Senior Investigator

ELECTORAL COMMISSION; London; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 59,000; Full time

Job description

Job Title: Senior Investigator

Directorate: Electoral Administration and Regulation (EAR)

Starting salary band:

D2 grade: £55,403-£58,173 per annum depending on skills, experience and qualification.

Staff with the London Office as their work location will attract a London weighting allowance of £3,217 on top of their base salary.

Full time & Permanent: This role works on either a Hybrid basis which requires a minimum of 2 days office attendance (40%), or home-based.

Location: London, Cardiff, Edinburgh or Belfast office locations or home-based. Regular travel to London will be required.

Working at the Electoral Commission

The Electoral Commission is the independent body which oversees elections and regulates political finance in the UK. We work to promote public confidence in the democratic process and to ensure its integrity.

We offer excellent terms and conditions, including flexible working hours and the opportunity to join the Civil Service pension arrangements, fantastic office space and endless opportunities for personal development and continuous learning.

The Enforcement Team currently consists of four senior investigators, led by the Enforcement Manager, who plays a pivotal role in conducting enquiries, assessments, and investigations into potential offences under the political finance regime.

The Role

You will play a pivotal role in conducting in-depth and complex enquiries, assessments, and investigations into potential offences under the Political Parties, Elections and Referendums Act 2000 (PPERA).

You will lead on investigating complex and potentially politically sensitive matters, producing clear, concise, logical and justifiable reports and findings at the conclusion of the case review or investigation. Your expertise will be crucial in recommending whether offences have occurred and if initial sanctions are necessary. You will also make clear, concise and justifiable assessment decisions on lower risk cases.

You will support the wider work of the Directorate and Commission by providing expert investigative advice to colleagues. This may include supervising/matrix management of others during investigations or projects.

Who we are looking for

We are looking for an experienced investigator with an extensive regulatory background to take the lead on dealing with our most complex and sensitive matters.

You need to have considerable experience of interpreting legislation and reaching legally robust and justifiable conclusions in relation to casework, as well as being able to operate within, and comply with, a procedural framework. You will be committed to consistently delivering work to tight deadlines, and you naturally work collaboratively with others while being able to drive your own work autonomously.

To be successful in this role, you will also need to have:

• Ability to write clear and concise reports based on sound reasoning and to present persuasive conclusions both in writing and orally with confidence.
• Ability to demonstrate diplomacy, tact and discretion within a regulatory environment.
• A demonstrable commitment to ownership of work and acceptance of responsibility for ensuring completion of tasks to a consistently high quality.
• Good problem-solving skills to enable both day-to-day issues and case-specific issues to be resolved efficiently and effectively.
• Well-developed interpersonal skills including the ability to work flexibly and to prioritise competing demands effectively. For a full list of competencies, please refer to the job description and person specification.

Pay Progression

The Commission is about to launch a new Pay Structure in July 2025 which introduces performance-based pay progression depending on performance. Eligibility for the performance-based pay progression in April of the following year is dependent on having completed the required six months service at the progression rating date (31 January). The new structure allows the potential for pay progression on top of any inflationary increase for staff. The full width of the D2 Band starts at £55,403 and goes up to £73,870. Please note that the salary band for new staff is up to £58,173 and our default position is to appoint into the lower zone of the band unless exceptional circumstances.

Other Benefits

Alongside your salary based on £55,403, the Electoral Commission contributes £16,050 of your basic salary towards you being a member of the Civil Service Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides and the conditions involved.

The Electoral Commission offers a competitive mix of benefits including:

• A culture of flexible working, such as a flexi scheme, homeworking and compressed hours.
• Automatic enrolment into the Civil Service Pension Scheme, with an employer contribution of 28.97%.
• A working from home allowance of £312 per annum is paid as a tax-free working from home allowance.
• A minimum of 28 days of paid annual leave, plus 8 bank holidays increasing up to a maximum of 30 days after 4 years.
• An extensive range of learning & professional development opportunities, which all staff are actively encouraged to pursue.
• Eye care vouchers, Ride 2 Work and an opportunity to sell up to 5 days annual leave at the end of the annual leave period.
• A hybrid office/home based working model where staff will spend a norm of 40% of their time in the office.

More information on how to apply

To remove bias from our recruitment process the Electoral Commission operates anonymous recruitment. Please apply by supplying an anonymous CV, without reference to your name, age, ethnicity or other identifiable information. Failure to supply an anonymous CV and cover letter will result in your application being rejected.

We want to attract the broadest range of talented people who are passionate about democracy. The more diverse our workforce, the better we can adapt to and reflect the needs of society. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and as a staff member you will become part of an inclusive culture, where you will have the opportunity to achieve your full potential and enhance your career through learning and development.

Closing date is 21 April 2025 at 23:59. Although we reserve the right to close the advert earlier if we receive a high volume of interest so please don’t delay applying if interested.

Shortlisting will take place commencing 23 April.

Interviews will be held on 8 May.

The interview process will include a written assessment.

Applicants who are applying for the London-based position will be expected to attend the interview in person at our offices in Bunhill Row, London. We may use video conferencing tools for the interviews of applicants based in any of the devolved office locations or home based. We will confirm details with shortlisted candidates. The Electoral Commission does not compensate candidates for the travel costs incurred due to interview attendance.

If you are interested in applying for this role please download the job description before applying online.

If you have any further questions about the role please don’t hesitate to contact the HR Team at [e-mail] who will be happy to help.

No Agencies please.