Senior Intelligence Analyst

About this role

We offer great flexible working opportunities, and have offices in Belfast, Cardiff and York.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not overseas.

Travel within the UK will be required on a regular basis, possibly with overnight stays.

Job Summary

Do you have experience leading intelligence or analytical teams to deliver high-quality insights that influence operational and strategic decision-making?

Are you looking for an opportunity to use your analytical expertise to help protect the UK’s food system by identifying, disrupting and deterring serious food crime?

If so, this is an exciting opportunity to join the Food Standards Agency (FSA) as our Senior Intelligence Analyst, and we’d love to hear from you!

Your work will provide decision-makers with clear, credible intelligence that supports both operational activity and longer-term priorities. You will lead and develop a small analytical team in a role offering significant professional scope, varied partnerships and exposure to complex intelligence challenges.

The FSA is a non-ministerial department of over 1600 people. We play a critical role in protecting public health and consumers’ wider interests in food across England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Our vision is an important one - to drive change, delivering “food you can trust” and working towards a healthier and more sustainable food system.

Job Description

You will agree the purpose, scope and timescales of analytical commissions, distribute work fairly and monitor progress while keeping customers informed. Alongside overseeing team delivery, you will undertake complex assignments and produce robust strategic and tactical assessments that translate information into useful conclusions and recommendations.

You will review analytical products for accuracy, relevance and compliance with professional standards, including outputs prepared for investigations or potential court proceedings. You will engage with law enforcement bodies, government organisations, local authorities and other partners to strengthen understanding of priority threats. You will also support individual and team performance, encourage professional development and assess colleagues against relevant professionalisation standards.

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.

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.

You will agree the purpose, scope and timescales of analytical commissions, distribute work fairly and monitor progress while keeping customers informed. Alongside overseeing team delivery, you will undertake complex assignments and produce robust strategic and tactical assessments that translate information into useful conclusions and recommendations.

You will review analytical products for accuracy, relevance and compliance with professional standards, including outputs prepared for investigations or potential court proceedings. You will engage with law enforcement bodies, government organisations, local authorities and other partners to strengthen understanding of priority threats. You will also support individual and team performance, encourage professional development and assess colleagues against relevant professionalisation standards.

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.

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 Candidate Pack 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

• Relevant professional qualification and/or successful completion of National Intelligence Analysis Training (or equivalent eg GIAT, DIAM, ACT), or demonstrably commensurate professional experience

Technical skills

We'll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Technical Criteria: Relevant professional qualification and/or successful completion of National Intelligence Analysis Training (or equivalent eg GIAT, DIAM, ACT), or demonstrably commensurate professional experience

Alongside your salary of £42,596, Food Standards Agency contributes £12,340 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

Please take a look at the Working for the Food Standards Agency , Civil Service Careers to find out about the benefits the FSA has to offer

Please also refer to the Terms and Conditions statement attached to this advert.

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Full details of the selection process can be found in the attached candidate pack.

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.

• Relevant professional qualification and/or successful completion of National Intelligence Analysis Training (or equivalent eg GIAT, DIAM, ACT), or demonstrably commensurate professional experience

If you cannot answer yes to this question – you will not be able to proceed further with your application.