About this role
Details
HEO: £34,955 (National) £37,151 (London)
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Higher Executive Officer
Business area
FSA - Operations - NFCU
Type of role
Intelligence
Policing
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Homeworking, Compressed hours
Number of jobs available
2
Contents
- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know
- Apply and further information
Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.
Travel to FSA offices where operationally required and potential overnight stays within the UK and abroad
About the job
Job summary
Are you an experienced intelligence analyst looking to apply your skills to tackle serious crime and protect public trust in the UK food system?
Join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as an Intelligence Analyst within the National Food Crime Unit (NFCU), where your work will help identify, disrupt and deter those involved in food crime. Working as part of a specialist intelligence team, you will play a vital role in strengthening the UK's response to food-related criminality through high-quality analysis that supports operational and strategic decision-making.
This is an exciting opportunity for analytical professionals from law enforcement, regulatory, investigative or similar environments who enjoy turning complex information into actionable insight. You will collaborate with a wide range of partners across the UK and internationally, contributing to meaningful outcomes that support the FSA's mission of delivering food you can trust.
Job description
You will deliver a range of strategic and tactical analysis projects, producing intelligence products, assessments and reports that support operational activity and inform strategic and tactical decision-making. This will involve examining complex and varied information sources, identifying emerging trends, risks and patterns, and presenting evidence-based findings to colleagues, partners and stakeholders in a clear and engaging way. Youll ensure your work is completed to recognised professional standards and within agreed timescales.
The role also involves building effective relationships with internal and external partners to support intelligence requirements and strengthen the collective understanding of food crime threats. You will contribute specialist knowledge, represent the NFCU at meetings and events, and may prepare evidential material for use in criminal prosecutions, including supporting court proceedings where required. Some postholders may also provide line management support to an Intelligence Researcher.
If this sounds like you, wed love to hear from you.
Working pattern guidance
Applicants who wish to work compressed hours are welcome to apply - however your preferred working pattern may not be available and you should discuss this with the vacancy holder before applying.
Due to the nature of the role we are unable to consider requests for part time working.
Please read before applying
As this is an investigatory / intelligence role we need to be aware if any of our employees have any of the following: any misconduct or gross misconduct findings or where proceedings are not complete. You will be asked to complete a declaration form covering the above if offered a role with the FSA.
You must declare to the best of your knowledge
- Any disciplinary finding of guilt / failure to meet the appropriate standard of conduct relating to your employment you have ever had
- Any charge of a disciplinary offence / notification of a failure to meet the appropriate standards you have ever had where the case has not yet been concluded
The disclosure of this information will not automatically disbar you from this role but we need to be aware of any event or issue which could impinge on your credibility if questioned in court.
Person specification
Please read the attached Job Description to discover further details about the role, who we are looking for and the criteria we will assess against during the selection process.
We look forward to receiving your application and wish you every success.
Qualifications
Please confirm that you ;
Are prepared to give evidence in court as required
Already hold or be willing to obtain College of Policing Intelligence Professionalisation Programme certification
Have successful completion (or willingness to attain) National Intelligence Analysis Training or equivalent qualification (GIAT, DIAM, ACT)
If you cannot answer yes to all 3 questions you will not be able to proceed further with your application.
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £34,955, Food Standards Agency contributes £10,126 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .
Our job description details the benefits that the FSA has to offer. Please also refer to the attached Terms and Conditions statement.
Things you need to know
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.
Selection process details
Application and shortlisting
You will be asked to provide personal details (not seen by the Panel) and to confirm your eligibility to apply for the role.
*Technical:*You will be asked a question to confirm that you meet the Technical requirements of the role.
- Prepared to give evidence in court as required
- Already hold or be willing to obtain College of Policing Intelligence Professionalisation Programme certification
- Successful completion (or willingness to attain) National Intelligence Analysis Training or equivalent qualification (GIAT, DIAM, ACT)
If you cannot answer yes to this question you will not be able to proceed further with your application.
You will then be asked to complete an application which will be used to assess you against the following essential criteria.
Essential criteria
Experience
- Lead criteria 1: Experience of working as an Intelligence Analyst within a law enforcement, regulatory, or investigative environment, including the development of intelligence products and evidential packages to support operational or enforcement activity.
- Lead criteria 2: Experience of analysing, interpreting and presenting complex information, producing high-quality intelligence reports, assessments, or briefings that clearly communicate findings and recommendations to meet the needs of a range of audiences.
- Strong analytical and digital skills, with experience of using intelligence, analytical, or data visualisation tools (such as Power BI, i2 Analysts Notebook, Chorus/CSAS, or equivalent systems) to identify insights and communicate key messages effectively.
- Experience of reviewing and interpreting large, complex, or disparate datasets to identify trends, patterns, risks, and opportunities, supporting informed decision-making.
- Ability to manage a substantial and varied workload with minimal supervision, effectively prioritising competing demands and delivering high-quality outputs to tight deadlines.
*Lead Criteria*An initial sift will take place on the Lead Criteria.
If successful at lead criteria 1 sift your application will progress to lead criteria 2 sift. If successful at lead criteria sift, your application will progress to full sift.
About intelligence & analysis roles for ex-police
Intelligence analyst and researcher roles in corporates, consultancies and government. The National Intelligence Model, source evaluation and analytical products give ex-officers a running start.
See all intelligence & analysis jobs in Cardiff →Why this fits a police background — match score 90/100
- Evidence & case files
- Intelligence & OSINT
- Investigative casework
- Multi-agency & police liaison
- Working to legislation & regulation
What intelligence & analysis roles pay ex-police
Advertised UK ranges, editorial estimates reviewed July 2026
| Intelligence analyst | £30,000–£45,000 |
| Senior analyst | £45,000–£60,000 |
| Due-diligence / corporate intelligence specialist | £50,000–£75,000 |
| Threat-intelligence specialist (cyber) | £55,000–£80,000 |