Team Leader, Covid Fraud Compliance & Investigation
| Posting date: | 16 February 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £43,760 to £47,413 per year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 01 March 2026 |
| Location: | Newcastle-upon-Tyne |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 448935/2 |
Summary
The Team
Enforcement and Intelligence is the PSFA team dedicated to taking action against fraud occurring in any central government department or public authority. We assess intelligence and disseminate it for action, develop cases, and undertake fraud investigations to the civil and criminal standards. We use Proceeds of Crime Act powers, and from April 2026 will have Police and Criminal Evidence Act search and production powers, Investigatory Powers Act telecoms data acquisition powers, and bespoke information gathering and civil penalty powers just legislated for in the Public Authorities (Fraud, Error & Recovery) Act 2025 (“PAFER”). The team is expanding to deliver the Covid Fraud ‘hit squad’ announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in September 2025. This is an exciting time to join and lead something new in government, and make a real difference in the fight against fraud.
The successful candidates will lead teams of HEO compliance investigators in the ‘COVID Hit Squad’ announced by the Chancellor in September 2025. Their team of between 4 and up to 10 Authorised Officers will take action to bring loan recipients back into compliance, investigate cases, recover fraud and error and penalise people who have committed COVID fraud against public authorities. Detected fraud is in the billions and recovery so far has been limited. PAFER has extended the time limit for COVID fraud to 12 years from the point the fraud was detected to allow action to be taken.
We are seeking two effective and committed team leaders who can manage a portfolio of casework at pace focusing on compliance, recovery and civil penalties.
Your teams of Authorised Officers will undertake compliance ‘nudge’ campaigns to bring loan recipients back into repayment compliance. Where fraud is suspected and repayment is not in evidence, the team will investigate. The investigation work the post holders manage will be primarily desk-based and seek to establish the facts to ‘the balance of probabilities,’ but may also involve seeking prosecution in some cases, collaborating with Authorised Investigators in the wider PSFA investigation team to prove cases ‘beyond reasonable doubt’. The successful candidates must be willing to take risk-based judgment calls based on facts and evidence, and stand by their decision making under challenge. You may need to lead, support or attend hearings to establish claims in court and penalty appeals hearings in the tribunals, collaborating with Cabinet Office Legal Advisers and external lawyers, and supporting work to instruct counsel. You will work with colleagues in debt management and recovery to ensure that funds are recovered, and with oversight colleagues to ensure that the use of information and penalty powers can be reviewed in line with the requirements of PAFER.
This is a management post, and between them the post holders will manage 4-5 HEOs by the end of 2026-2027, with recruitment staggered during the year, with a further 10 HEO recruited in 2027-28. The team may be based over more than one of PSFA’s locations and therefore the role may involve remote management and some UK travel.
The successful candidates must be willing to undertake sufficient relevant investigation training and develop to become an Authorised Officer under the provisions of PAFER (to lawfully use the powers and oversee others doing so) and to join the Government Counter Fraud Profession.
This role offers considerable development opportunities for ambitious and dynamic leaders who wants to do something new which they can own, shape and deliver with autonomy, in a very high-profile business area.
Responsibilities:
- Lead team of HEOs (4-5 direct reports in 2026-2027, rising to up to 10 by 2028-2029).
- Build their team into an effective volume delivery operation. Plan case delivery to achieve outturn and outcome targets, and score and report on an ongoing basis
- Deliver Covid compliance campaigns (e.g., letter/contact campaigns, publicity campaigns) in both pilot form and at scale, to drive populations back into compliance
- Lead Covid fraud investigations with a view to imposing civil penalties for fraud under PAFER 2025 and in some cases, referring cases for further investigation for potential prosecution.
- Lawfully and effectively use information, penalty and debt powers, and be accountable for their use.
- Use the courts to establish claims for debt recovery where necessary, and lead for civil litigation in some instances.
- Ensure self and staff complete relevant training sufficient to become Authorised Officers and join the Government Counter Fraud Profession. Training may include mentoring staff through Level 4 Investigation Apprenticeships.
- Lead individual projects to develop and improve Enforcement & Intelligence and wider PSFA, including developing business cases and evidence for action.
- The role will require occasional travel to PSFA locations. This may include overnight stays.
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