Trainee Intelligence Officer - Manchester

Job summary

Discover what it’s like to work in a compliance role that makes an impact. Could you help us shape a stronger, fairer future? Your next career move starts here.

Ready for a challenge that really matters?

Do you have an enquiring mind and a passion for solving complex problems? Love making decisions based on evidence and analysis? If so, this could be the role for you.

These are some of the most exciting opportunities in Government and Law Enforcement. We’re looking for dynamic, enthusiastic individuals who thrive in fast-paced environments, adapt to changing priorities, and bring energy and curiosity to everything they do.

If you’re ready to dive into varied, meaningful work where every decision counts, we’d love to hear from you.

Job description

You will be trained to gather and develop intelligence from a variety of sources. The role requires attention to detail, tenacity, resilience and flexibility. You will need to exercise sound judgment and discretion, applying legislation, policy and procedure.

The products you develop will be used to attack organised crime groups through onward referrals for criminal prosecution or tax intervention against criminals and seizure of unlawful goods and the proceeds of crime.

You will be required to travel within the UK and occasionally overseas and deploy on operations including surveillance of subjects.

Key responsibilities will include:

Gather, analyse, develop and disseminate intelligence to support investigations while using sound judgement to assess evidence and identify risks.

Undertake wide-ranging desk-based duties, including interrogating HMRC and external systems, conducting third-party enquiries, recording and reporting outcomes.

Develop quality cases for intervention and criminal prosecution across all HMRC regimes, such as complex cyber-attacks, money laundering, tax fraud and smuggling of tobacco and alcohol in addition to new and emerging threats.

Collaborate with counter-fraud professionals and law enforcement partners within HMRC and external law enforcement agencies across the UK and overseas, sharing expertise and working as part of a wider team to protect the UK.

Prepare and present evidence within the criminal justice system, including drafting witness statements, attending court and giving evidence as required.

Working to a standard that can withstand inspection by Team Leaders, the Courts and external authorities.

Complying with legislation by undertaking the role of Disclosure Officer in relation to material, created or obtained during an investigation.

Conduct covert surveillance operations, both foot and static, as part of intelligence-led investigations, showing resilience and adaptability under pressure.

Triage, analyse and scope intelligence for action by intelligence and investigation partners as part of a thematic coordination function targeting a specific threat such as tobacco, tax evasion or illicit finance.

Person specification

We’re looking for adaptable, resilient individuals with strong analytical skills and attention to detail. You’ll thrive under pressure, make evidence-based decisions, and maintain high standards that withstand legal scrutiny.

You should be confident in gathering intelligence, assessing evidence, and applying legislation accurately. Collaboration is key, so you’ll work effectively with partners and embrace innovation, including digital tools. Tenacity, problem-solving ability, and professionalism when facing challenges are essential.

Training and Assessment Period

Please ensure you understand the following requirements before you apply:

We recruit candidates based on aptitude and potential and will provide full training to give you the skills and experience needed to succeed.

Successful candidates will need to undertake a training period of approximately 12 months. This will include online and on-the-job learning, a three-month course including 3-weeks residential and a 1-day Public and Personal Safety Training course with annual refresher training. The Public and Personal Safety Training includes physical activity and requires an appropriate level of fitness. You must be able to take part in, for example, jogging, stretching and movement exercises, self-defence and restraint techniques.

Throughout the 12 months, you will have a Practical Training Officer to guide you through the process and will receive support from your management team and colleagues.

Successful completion of all training is vital for the role. We provide candidates with as much support as possible but those who do not complete - and pass - all required training, cannot remain in the role and may need to be moved to an alternative role within HMRC. If that is not possible, your employment may be terminated.

Other specialist training may also be required, dependent on the team you are placed in and the changing nature of surveillance work.

Personal development will continue after the initial 12-month period and throughout your career.

Essential Criteria:

Hold a full valid UK driving licence at the time of application and be willing to drive official vehicles.

*We recognise that some people cannot drive due to a disability or underlying health condition and may not be able to meet this requirement. Where this applies, you can apply but will need to declare that you require a reasonable adjustment at the point you receive a provisional offer. The vacancy holder will then discuss your specific requirements to consider if this can be reasonably accommodated in this role.

Flexibility Payment

Once successfully trained, you will be in receipt of a Flexibility Payment, in addition to your salary and will be required to work additional hours above and beyond a normal working pattern. This commitment includes:

• Short notice changes
• Some evening/weekend/bank holiday work
• Working an additional 275 hours per annum [not required during training]
• Being on-call - 1 week in 4, pre-rostered [not required during training]

Flexibility Payment (FP) has different levels, each of which provides a different type and quantity of flexibility and additional attendance.

Flexibility Payment 1a (whilst training)

FP Level 1a buys flexibility and contactability which enables HMRC to change your work pattern at short notice to meet business needs. FP Level 1a secures 75 or more changes of duty per annum with no upper limit. FP Level 1a is paid whilst you are training, and you will becomes eligible to receive payment one month after taking up duty. FP Level 1a is paid at the rate of £4,100 per annum (irrespective of whether you are in HMRC’s National or London pay areas).

Flexibility Payment 2 (once fully trained)

FP Level 2 buys the flexibility and contactability of Level 1a, plus periods of on call at the rate of 1 week in every 4 (pre-rostered) and 275 additional hours per annum. You will become eligible for FP Level 2 when you successfully complete your training assessment period. This usually takes about 12 months. However, training timescales are estimates and not guaranteed. This will vary depending upon course availability and other factors. FP Level 2 is paid at the rate of £12,400 per annum (HMRC National pay area) or £13,300 per annum (HMRC London pay area).

Note: At FP Levels 1a and 2, your standard hours and additional hours when you become eligible, are flexible to be worked at any time needed by the business including at night time, weekends and public holidays. FP is reviewed annually – on a business needs and personal basis – and may be subject to change. In applying for a position and accepting the FP, you agree that you can and will meet its attendance requirements.

Please read the FAQ document attached as it is important you understand the level and type of attendance bought by FP and the commitments expected of colleagues in this role.

Appointments

Successful candidates will be placed on a reserve list. Roles are not available immediately; appointments will be made as suitable posts arise over the next 12 months.

Join us on a webinar

To find out more about the role and the application process, you can join a 45-minute webinar session via Microsoft Teams. There will be a short Q&A session at the end. These will take place on:

17/03/2026 - 16:00

24/03/2026 - 12:00

If you would like to attend one of these sessions, please complete this short form to tell us your email address and the session you'd like to attend, and you'll be sent an automated email containing the link to join the webinar of your choice.

BCN344: Join an HMRC Recruitment Webinar - Trainee Intelligence Officer

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £31,096, HM Revenue and Customs contributes £9,008 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

HMRC operates both Flexible and Hybrid Working policies, allowing you to balance your work and personal commitments. We welcome applications from those who need to work a more flexible arrangement and will agree to requests where possible, considering our operational and customer service needs.

We offer a generous leave allowance, starting at 25 days and increasing by a day for every year of qualifying service up to a maximum of 30 days.

• Pension - We make contributions to our colleagues’ Alpha pension equal to at least 28.97% of their salary.
• Family friendly policies.
• Personal support.
• Coaching and development.

To find out more about HMRC benefits and find out what it’s really like to work for HMRChear from our insiders or visitThinking of joining the Civil Service

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, Ability and Experience.

How to Apply

After submission of the first stage of your application, you will be invited to complete a Civil Service Verbal Test, Civil Service Numerical Test If you successfully pass the test, you will be invited to complete the final stage of the application.

The selection process consists of 4 stages:

Stage 1. Short Application & Online Tests

Once you have completed the short application form (basic information, not assessed) you will need to pass 2 Civil Service online tests:

• Civil Service Numerical Reasoning Test
• Civil Service Verbal Reasoning Test

Please complete these tests as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended), the closing date for the campaign, including the completion of the full application form, stated below is 26/03/2026 at 23:55

If you fail to complete the online tests and full application form before the deadline your application will be withdrawn. Guidance for the tests will be available when you are invited to take them. The tests are administered online and accessed via the CS Jobs website.

Stage 2. Full Application

If you pass the online tests, you will need to return to your application to complete and submit 2 behaviour statements (250 words per behaviour) on Making Effective Decisions and Communicating and Influencing.

At the end of the application you will answer a yes/no question. If you meet any of these criteria, answer 'yes' in the box (but do not tell us which one): * I hold a full current UK driving licence and I am prepared to drive as part of this role, or * I hold a full current UK driving licence but I have grounds to request this requirement is removed as a reasonable adjustment (due to a disability or underlying health condition as covered by the Equality Act), or * I have grounds to request this requirement is removed as a reasonable adjustment (due to a disability or underlying health condition as covered by the Equality Act) and I do not hold a full current UK driving licence. ** If you cannot answer “YES” to one of the above, you do not meet the essential criteria and you should not apply for this role.

Stage 3. Sift

At sift all behaviour statements will be assessed, with the successful candidates being invited to interview.

We may also raise the score required at any stage of the process if we receive a high number of applications.

Stage 4. Interview

During the panel interview, you will be assessed on Behaviours and Strengths.

Behaviours: we recommend that you review the Success Profiles framework and consider working examples and outcomes that demonstrate the Behaviours listed above. A typical example of a Behaviour question might be 'Tell us about a time where you've had to deliver a difficult message'.

We will assess the following Behaviours:

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together

Using the STAR format will help you to structure your answers.

Strengths: There’s no expectation to prepare for these, as we’re looking for your instinctive, natural responses. A typical Strength question might be 'How quickly do you recover from setbacks?

Interviews will take place face to face at Manchester Regional Centre - Three New Bailey. Sift and interview dates to be confirmed.

Online Tests – Banked Scores

When an applicant has a banked score they are not asked to retake the same test, providing it is:

• set at the same job level, and
• within the same system.

Scores will be banked for six months, or until a new score benchmark is applied, whichever is sooner. This means that if a candidate applies for another vacancy at this grade they may not have to retake the test within that time, and their previous score will be used for the new vacancy.

Vacancy timeline

Dates are provided as a guide only, and may change:

• sift/shortlisting: We aim to release results within 2 weeks of the advert close date.
• interviews: you will have at least 5 days’ notice from when the sift results are released.

Linked vacancies

This vacancy is part of a joint campaign for the same role in other locations. You can submit an application for any of the linked vacancies, but you will only need to complete the full application process for your first application. Your scores will carry across and you will be considered for all vacancies that you have applied for. You will only be invited to attend one interview.

You can find all the linked vacancies that are part of this campaign by searching CS Jobs for the following keyword: IntelOff26North

Eligibility

Please take extra care to tick the correct boxes in the eligibility sections of your application form. We understand mistakes sometimes happen but if you contact us later than two working days (Monday-Friday) before the vacancy closes, we will not be able to reopen your application for you. If you do make a mistake with your eligibility form, or have withdrawn yourself in error and need your application reinstated whilst the campaign is still live, please contact us via: unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.gov.uk – Use the subject line to insert appropriate wording for example – ‘Please re-open my application – [insert vacancy ref] & vacancy closing date [insert date]’.

To check that you are eligible to apply for this role, please review the eligibility information before submitting your application.

The HMRC app can help you with your application

The HMRC app can provide you with your past 5 years' employment history, making the process of filling in your application quicker and easier.

If successful in your application, you will need your National Insurance number for the onboarding process.

Download the HMRC app now and save your National Insurance number to your digital phone wallet.

How to download the HMRC app and sign up for an account

Download the free HMRC app from the App Store or Google Play store.

If you have an HMRC online account already, sign straight in using your ID and password. If not, you can prove your identity by answering some questions or providing your photo ID.

You’ll then be able to access the app quickly and easily by signing in using a 6-digit PIN, your fingerprint, or facial recognition.

You can find guidance for technical issues on GOV.UK: Technical support with HMRC online services.

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles – if this applies to you, we’ll let you know via your Civil Service Jobs account.

Merit List

After interview, a single merit list will be created, and you will only be considered for posts in locations you have expressed a preference for. Appointments will be made in strict merit order in line with the set number of roles in each location.

Criminal Record Check

Applications received from candidates with a criminal record are considered fairly in accordance with the DBS Code of Practice and the Recruitment of ex-offenders Policy.

Hybrid working at HMRC

HMRC is an office-based organisation, and colleagues are expected to spend 60% of their working time in the office. Our offices provide opportunity for interaction, collaboration which aids learning and development and a sense of community. Where the role allows it, and where the home environment is suitable, colleagues can work from home for up to 2 days a week, averaged over a calendar month (or a proportionate amount of time for colleagues who work less than full time).

Reasonable Adjustments

We want to make sure no one is put at a disadvantage during our recruitment process. To assist you with this, we will reduce or remove any barriers where possible and provide additional support where appropriate.

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

• Contact the UBS Recruitment team via unitybusinessservicesrecruitmentresults@hmrc.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.

Additional Security Information

Please note: in addition to the standard pre-employment checks for appointment into the Civil Service, all candidates must also obtain National Security Vetting at Security Check (SC) clearance level for this vacancy. You will normally need to meet the minimum UK residency period as determined by the level of vetting being undertaken, which for SC is 5 years UK residency prior to your vetting application. If you have any questions about this residency requirement, please speak to the vacancy holder for this post.

From 1 April 2026, applicants will be required to meet updated nationality and residency requirements so that National Security Vetting (NSV) checks can be conducted. If this affects you, we will give you more information at the appropriate time.

Important information for existing HMRC contractual homeworkers:

Please note that this role is unsuitable for contractual homeworkers due to the nature and/or requirements of the role.

Terms and Conditions

Customer facing roles in HMRC require the ability to converse at ease with members of the public and provide advice in accurate spoken English and/or Welsh where required. Where this is an essential requirement, this will be tested as part of the selection process.

HMRC has a presence in every region of the UK. For more information on where you might be working, review this information on our locations.

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles. The evidence you provide in your application must relate to your own experiences.

Any instances of plagiarism or other forms of cheating will be investigated and, if proven, the relevant application(s) will be withdrawn from the process.

Recording of interviews is prohibited unless explicit agreement is sought in line with the UK General Data Protection Regulations.

Questions relating to an individual application must be emailed as detailed later in this advert.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicant’s details held on the IFD will be refused employment.

A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

New entrants will join on the minimum of the pay band.

Please note that, if you are applying for roles on a part-time basis, the salary agreed will be pro-rata, reflective of the working hours agreed within your contract.

If you experience accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

For more Information for people applying for, or thinking of applying for, roles at HM Revenue and Customs, please see link: Working for HMRC: information for applicants - GOV.UK.

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

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