Note: All applicants are required to mandatorily fill the complete online application form including the employment and educational details, experience-based segment and the behaviours and technical/ professional skills-based questions. We will be thoroughly reviewing the application forms only for all the required details. Forms that are incomplete in any respect will not be considered while shortlisting for the next stage.’

Main purpose of job:

An opportunity has arisen within the Home Office International Operations Team (HOIO) to join us as an International Liaison Officer at the British High Commission Dhaka, with responsibility for investigating fraud within HMPO passport applications.

The team has responsibility for identifying threats to the UK Border, preventing inadequately documented passengers travelling to the UK, identifying abuses in visa and passport applications, and developing criminal investigations. We work with UK and international law enforcement agencies to tackle immigration crime, primarily through preventing the travel of inadequately documented passengers to the UK; enhancing visa and passport decision quality; identifying and tackling underlying criminality and providing intelligence on threats to the UK border.  

The team in Dhaka has responsibility for Bangladesh and supports the operations for our team based in Colombo, who cover Sri Lanka and the Maldives. The HOIO Dhaka and Colombo teams are part of the wider South Asia HOIO Regional team which currently also comprises of India and Nepal. Some collaborative work and assistance will be necessary with other teams in the region. 

This position will require close working with HMPO Counter Fraud teams in the UK.

Investigation: Individual case working investigations to a high-quality standard as tasked by HMPO and the International Liaison & Migration Manager.  Investigations covering abuse of UK passport and visa applications, along with abuse by inadequately documented passengers on direct and indirect air routes to the UK.

Crime: Using collaborative working with overseas and UK law enforcement partners to develop intelligence and investigations to disrupt organised crime groups targeting the UK. Establishing new relationships with host law enforcement authorities to enable more robust disruption activity.

Intelligence gathering and analysis: Develop operational intelligence products through the collection, interpretation, and evaluation of relevant quantitative and qualitative information sources. Strong problem-solving skills are required to identify and investigate suspected organised immigration crime and to gather evidence-based intelligence. Ensure that all relevant intelligence is gathered, handled, assessed and disseminated in line with guidance.  Being able to interpret large amounts of data and provide accurate analysis is essential.  Conducting Field Visits within country to help develop investigations, where required.

Partner Engagement: Working closely with HMPO Counter Fraud Teams in the UK, to understand areas of concerns and assist in enriching their investigations. Build effective working relationships with host authorities’ international partners, e.g. other country missions, local law enforcement and UK partners to support the delivery of organisational objectives. Lead on the processes to exchange actionable intelligence with local law enforcement partners and counterparts in other Diplomatic missions to identify and mitigate threats to the UK border through abuse of UK passport applications. Represent the Home Office and the UK professionally, developing effective relationships with the wider High Commission, regional colleagues, and key external partners.

Training Delivery: Organisation and delivery of core training to airline and law enforcement partners

Project Management: Support the establishment and operationalisation of capacity building projects with local law enforcement projects, through supporting project bidding; identifying suppliers, communicating requirements with partners; overseeing projects and ensuring expenditure remains within budget and completing required project documentation and returns.

Budget management: Managing HMPO spend and ensuring these are fully accounted for by corporate card holders within organisational timelines. Assuring financial processes and retention of receipts is per organisational priorities. Ensuring spend is kept within budget, monthly reporting completed accurately and on time with discrepancies identified at an early stage to ILM.

Line Management: Support the ILM and ILOs with the management of International Liaison Assistants and the HMPO Document Verification Officer, to ensure they deliver the objectives of HOIO, wider Home Office and the British High Commission.  Providing oversight, guidance and support to aid their development.  Working closely with the HMPO Document Verification Officer to quality assure their work and using their findings to identify potential abuse and develop investigations.

We reserve the right to review, revise or amend the roles and responsibilities from time to time reflecting the changing needs of business.

Roles and responsibilities / what will the jobholder be expected to achieve?

What we do:

Home Office International Operations (HOIO) operates to prevent illegal immigration, identify and disrupt the organised crime groups behind such activity to support HOIO key objectives and the Home Office purpose. We have staff deployed to approximately 33 locations across the world.  In addition, we provide support to UKVI, HMPO and Returns Logistics colleagues.  

We deliver this by:

• Providing support and intelligence to HMPO teams to aid with the assessment of UK passport applications and to counteract fraud within the application process.
• Providing intelligence support to the UK visa operation, supporting UKVI to take an increasingly global approach to risk assessment built on the analysis of objective data and enhanced with local risk indicators.
• Working closely with Casework Development Teams in the UK to develop intelligence packages upstream.
• Working with carriers around the world to reduce the threat of inadequately documented arrivals (IDAs) reaching the UK.
• Developing intelligence packages related to the visa or air threat for subsequent investigations and prosecutions.
• Collaborative partner engagement with a range of agencies including host authorities, UK law enforcement partners, airlines and other friendly missions.

What do we want from you?

We need candidates to have excellent interpersonal skills that they can use strategically to build relationships with key partners to assist HOIO in delivering their objectives. Face-to-face work is a fundamental part of the job, as is the delivery of training, so the successful candidate should be prepared to undertake and display confidence in public speaking.

The ILO role is extremely varied. The challenge with all HOIO work is to deliver both the reactive elements such as air calls and requests for support from HMPO and UKVI teams, and the pro-active elements such as research and liaison with stakeholders. ILOs need to be able to manage very challenging workloads, deliver at pace to tight deadlines and be flexible in support of business aims. Once trained, the successful candidate should be able to work towards objectives with minimal supervision. Prioritisation skills will be key, deliver at pace to tight deadlines and be flexible in support of business aims and be able to provide full, accurate and concise updates to ILM.

The role requires analytical thinking and analysis therefore a good working knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially Excel to an advanced level is desirable, although training can be provided.

Although the priority for this role is to support HMPO counter fraud teams, the successful applicant will be expected to support all HOIO operations and work streams.

This role requires field visits within Bangladesh to rural locations.  The successful applicant must be able to conduct these field visits for up to a week at a time.

Home Office International Operations offers staff the opportunity to work towards and achieve the Intelligence Professionalisation Programme (IPP) to demonstrate a range of skills required for the role, and to renew this in line with guidance to ensure operational effectiveness is maintained.

Important information:

ALL applicants must have permission to work in Bangladesh at the point of application.  Evidence of your nationality and permission to work in Bangladesh must be included with your application form, for example, photocopies of the details page of your passport and/or visa. 

Employment will be offered only after appropriate level of UK standard security clearance is received.

Any applications that do not meet the nationality criteria or the security requirements will not be considered. 

Language requirements:

Language: English, Bangla and Sylheti

Level of language required: Fluent in both written and spoken

Learning and development opportunities (and any specific training courses to be completed):

• In house training and mentoring will be provided
• Use of Home Office databases and the opportunity to achieve Intelligence Professionalism Programme (IPP) accreditation with the UK College of Policing
• A wealth of professional and personal development opportunities are available from the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office Diplomatic Academy, local L&D Committee and e-learning programmes

Working patterns:

If the job is suitable for flexible working patterns, please provide details: –

• The role requires the job-holder to work flexibly, often starting early or working late. It offers the candidate some flexible-working to suit their needs, subject to agreement with the line manager and business needs.
• Roles and responsibilities include the provision of a duty phone function from 0900 to 1700 daily, and the successful candidate will be expected to provide coverage on rotation with existing team members. During rostered periods, the jobholder will not be able to work flexibly and must ensure this duty is covered.
• This role necessitates travel for partner engagement, training, field visits and meetings, for which some overnight stays for up to a week and weekend duties will be required.
• Travel to and providing in-person support to the wider HOIO South Asia Regional teams in India and Sri Lanka may also be required.

Any other information (or specific local Post requirements):

• Interviews will be held in person in line with business need and applicant availability.
• No relocation, housing or any other related costs or assistance can be provided.
• The role will involve access to and handling of classified or sensitive commercial information. Employment offers are subject to successful clearance of pre-employment and security checks.
• The role necessitates travel for partner engagement, training, meetings and possibly conducting field visits, for which some overnight stays will be required.
• Roles and responsibilities include the provision of a duty phone function from 0900 to 1700 daily, and the successful candidate will be expected to provide coverage on rotation with existing team members.  During rostered periods of phone coverage, the jobholder will not be able to work flexibly.
• The role requires the job holder to work flexibly, starting early or working late, when required.  It offers the candidate flexible working to suit their needs, subject to agreement with the line manager and business needs.
• Applicants must have the right to live/work in Bangladesh. We are unable to support applications for local work visas.
• No accommodation or relocation expenses are payable in connection with this position.

Essential on arrival:

• Have at least a graduate degree from a reputed University with minimum of 3 years of experience
• Proficiency with standard IT software packages (e.g., Outlook, MSWord, PowerPoint, Excel). Database and document management system experience a plus
• Excellent communications and presentations skills both oral and written; proven ability to clearly and concisely prepare, draft, present and discuss findings, briefings and recommendations at senior levels and to produce complex and compelling written reports
• Ability to deliver training
• Have highly developed networking, interpersonal and intercultural skills, be team-oriented, proactive and reliable.
• Strong organisational and time management skills with a flexible approach to allocation of tasks
• Ability to plan work and manage conflicting priorities within tight deadlines.
• An ability to work under pressure with minimal supervision.
• Able to work flexibly in response to dynamic situations, sometimes outside of usual office hours or at weekends.
• Highest personal integrity and sound judgment with demonstrated ability to handle confidential matters in a discreet and respectful manner.
• Able to travel out with Dhaka for Field Visits for up to one week at a time.