Crime Scene Investigator (Forensics) Gillingham, England
Job description
Details
Reference number
Salary
Job grade
Contract type
Secondment
Length of employment
Type of role
Operational Delivery
Working pattern
Number of jobs available
Contents
Location
About the job
Benefits
Things you need to know
Apply and further information
Location
About the job
Job summary
Due to expansion and investment within the operational Forensics Team, we are looking to recruit experienced Crime Scene Investigators who are looking to broaden their knowledge into serious and complex crime.
As an NCA CSI you will work nationally (and occasionally internationally) alongside other practitioners, senior practitioners and Digital Forensics colleagues.
Learn more about the role
On Tuesday 28th February 2023 from 6pm we are holding a virtual MS teams event where you can hear from NCA officers working within the role.
Please note – Attendance for this event is by invitation only. To register your interest in attending, please email [email protected] with the subject header NCA – Investigations 28th February Virtual Event
Job description
You will deploy to complex scenes, conduct visual assessments, formulate forensic examination plans, preserve, record and recover forensic evidence using a range of techniques. You will often be working as the sole forensic subject matter expert at scenes and will provide specialist advice and guidance to investigation and search teams regarding forensic issues and how best to maximise opportunities to meet investigative objectives.
You will work on a range of investigations in both a proactive intelligence building phase and reactive scene attendance investigating illicit drugs/commodity, MSHT, CSAE, Firearms, high end money laundering, assistance to partner agencies such as HMRC and UK Border Force at the UK borders in both an overt and covert capacity.
You will have a wide understanding of the full range of forensic opportunities available to our Investigations and Intelligence teams and will have proven ability to manage serious and complex scenes unsupervised.
You will travel extensively throughout the UK with overnight stays being a regular occurrence. Most complex scene examinations can take longer than average crime scene examinations so expect to work long and unpredictable hours on occasion (you will also join a national on call rota for out of hours support). You will meet and have the opportunity to work with new teams and subject matter experts and academic leaders in varying fields on a regular basis.
There is opportunity to be involved in research and development into new and emerging threats in a number of project areas providing you with additional specialist skills. NCA CSI’s attend mandatory national covert training courses and CPD events, annual Officer Safety Training and First Aid in addition to courses such as Firearms Make Safe and maritime awareness training.
Person specification
To support the Senior Crime Scene Investigator to develop and deliver forensic tactical collection plans to support the Forensic Strategy.
Techniques (both overt and covert) in the recovery of forensic evidence making informed decisions regarding the correct handling, packaging, preservation, storage and transportation.
Work within the NCA Forensic Quality Management System to support ISO 17020 accreditation and compliance with the Forensic Science Regulator Codes of Practice for NCA Crime Scene Services.
Successful candidates will be required to take part in a national on-call rota (see Personal Specification page for details).
***All NCA officers must hold SC Enhanced upon entry as a minimum. To meet the National Security Vetting requirements for this role you will need to have resided in the UK for a minimum of 3 out of the past 5 years. For more information please see the Candidate information Pack***
Licences
Qualifications
Successfully completed College of Policing Crime Scene Investigation course (Modules 1 & 2) or NPCC equivalent accredited course.
Please ensure the dates of any accreditations you are relying on, are entered on to the CV.
Should you progress to the assessment stage of the process, you will be required to provide a copy of the original certificate.
Failure to provide evidence at interview may result in your application not progressing to the next stage.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
- Making Effective Decisions
- Delivering at Pace
Technical skills
We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:
- Good understanding of ISO 17020 accreditation requirements and obligations.
- Substantial experience working within major and complex crime scenes and able to demonstrate the role of CSI and/or CSM.
- The ability to discuss, prepare and brief on forensic examination plans with a high level of attention to detail.
Benefits
If you are an active police pension member immediately prior to joining the NCA, you can continue your membership throughout your employment with us as if you were a serving police officer. If you do remain an active member and subsequently return to a police force, you should be able to continue your membership there too.
All officers in the NCA are members of the UK Civil Service. You will be eligible for:
- Civil Service pension scheme
- 26 days annual leave rising to 31 on completion of 5 years continuous service
- Training and development opportunities
- Cycle2work scheme
We can provide flexible working arrangements if the role in question is suitable. These include flexi-time, job sharing and compressed hours (working contracted hours over a shorter period).
Things you need to know
Selection process details
If you wish to apply for this vacancy, you must submit your application by 23:55 on 6th March 2023.
Once submitted your application will be acknowledged by the Government Recruitment Service.
During the application process you will be assessed on the following Criteria - these will be assessed from the CV - Please see candidate information pack for further information
- Good understanding of ISO 17020 accreditation requirements and obligations.
- Substantial experience working within major and complex crime scenes and able to demonstrate the role of CSI and/or CSM.
- The ability to discuss, prepare and brief on forensic examination plans with a high level of attention to detail.
Please note depending on the volume of applications a Longlist at sift may be conducted on following criteria:
- Successfully completed College of Policing Crime Scene Investigation course (Modules 1 & 2) or NPCC equivalent accredited courses.
Candidates must pass this criteria for their application to be progressed.
A panel will then assess your application to select those demonstrating the best fit for the role by considering the evidence you have provided against the criteria set out in the Entry Criteria section.
Failure to address any or all of these may affect your application.
Sift results are expected to be released w/c 27th March 2023.
Interviews will take place throughout April and May 2023 - locations to be confirmed. Please be advised that the type of interview (eg. virtual/face-to-face) may be subject to change and successful candidates will be notified of this prior to attending. However the interview is conducted, the interview criteria will remain as shown on page 16 of the candidate information pack).
The above sift and interview dates are an indicative timeline.
Should you be successful at sift but cannot attend on the interview date(s) listed the recruitment team cannot guarantee an alternative date. Please contact the recruitment team.
You will then be asked to attend an interview in order to have a more in-depth discussion of your previous experience and professional competence.
Full details of the assessment process will be made available to shortlisted candidates.
Multi-Location
Where more than one location is advertised, candidates will be appointed in merit order for each location. You will be asked to state your location preference on your application.
Please be aware that you can be posted to any location that you put in your preferences. If you would only like to be posted to one location, please confirm one location only. If you are posted to a location that you have requested and you do not accept that location, you may not be offered another role.
Please note, only advertised location can be offered. Notes populated in a free text box will not be taken into consideration.
Near Miss
Candidates who are judged to be a near miss at interview may be considered for other positions in the NCA which may be at a lower grade, but have a potential skills match.
Hybrid Working
Here at the agency we are currently piloting a hybrid working pattern. 3 out of 5 working days are spent in the office. Further details will be discussed with the successful candidate. Please note this is subject to change and dependant on the job role.
Reasonable Adjustment
We are committed to ensuring our recruitment process is inclusive and accessible to all. As part of our application process you will be prompted to provide details of any reasonable adjustment to our recruitment process that you may need. If you have a disability or long-term condition (a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and long term effect on your ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities protected under the Equality Act 2010) and need us to make any adjustments or do anything differently during the recruitment process, please let us know by emailing [email protected], 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:
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.
Please contact us by emailing [email protected] or calling 0117 372 0000 as soon as possible before the closing date if you wish to discuss any reasonable adjustments before applying.
Inclusion and Accessibility
The NCA embraces and values diversity in all forms. Being truly reflective of the communities we serve and building a culture where everyone can perform at their best is critical to leading the UK’s fight against serious and organised crime – something which affects us all. We want to recruit and retain the very best and broadest diversity of officers so the NCA welcomes applications from individuals from all backgrounds.
We are proud to be an inclusive, equal opportunities employer. As a Disability Confident Leader we are committed to ensuring that all candidates are treated fairly throughout the recruitment process.
If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact [email protected]
VETTING REQUIREMENTS SC
All security clearances require you to provide evidence of your UK footprint where you have been physically present in the UK.
The requirement for SC clearance is to have been present in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years.
Failure to meet the residency requirements will result in your security clearance application being rejected.
If you require SC clearance you will need to provide evidence of the below requirements.
Checks will be made against:
- Departmental or company records (personnel files, staff reports, sick leave reports and security records)
- UK criminal records covering both spent and unspent criminal records.
- Your credit and financial history with a credit reference agency
- Security Services records
We encourage all candidates to thoroughly review the candidate pack which explains the role further before submitting an application.
If you have any specific queries about the role that are not covered by the candidate pack, please contact:
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
Medical
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:
- UK nationals
- nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
- nationals of the Republic of Ireland
- nationals from the EU, EEA or Switzerland with settled or pre-settled status or who apply for either status by the deadline of the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals working in the Civil Service
- relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals who have built up the right to work in the Civil Service
- certain family members of the relevant EU, EEA, Swiss or Turkish nationals
Working for the Civil Service
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).
Apply and further information
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
Recruitment team :
Further information
If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission: https://civilservicecommission.independent.gov.uk/recruitment/recruitment-complaints/
