Job summary
The Home Office works to build a safe, fair and prosperous UK. We achieve this through our work on counter-terrorism, policing, fire, crime, drugs policy, immigration and passports.
Home Office Intelligence brings together a number of existing teams involved in the collection and analysis of border and immigration related intelligence. It delivers Intelligence Collection, Development, Analysis, Targeting (Data Analytics) and Watch listing capabilities within the Home Office and to its partners across Government and Law Enforcement. Learn more on the HO Intelligence careers page.
Job description
This is a role within Home Office Intelligence directorate (2 x Heathrow and 2 x Newcastle) and presents an excellent opportunity to be involved in a developing area of intelligence work, helping to set the direction of the team and draft policy and guidance.
The Home Office Intelligence - Internet Intelligence and Investigations Unit (HOI-III) through the use of specialist software and analytical tools are responsible for the investigation of social media and online platforms to identify threats and criminality concerning organised immigration and border related crimes. The team identify and exploit online opportunities in order to reduce harm to the UK by maintaining an up-to-date understanding of internet-based technology and emerging trends relating to covert user techniques, social media, and mobile applications. You will work closely with other law enforcement partners and colleagues to support intelligence and investigative advancement through intelligence capture and other key supportive tactics such as analytical profiling.
HOI III unit plays a critical role in supporting Immigration Enforcement (IE) and Border Force (BF) by providing advanced open-source intelligence capabilities, ensuring a comprehensive and integrated approach to intelligence and operational activities across departments. HOI-III is structured into four key operational functions:
1. Collections and Insight: This function is responsible for providing insights that address both strategic and tactical intelligence requirements across IE and BF threats. It supports decision-making by delivering actionable intelligence based on comprehensive analysis of open-source data. The team also provides horizon scanning on emerging threats to ensure proactive measures are in place.
2. Lead Generation: Focuses on collecting and developing intelligence from all layers of the web, while integrating intelligence from both open and closed data sources. This intelligence is then used for further tasking and/or disruption activities, ensuring proactive measures against emerging threats are undertaken.
3. Development Support: Provides specialist III support to ongoing IE and BF SOC operations by leveraging the units advanced capabilities. This function ensures that current operations benefit from the latest intelligence and technological advancements in open-source information gathering.
4. Innovation, Assurance, and Governance: This function ensures the continuous improvement of III capabilities across IE and BF through innovation, maintains high standards through assurance activities, while overseeing Open-Source governance to ensure compliance with legal and ethical standards.
Training
Successful candidates will be placed in one of the four teams post training and in house mentoring based on the operational needs of the unit.
Working Pattern
Due to the business requirements of this role, it is only available on a full-time basis.� A shift role undertaking earlies, mid and late shifts (between 0700 and 1900 hours Monday to Sunday).
Key Responsibilities
5. Undertaking initial assessment of intelligence to establish what Open-Source research is required, in line with local, regional, and national priorities as well as threat and risk levels.
6. Ensuring all intelligence is handled in accordance with legislation and Intelligence Manual Standards
7. Providing ongoing intelligence support for complex criminal investigations including mapping and disclosure
8. Managing high-harm cases with an appropriate risk management plan
9. Identify intelligence gaps and ensure that any new patterns of abuse are quickly and accurately reported in order to inform the monthly/annual threat assessment process.
10. Drafting reports and summaries to the required standard
11. Prioritising and allocating your time in line with the agreed development strategy and department priorities.
12. Creation of high-quality intelligence packages and products
13. Dissemination of high-quality intelligence products in the appropriate format
14. Ensuring that research and intelligence reports are accurate, and that intelligence is sanitised correctly, including the quality assurance and compliance of intelligence products where relevant.
15. Identifying, collecting, and developing internet based open-source intelligence as well as effectively report on findings from surface, deep and dark web environments.
16. Identifying and understanding the wider threat landscape.
Person specification
Essential Criteria
You must be able to:
17. Demonstrate previous background in intelligence or investigative work.
18. Demonstrate experience of using or directing the use of Open-Source Intelligence in an investigatory or intelligence environment.�
19. Demonstrate ability to use a wide range of tools for the purpose of conducting effective internet based open-source intelligence identification, collection, and reporting.
20. Demonstrate ability to produce high quality reports.
21. Demonstrate ability in the identification, analysis, extrapolation, and visualisation of data from multiple sources, using established tools and methodologies.
22. Proactively develop effective working relationships with colleagues, partners, and other stakeholders, understanding their needs and concerns
23. Identify, analyse, and manage risk to inform balanced, proportionate, evidence-based decisions.
Desirable Criteria
24. Aptitude for interpreting & applying RIPA legislation / CHIS codes of practice in an operational environment.
25. Language skills (please state what other languages you are fluent in)
26. Demonstrate they have completed Level 2 III training.
27. Experience of using or directing the use of advanced OSINT capabilities including web scraping, data analytics and geo-spatial analysis tools to collect, develop and analyse OSINT intelligence.�
28. Understanding of Home Office Intelligence functions.
29. Knowledge and understanding of Immigration and Border functions.
30. Experience of using or directing the use of advanced III tradecraft in an operational environment.
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
31. Delivering at Pace
32. Changing and Improving
33. Seeing the Big Picture
34. Working Together
We only ask for evidence of these behaviours on your application form:
35. Delivering at Pace
Benefits
In addition to your salary, a career with the Home Office offers a range of benefits, including:
36. A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of
37. In-year reward scheme for one-off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
38. 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service to 30 days.
39. Eight days of public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
40. 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.
41. This role currently attracts Annualised Hours Allowance (AHA) between and �of salary [depending on location], which equates to an additional � OR � per annum based on salary minimum. Further information can be found
42. See more of our benefits �