Senior Compliance Officer

The Home Office works to build a safe, fair, and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counterterrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration, and passports.
The Public Safety Group’s role is to keep the public safe by cutting crime, disrupting the highest harm criminals, protecting the vulnerable and ensuring that our police, fire, and rescue services are as efficient and effective as they can be in delivering front line public services. We collaborate with our partners in other government departments, local government, and the voluntary sector to develop and implement policy, provide funding, and deliver legislation.
The Senior Compliance Officer role is an operational management role within the Drugs and Firearms Licensing Unit (DFLU). You will lead a team of compliance officers that inspect sites across the UK assessing licensees’ compliance with the Misuse of Drugs Act 1971 and its associated Regulations.
This is an exciting and varied post, which requires significant travel and an opportunity to visit a wide range of companies/organisations from varying industry backgrounds such as pharmaceutical, aviation, sports, medical settings, education, and research. If you are looking for a new challenge where you can make a real difference to a great many, and to diversify your skills in this outward-facing regulatory field, of Ministerial interest, this is the role for you., The role reports to the G7 - Head of Domestic Licensing and is one of four Senior Compliance Officers within the Unit. They are responsible for leading a team of compliance officers to deliver accurate and timely risk-based licensing decisions while ensuring adherence to all laws, regulations, and international obligations.
The role requires reviewing the quality of the service, work and decision making through a quality assurance framework, paying particular attention to compliance, documentation, and procedures.
You will work closely with cross-functional teams to develop, implement, and monitor compliance, policies, and procedures contributing to an efficient and effective licensing regime.
This role requires significant domestic travel throughout the UK. This does include overnight stays in line with Home Office guidance. All reasonable costs associated with this travel will be met by the business area. You will be responsible for organising your own travel and claiming your expenses.
Training:
There is a 16-week training plan for this role. In addition to this, after passing any probationary period, within the first 18 months of the role there is a requirement for you to undertake a Bond Solon Advanced Professional Certificate in Investigatory Practice Qualification.
You will receive full training and support to do the job. Training takes place initially in the classroom and then continues on the job with a mentor who supports you until you are fully confident in the role. Even then you are never alone; you work as part of a team where there is always someone around for advice and support. Further information on what the training involves can be found on our website.
Working Pattern:
Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.
Applications from job share candidates are welcome, but any job offer is conditional upon a viable job-sharing arrangement being available.
Further information can be found in the attached document., 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.
As part of the application process, you will first be asked to confirm your eligibility by providing some basic personal information.
Online Test – by the 14th of October 2024.
After submission of this first stage, you will be invited to complete the Civil Service Management judgement test.
If you successfully pass the Management judgement test, you will be invited to complete the full application form. Please complete the online test as soon as possible (within 24-48 hours is recommended). If you fail to complete the online test or full application before the deadline, your application will be withdrawn.
Guidance for the Civil Service test will be available when you are invited to take the test. The test is administered online and accessed via the Civil Service Jobs website.
You cannot complete the test on a mobile phone or tablet.
Following successful completion of your test, you will then be asked to complete the full application form.
Application – by the 14th of October 2024.
As part of the application process, you will be asked to complete:
+ Personal Statement (maximum 1000 words).
+ Evidence of the Behaviour "Making Effective Decisions" (maximum of 250 words per Behaviour).
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 (Personal Statement and Behaviour), you are encouraged to visit Civil Service Careers website.
Sift – week commencing the 4th of November 2024.
The sift will be held on the Personal Statement and Behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions'.
The Personal Statement will be scored for all candidates. Those candidates who achieve the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will progress to a further sift where the Behaviour 'Making Effective Decisions' will be scored. These candidates will receive a sift score for both elements. Candidates who fail to meet the minimum pass score for the Personal Statement will not have their behaviour scored and will only receive a sift score for the Personal Statement.
Interview – week commencing the 2nd of December 2024.
If you are successful at sift stage, you will be invited to an interview that will be based on:
+ Behaviours (as listed in the job advert) and Strength based questions.
The interview will take place in person in 2 Ruskin Square, Croydon.
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.
Candidates judged to be a near miss at interview may be offered a post at the grade below the one advertised without the need to go through a further selection process, providing the role has the same Success Profiles elements and essential skills. There is no guarantee that further such vacancies will arise.
All Civil Servants are expected to comply with the Civil Service Code, and its core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity, and impartiality.
Additional Security Checks:
As well as successfully obtaining UK Security Vetting clearance, candidates will be subject to a range of additional checks. The range of checks conducted will depend on whether you are a current Home Office employee, existing civil servant, or an external new entrant as well as the role requirements. Further details are included in the Notes to Candidates.
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.
Further Information
In order to process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on 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.
For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the following page https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/demystifying-vetting
If you are invited to an interview, you will be required to bring documentation for the purposes of establishing your identity.
You will need to meet the nationality requirements for this role and obtain the necessary security clearance to take it up. For meaningful security checks to be carried out,
individuals need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time. Learn more on our website. Security Checks - Home Office Careers
Visa sponsorship
We do not sponsor individuals via Skilled Worker Sponsorship / Tier 2 (General) work visas.
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
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 the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

+ Recent experience of operational delivery and drafting reports in a regulatory systems environment.
+ Experience of line management or developing individuals and teams to get the best out of people to achieve the delivery of key outcomes.
+ Strong leadership skills with the capability and experience to overcome challenges to deliver quality business outcomes.
+ Strong planning and organisational skills with capability and experience to overcome challenges to deliver quality business outcomes.
+ Direct experience of working with legislation and policy matters in an operational environment.
+ Direct experience of litigation work, in either a HR or casework context.
Desirable criteria:
+ Knowledge and understanding of interrogating reports including working with statistical data and basic chemistry and/or pharmacology.
+ Knowledge of UK Drug Legislation and/or Medicines Legislation., Wherever possible, business travel is made by public transport to meet the Government-wide sustainability agenda. If there is no public transport available, due to the nature of the work and/or the geographical area(s) covered, driving is a key requirement for this role. Applicants are required to have a full valid UK manual/automatic driving licence.

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.