Senior Internet Intelligence & Investigations Officer

About this role

Details

Applicants new to the civil service will be recruited at the minimum of the pay band for the grade of the position into which they are appointed. Only in exceptional circumstances will a salary above the minimum be considered, based on skills, knowledge, experience and qualifications demonstrated through the recruitment process, and also equity with staff internal to the CMA.

A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%

GBP

Job grade

Senior Executive Officer

Type of role

Analytical

Digital

Information Technology

Intelligence

Investigation

Working pattern

Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time

Number of jobs available

1

Contents

• Location
• About the job
• Benefits
• Things you need to know
• Apply and further information

About the job

Job summary

Are you an experienced intelligence professional with the skills to uncover critical insights in an increasingly complex digital world? The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is seeking a Senior Internet Intelligence & Investigations (III) Officer to join our specialist Internet Investigations Laboratory, the CMA's Centre of Excellence for Internet Intelligence & Investigations.

In this influential role, you will lead the delivery of high-quality intelligence products derived from both open and closed online sources, supporting some of the CMA's most impactful work across competition enforcement, consumer protection, digital markets and market studies. Combining advanced digital tradecraft, innovative investigative tools and strategic insight, you'll help drive evidence-based decision making and deliver meaningful outcomes for consumers and businesses across the UK.

As a senior member of the team, you will play a key role in shaping the CMA's internet intelligence capabilities, advancing the use of Open Source Intelligence (OSINT), and exploring the opportunities presented by emerging technologies and AI. Working closely with colleagues across the organisation, you will contribute to the development of cutting-edge investigative approaches and strengthen the UK's wider intelligence capability.

This is a unique opportunity to apply your expertise in a role that combines strategic leadership, technical innovation and operational impact. Your work will support the CMA's mission to promote competition, protect consumers and foster economic growth, while helping ensure the organisation's priorities are delivered with efficiency, clarity, balance and transparency.

About the CMA

The Competition and Markets Authority (CMA) is the UK’s principal competition and consumer protection authority. We promote competition and protect consumers with a clear end goal in mind: to drive economic growth and improve household prosperity. The CMA has a range of powers, which it uses to undertake a wide variety of cutting-edge, high profile and complex work, spanning merger and market inquiries, competition and consumer law enforcement, our role in the digital markets competition regime, subsidy advice, and internal market advice.

You can read more about working at the CMA including our office locations in our candidate pack

Job description

As a Senior Internet Intelligence & Investigations (III) Officer, you will act as the lead intelligence specialist on high-profile cases and strategic projects, delivering sophisticated online investigations and intelligence products that support the CMA's work across competition enforcement, consumer protection, digital markets and market studies. Working closely with case teams and senior stakeholders, you'll ensure intelligence insights are delivered at critical points in the investigative lifecycle, helping to inform operational decisions and deliver successful outcomes.

As a recognised subject matter expert, you will evaluate emerging technologies, develop new investigative methodologies, and champion the use of advanced OSINT and digital investigation techniques. You'll collaborate with colleagues across the CMA, UK Government, law enforcement and international partners, sharing expertise and representing the CMA's Internet Intelligence capability through briefings, training and specialist advice. Your work will help shape the future direction of III and contribute to wider government thinking on digital investigations and intelligence.

Beyond delivering intelligence, you will play a key role in building organisational capability by providing technical leadership, coaching and oversight to junior colleagues. You'll help maintain specialist software, hardware and virtual environments, support the development of policies and best practice, and ensure intelligence activity is accurately recorded and managed. The role involves acquiring and analysing information from a diverse range of digital environments, including websites, restricted-access platforms, mobile devices, computers, gaming consoles and emerging technologies, ensuring the CMA remains at the forefront of modern digital investigations.

Person specification

It is essential that you can provide evidence and examples for each of the following selection criteria in your application. For tips on how to make the most your application, please have a look at our guidance document.

Essential Criteria

• Extensive experience with the application of OSINT specific toolsets, platforms, scripts and web extensions used in III work. Technical knowledge of the structure of the Internet and websites, including knowledge of emerging technologies used in the OSINT sphere with the ability to generate and modify scripts - particularly Python (Lead Criteria).
• Extensive practice in conducting and leading in OSINT or internet-based investigations within a specialist intelligence/investigation environment with proven ability to make logical and timely decisions, cutting through complexity and seeing the big picture to achieve outcomes (Lead Criteria).
• Strong relationship management skills to build and maintain effective working relationships within the team and other business units.
• Extensive experience of conducting and overseeing complex OSINT tasking, including identifying and managing associated operational risks and assessing the relevance, reliability and value of information obtained from online sources – including data from web scraped information.
• Strong analytical skills and ability to produce clear, actionable intelligence reports.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to produce documents that can be tailored to a wide variety of audiences and brief stakeholders across all levels of seniority.
• Ability to effectively prioritise competing demands, work independently and collaboratively in a fast-paced environment and deliver high-quality outcomes in a fast-paced and constantly changing environment.
• Understanding of relevant related legislation parameters, for example, Human Rights Act 1998 (HRA 1998),**Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act 2000 (RIPA 2000),**General Data Protection Regulation 2016 (GDPR),**UK Data Protection Act 2018 (DPA)*and**Guidance on Internet Intelligence & Investigations *(NPCC).

Behaviours

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

• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving
• Developing Self and Others

Technical skills

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

• Data collection
• Python Scripting (within Internet Investigations)

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £49,400, Competition & Markets Authority contributes £14,311 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides .

You’ll also get

• 25 days leave (increasing to 30 days over five years), plus 8 public holidays and an additional day off for the King’s birthday.