Team Leader

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. It also aims to disrupt the organised criminal groups that exploit the vulnerable for their personal gain. Learn more on our careers pages.

The Skylark team delivers three key work streams.

The Foreign National Offender (FNO) Hub is a joint Immigration Enforcement (IE) and policing response that focuses on identifying foreign national offenders and high-risk foreign nationals with no convictions who pose a threat to the public. This work enables the removal of individuals who present harm within communities.

The Non FNO Hub is a cross migration and Borders case progression function that identifies foreign nationals arrested on suspicion of serious criminality in the UK. The team reviews actions taken, identifies learning and drives change to strengthen future operational responses.

Police Compliance works to increase referrals from Police Forces across the UK into National Command and Control Unit (NCCU) and the wider IE system. Using complex data sets, the team produces performance products and identifies missed opportunities for immigration enforcement intervention.

Across all three work streams, Skylark focuses on engagement and collaboration with the Home Office, Immigration Enforcement, UK policing, Association of Chief Police Officers Criminal Records Office (ACRO), international criminality partners and police national database users. The aim is to build stronger working relationships, improve understanding of shared priorities and create a unified approach to prioritising high harm foreign national offenders.

A core objective is to develop effective data sharing arrangements between policing and Immigration Enforcement, improving public and border protection. By sharing and analysing data, the team identifies, prioritises and manages foreign nationals who pose a persistent criminal threat to communities.

Job description

The Skylark Progression Team Leader provides senior operational leadership, ensuring the rapid and safe progression of the highest harm and highest risk individuals. You will oversee complex case progression activity, lead a small team of Executive Officers, and act as a central point of expertise, escalation and multi-agency coordination. Working collaboratively with internal and external partners, you will strengthen operational responses, support safeguarding outcomes and help improve decision making across all Skylark workstreams. Your leadership will directly contribute to Immigration Enforcement’s wider mission to protect the public and reduce the threat posed by dangerous foreign nationals.

Key responsibilities

• Work independently while contributing fully to a small high performing team, maintaining focus and driving progress towards ambitious operational objectives.
• Understand the cross-cutting nature of this national team and balance the needs, processes and priorities of wider business areas and external partners to achieve shared goals.
• Apply creative thinking and innovative approaches to problem solving, working collaboratively with internal and external partners to strengthen operational responses.
• Lead case progression activity with professionalism and sound judgement, ensuring risks are identified early and actions are delivered in a timely and consistent manner.
• Provide clear advice and informed guidance to colleagues and partners, acting as a point of escalation where appropriate.

Working Pattern

This role is available on a full-time basis. This role is also suitable for part-time working hours, with a minimum requirement to work 4 days per week due to business requirements.

Apprenticeship

This role includes completion of the Leadership & Management Apprenticeship (Level 3). The apprenticeship will take around 18 months to complete. Apprenticeships are designed to enable an apprentice to gain new technical knowledge and practical experience while acquiring skills and behaviours that will enhance your development.

As part of this role, you will be expected to maintain the commitment required to complete your apprenticeship. To be eligible to apply for the apprenticeship you need to meet the following criteria:

• Must be 16 or older (there is no upper age limit)
• Must have lived in the UK for 3 years prior to the apprenticeship start date
• Not be undertaking another apprenticeship or paid study/education
• Work a recommended minimum of 30 hours per week
• Not have pre-existing qualifications at the same or higher level in a similar subject as the apprenticeship. See Level 3 Team Leader for more details of the apprenticeship standard.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Experience of working in a fast paced operational or case working environment, with the ability to manage competing priorities and maintain high standards in a fast-paced team.
• Excellent organisational skills, with the ability to manage a varied workload, remain focused under pressure and deliver consistently high-quality results.
• Ability to think innovatively and understand the wider strategic context, contributing to improvements that strengthen operational delivery and public protection outcomes.
• Clear and confident communication skills, with the ability to provide informed advice, influence stakeholders/colleagues and support effective decision making.

Desirable Criteria

• Experience in cross migration and borders systems interrogation

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Changing and Improving
• Seeing the Big Picture

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.
• 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 18 March 2026

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

• CV
• Personal Statement (maximum 500 words).

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 – week commencing 23 March 2026

The sift will be held on the CV and Personal Statement.

3. Interviews - week commencing 20 April 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 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.

Location Preference

You can select up to twolocations in order of preference. Please ensure that these are locations you are prepared to travel to. If you are offered a role at one of your preferred location(s) and you decline, your application will be withdrawn.

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.

Reserve lists will be held for each location. Candidates will be appointed in merit order by location.

Appearance

This is a uniformed post and as such requires the highest standards. Further information on this and policies regarding tattoos can be found on our website.

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 Serviceon 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.

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_v16_January_2026 Opens in new window (pdf, 429kB)2025-11-17 Pre-employment Checking - Document Requirements (V17) Opens in new window (pdf, 231kB)