UK Research and Innovation
Salary: £65,262 per annum (dependent on skills and experience).
Hours: Full time
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Location: Polaris House, Swindon, Wiltshire.
Closing Date: 10/11/24
Role Overview for Head of Investigations
The Head of Investigations and Counter Fraud will:
* Work with the Director of Risk and Assurance and the UKRI Finance Director, Chief People Officer, and Chief Finance Officer to ensure that UKRI operates in line with best practice to develop and maintain an investigation function covering a range of internal and external mechanisms for raising concerns.
* Be responsible for delivering the whistleblowing, complaints, and counter fraud functions for UKRI, leading relationships with external stakeholders including DSIT, Parliamentary and Health Services Ombudsman, Public Sector Fraud Authority, and the police on investigation policy and casework.
* Ensure the accuracy and quality of casework is delivered to the highest standards and provide effective direction in relation to a large volume of cases in accordance with legislation and UKRI policies.
* Provide detail on performance reporting against key measures as directed and agreed with the Director Risk and Assurance, including briefing as required to update UKRI Board and ARAC on progress and key issues in UKRI’s counter fraud response.
* Collaborate with stakeholders in government and other funders and partners on investigation-related matters, ensuring that incidents are managed in line with business continuity arrangements.
This is a new leadership role responsible for implementing a new function for the organisation, bringing together existing whistleblowing, complaints, and counter fraud activity as well as incident response.
Success Factors
* Concerns are managed efficiently and effectively in line with policy requirements through investigations and alternative informal processes.
* Clear line of sight and management of investigations across policy areas.
* Improved performance in terms of timescales for reaching resolution on concerns raised.
* Development and provision of targets and KPIs providing the Director Risk and Assurance with clear management information on performance.
* Investigation arrangements that benchmark favourably against best practice and are applied in practice in accordance with legislation and UKRI policies.
* Improved efficiency and effectiveness of investigation processes.
* Better use of investigatory resources both within and outside of UKRI.
* Development and implementation of a clear case adoption policy.
Management and Leadership Role
* Reports to the Director of Risk and Assurance.
* Exercises management responsibility of a team comprising of:
o Investigation Support
o Investigation Delivery
o Incident Response
* Provide professional leadership and support for all investigation and supporting intelligence activity undertaken across UKRI.
* A visible leader as part of the UKRI CFO Group, required to build strong and effective relationships across a diverse group of stakeholders.
* The Head of Investigations and Counter Fraud will work closely with the Head of Assurance and Risk to coordinate and maximise the impact from UKRI pro-active and reactive counter fraud response.
The Head of Investigations and Counter Fraud will disseminate key learning from investigations to ensure that intelligence from root cause analysis drives decision making towards improvements that will better protect the organisation and help to achieve strategic objectives.
Financial Responsibilities:
* A formal budget holder, accountable for deployment of resources across the remit of this role.
* Contract management will be a key area of the role, with responsibility to manage the contract for a new investigations management system.
* Responsible for a Staff Budget of circa £705k covering a projection of 9.8 FTE from Band D upwards.
* Responsible for Non-Staff Budget of £400k.
Key responsibilities
Corporate
* Promote a culture of prevention and collaborative response to fraud across UKRI.
* At Government level, contributing to and influencing function and profession development.
* Championing Counter Fraud across UKRI and continuous improvement in compliance with Government Counter Fraud Functional Standards.
Investigation Support
* Lead the management of case triage, prioritisation, and allocation process.
* Oversee the receipt and triage and allocation of concerns related to staff grievances and complaints.
* Deliver the whistleblowing, complaints, and counter fraud functions for UKRI in line with best practice.
* Accountable for delivering continuous improvement of operational processes.
* Responsible for management of budgets and resources to ensure delivery of a well-managed investigations service.
* Lead the building of excellent relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders.
Incident Response
* Manage the triage of incidents and disruptive situations within UKRI.
* Establish and maintain an effective response capability.
* Provide expert advice to the tactical response to disruptive incidents.
Key Skills
* Excellent people skills, able to influence and build and maintain strong working relationships.
* Excellent leadership skills with an ability to lead through change.
* Ability to innovate and challenge established thinking.
* Insightful business awareness with the ability to understand and analyse changing business context.
* Experience of managing budgets and relationships with third-party service providers.
Qualifications
* CIPD or a counter fraud qualification from the Counter Fraud Professional Awards Board.
* Commitment to complete PSFA Counter Fraud Leaders Development Programme upon appointment.
About UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)
UKRI launched in April 2018, bringing together the seven disciplinary research councils and the UK’s innovation agency, Innovate UK.
Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits. For more details, visit Benefits of working for UK Research and Innovation (UKRI).
How to apply
Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role.
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