Investigations Officer – Civil

Wilmslow, North West England, SK9 5AFJob SummaryInvestigations Officer – Civil Up to 12-month fixed term Full time / Part timeSalary: £33,273 - £37,692, with potential for further progression to £42,439 with our pay progression scheme.Location: HybridContracted to our Wilmslow, London, Edinburgh, Cardiff or Belfast office, however, we offer flexible home and office-based working opportunities. There will be times when you will be expected to attend the office to collaborate with colleagues or travel due to business need. Please note, from Autumn 2026 our head office will relocate from Wilmslow to Manchester city centre.Why work for the ICO?Pay progression scheme.Hybrid and flexible working options.  25 days paid holiday per year, plus privilege and public holidays. Flexi leave (up to 26 additional days leave per year). Pension (employer contribution around 28.9%). Online discount scheme to save money at major supermarkets, retailers, gyms, restaurants, insurance providers and many more. Health Cash Plan. Fantastic development opportunities to learn and progress. Further details can be found on the benefits section of our website .Job SummaryWe are recruiting for three Investigation Officers for up to 12 months fixed term. Investigation Officers are responsible for leading investigations referred under the legislation the ICO regulates. They will deliver the ICO’s Better Regulatory Interventions by working with flexibility and choosing the right regulatory interventions to have the greatest impact in order to address compliance failures.The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) is the independent regulator of information rights. In a data-driven world, we provide advice, guidance, and support to organisations enabling compliance with their obligations, as well as protecting individuals and their personal data.As an employer, we are passionate about making a positive difference to the lives and careers of our people, and we empower you to be curious, impactful, collaborative and respectful.Job DescriptionAs an Investigation Officer you are responsible for investigating serious and complex breaches of data protection legislation by identifying the appropriate scope and developing lines of enquiry, as well as gathering relevant evidence and recommending the most appropriate outcome from a range of regulatory tools.You will work collaboratively and lead multi-disciplinary teams as part of your case work, engaging with stakeholders across the ICO to ensure that we provide the most appropriate and proportionate regulatory outcome.You will manage and maintain positive and professional relationships with external stakeholders, including other regulatory bodies and the organisations we regulate.You will lead enquiries and investigations into complex cases relating to the ICO’s strategic causes and regulatory objectives, cases arising from mandatory breach reports and intelligence led proactive inquiries.Key Responsibilities:Handle cases in line with the ICO’s Better Regulatory Interventions, the strategic causes and regulatory priorities.Ensure cases are progressed in a timely manner utilising a project management methodology.To make sound, evidence-based recommendations about the most appropriate course of action through the lifecycle of a case to managers and senior leaders.To prioritise and manage time effectively while handling complex workloads.Negotiate with organisations to achieve compliance with the relevant legislation.Provide good customer service to all parties, managing expectations sensitively and communicating clearly, regularly and at an appropriate level, both verbally and in writing.Proactively develop legislative expertise, keeping abreast of developments in the legislation and regulations that the ICO oversees.Develop and maintain relationships with any relevant internal/external stakeholders as appropriate.Attend internal meetings and external meetings and events, giving presentations where necessary.Provide briefing or guidance material for more senior members of staff and present case overviews to colleagues where necessary.As an Investigation Officer you are responsible for investigating serious and complex breaches of data protection legislation by identifying the appropriate scope and developing lines of enquiry, as well as gathering relevant evidence and recommending the most appropriate outcome from a range of regulatory tools.You will work collaboratively and lead multi-disciplinary teams as part of your case work, engaging with stakeholders across the ICO to ensure that we provide the most appropriate and proportionate regulatory outcome.You will manage and maintain positive and professional relationships with external stakeholders, including other regulatory bodies and the organisations we regulate.You will lead enquiries and investigations into complex cases relating to the ICO’s strategic causes and regulatory objectives, cases arising from mandatory breach reports and intelligence led proactive inquiries.Key Responsibilities:Handle cases in line with the ICO’s Better Regulatory Interventions, the strategic causes and regulatory priorities.Ensure cases are progressed in a timely manner utilising a project management methodology.To make sound, evidence-based recommendations about the most appropriate course of action through the lifecycle of a case to managers and senior leaders.To prioritise and manage time effectively while handling complex workloads.Negotiate with organisations to achieve compliance with the relevant legislation.Provide good customer service to all parties, managing expectations sensitively and communicating clearly, regularly and at an appropriate level, both verbally and in writing.Proactively develop legislative expertise, keeping abreast of developments in the legislation and regulations that the ICO oversees.Develop and maintain relationships with any relevant internal/external stakeholders as appropriate.Attend internal meetings and external meetings and events, giving presentations where necessary.Provide briefing or guidance material for more senior members of staff and present case overviews to colleagues where necessary.Person specificationEssential Criteria Assessed At Application Stage: Experience relevant to the role requirements, as described in the role responsibilities and person specification, and accumulated through any combination of academic or vocational qualifications or experience. Ability to work on own initiative and as a member of a team (also measured at interview) Ability to lead meetings and make presentations to small groups (also measured at interview) Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to communicate effectively with people at all levels (also measured at interview). Essential Criteria Assessed During Interview:Good intellectual and analytical ability in order to apply complex legislation to a variety of circumstances.Excellent standard of literacy and effective written communication skills for writing letters, reports and meeting notes.Ability to deal with a demanding workload which may include considerable correspondence and to prioritise accordingly.Effective negotiation skillsAbility to use standard office IT packagesEquality, diversity, and inclusionThe ICO is committed to promoting and enhancing equality, diversity, and inclusion. We are focused on developing a workforce that is representative of the communities we serve and together we are building an inclusive workplace where all of our colleagues have the opportunity to make a real difference. We are championing this through our Equality Diversity and Inclusion Board together with a number of staff networks. Read more about our commitment on our website.Candidates with a disability who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancy will be invited to interview as part of the ICO’s commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme.As part of the ICO’s commitment to our EDI objectives and creating a workplace that represents the communities and societies we serve, we guarantee an interview to candidates who declare they identify as belonging from an ethnic minority background and who meet the minimum criteria for this vacancyIf you are disabled or have an impairment and require an alternative application method, please email the HR team at recruitment@ico.org.ukAlongside your salary of £33,273, Information Commissioner's Office contributes £9,639 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Please visit ico.jobs for full details, including salary and benefits.Selection process detailsPlease submit your CV by 23:59, 19 November.We may close this vacancy early if we receive a high volume of applications. To ensure your application is considered, we encourage you to apply as soon as possible. If you require any reasonable adjustments to support your application, please contact us at recruitment@ico.org.uk.In the event of a high volume of applications, we may not be able to invite all candidates who meet the minimum criteria to interview. However, we encourage you stay in touch and apply for future roles that match your interests.All candidates who meet the minimum criteria and apply in-line with our guaranteed interview scheme for disabled and ethnic minority applicants will be interviewed.Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.SecuritySuccessful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.MedicalSuccessful candidates will be expected to have a medical.Nationality requirementsThis Job Is Broadly Open To The Following Groups:UK nationalsnationals of the Republic of Irelandnationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UKnationals 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 2020Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil ServiceFurther information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)Working for the Civil ServiceThe 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 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.Diversity and InclusionThe Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).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 applicantsJob Contact :Name : recruitment@ico.org.ukEmail : recruitment@ico.org.ukRecruitment teamEmail : recruitment@ico.org.ukFurther informationhttps://ico.wd3.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/ICO/details/Investigations-Officer---Civil_JR657