border and immigration systems.

Our aim is to play a major part in disrupting organised crime groups involved in bringing people to the United Kingdom illegally. We do this by carrying out criminal investigations into these organised crime groups and use the Proceeds of Crime Act to strip them of their illicit profits. We also investigate and arrest foreign nationals who present a threat to society.

The Operational Support Unit supports such criminal investigations through the collection of evidence and intelligence by means of deploying a range of covert tactics in line with tasking requirements.

This is an exciting opportunity for candidates to join an expanding area of the organisation in line with the Government’s commitment to tackling Organised Immigration Crime. It is a flexible working environment that offers the right candidate, the opportunity to develop as our capabilities continue to grow.

Job description

Having been trained to the College of Policing standards, the team is interoperable with other law enforcement organisations and there will be requirements to deploy with the Police and other law enforcement in support of their investigations. There may also be a requirement to operate in tandem with ‘Mobile Armed Support To Surveillance (MASTS)’ teams.

We are looking for candidates who are already qualified, to join the Immigration Enforcement Criminal & Financial Investigation (CFI) Operational Support Unit (Mobile Surveillance Team), to support the investigations of case teams investigating Organised Immigration Crime. The team has a national remit and can be deployed anywhere in the country where there will be requirements to perform a number of surveillance functions.

This role requires candidates who can demonstrate an interest in proactive work. They must be willing to work in a committed and highly flexible manner within a team environment and be prepared to spend periods of time away from home.

This is a busy, high-profile role which offers the right candidate exceptional opportunities and investment in a challenging and rewarding job.

Key Responsibilities

Specific responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

• Operating as part of a Surveillance Team, undertaking static, foot and mobile surveillance in line with national standards.
• Effectively risk assessing and making operational decisions as situations demand in order to achieve set objectives.
• Providing the investigation team with evidence and intelligence through high-quality surveillance logs and other documentary and media evidence obtained through the effective use of surveillance techniques.
• Preparing deployments, establishing observation points and using technical equipment.
• Working within the parameters of surveillance authorities in line with the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 and the Police Act 1997.
• Giving evidence in Magistrates' and/or Crown Courts.
• Maintaining vehicles, equipment, radios and associated documentation.
• Performing other tasks as directed by OSU Team Leaders.
• Promoting a professional working environment by maintaining the highest standards of behaviour and integrity, while engaging in continuous professional development and training as required.

You may be required to undertake the same or a similar role within a different team or teams, where possible at your base location or within reasonable travel distance, depending on business priorities. With appropriate training and support, this will provide opportunities to broaden your experience and skill set.

Working Patterns

Due to business requirements, this role is offered on a full-time basis only.

Shift Working

Successful candidates will need to be able to attend for all shifts including early starts, late night finishes, and overnight shifts. These shifts may be outside of public transport operating hours.

Training

You will receive full training and support to do the job. You work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support.

This role can be physically demanding and if successful you will be required to complete and pass specialist training including Personal Safety Training (PST) Level 3, which develops skills in personal safety, arrest and restraint techniques. This demands physical activity and physical contact with delegates on the course. You will be required to complete a PST health declaration and, if necessary, attend a medical examination. A formal offer will be conditional upon you being physically fit to undertake and pass the training.

Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.

Travel

The successful candidate will be expected to travel nationally when required and spend extended periods away from home.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Hold a current College of Policing Q1 Full Surveillance Ticket (or other Force/LEA equivalent, as recognised by College of Policing and National Surveillance Working Group).
• Hold a current Police Advanced Car Licence.
• Proven experience of successfully operating as part of a mobile surveillance team, delivering against operational objectives.
• Experience in effective operational decision making with accountability for decisions made.
• Knowledge of the legislation governing the use of surveillance techniques.
• Use IT confidently and competently to communicate, manage information, and complete a range of digital tasks that support both the operational and administrative demands of the role.

Licences

Hold a current Police Advanced Car Licence.

An accreditation check will take place prior to the sift to confirm you hold the required qualification and car licence. If you do not hold the required qualification and licence, your application will be rejected.

Qualifications

Hold a current College of Policing Q1 Full Surveillance ticket (or other Force/LEA equivalent as recognised by College of Policing and National Surveillance Working Group).

An accreditation check will take place prior to the sift to confirm you hold the required qualification and car licence. If you do not hold the required qualification and licence, your application will be rejected.

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Seeing the Big Picture

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

• Making Effective Decisions

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.
• This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) of 43.44% of salary, which equates to an additional £15,686 per annum based on salary minimum. Further information can be found on our website.
• See more of our benefits on our careers website.

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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 9th July 2026

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

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 500 words).
• Evidence of the Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).

Your CV should consist of your qualifications, 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 – 13th July 2026

The sift will be held on the CV, Personal Statement and Behaviour - Making Effective Decisions, 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 (Behaviour - Making Effective Decision). 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 – 3rd August 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.

The interview will take place 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 and strengths have been ranked in order of importance to enable us to differentiate between candidates with tied interview scores.

Standards

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 Enforcement. For further information on what this involves, please visit our website.

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 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

Open to UK nationals only.

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)