Accredited Financial Investigator, Proceeds of Crime Team
Division: Enforcement and Market Oversight (EMO)
Department: Proceeds of Crime Team
1. Salary: National (Leeds) ranging from £43,100 to £53,700 and London £47,300 to £59,000 (salary offered will be based on skills and experience)
2. This role is graded as: Associate – Level 8 – Regulatory
3. Your recruitment contact is Steve Christopher via k. Applications must be submitted through our online portal. Applications sent via social media or email will not be accepted.
About the FCA and team
We regulate financial services firms in the UK, to keep financial markets fair, thriving and effective. By joining us, you’ll play a key part in protecting consumers, driving economic growth and shaping the future of UK finance services.
Enforcement & Market Oversight (EMO) is responsible for the FCA’s responsibilities for market monitoring, delivery of the functions of the UK Listing Authority (UKLA) and the investigation and prosecution of misconduct using the whole spectrum of criminal, civil and administrative sanctions and remedies against firms and individuals.
Sitting within the Wholesale and Unauthorised Business Investigations Directorate, the Proceeds of Crime Team utilise the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (POCA) and related legislation to support the FCA’s efforts to disrupt financial crime and protect market integrity. The Team is comprised of Financial Intelligence Officers, Accredited Financial Investigators / Confiscators and professional business support and provides dedicated specialist financial investigation resource to:
4. Investigate, identify, restrain and confiscate criminal proceeds from convicted individuals
5. Compensate victims when possible
6. Enforce confiscation orders using available powers
7. Apply civil powers under POCA to identify and forfeit recoverable property
Role responsibilities
8. Lead complex confiscation investigations running parallel to criminal investigations conducted by EMO colleagues, which target issues including insider dealing and unauthorised activities, in order to protect market integrity
9. Deploy advanced investigative powers to trace criminal benefit and realisable assets, including those hidden in foreign jurisdictions
10. Analyse, present and evidence financial data to trace the extent and whereabouts of criminal benefit and realisable property, supporting high-stakes enforcement actions
11. Draft witness statements for Restraint Orders under section 41 POCA and police those orders once obtained; draft Statements of Information under section 16 POCA for confiscation proceedings; apply for recovery orders in civil cases and ensuring robust case preparation and compliance with legislation
12. Support FCA counsel in court proceedings, where appropriate giving evidence and ensuring effective resolutions in Crown, High and Magistrates’ Courts
13. Exercise of civil powers under Part 5 POCA - for candidates without accreditation to exercise these powers, training can be provided to reach the required standard, when appropriate and necessary
14. Lead asset recovery that restores fairness and trust, returning illicit funds to the system and protecting millions of UK consumers through impactful work across the UK
15. Build specialist expertise in financial crime enforcement, developing POCA and cross‑border investigation skills, with some UK travel required and occasional overnight stays
Skills required
Minimum:
16. Currently accredited by the Proceeds of Crime Centre (NCA) as either:
17. A Financial Investigator and Confiscator exercising Part 2 and Part 8 POCA powers, or
18. A Financial Investigator exercising Part 8 POCA powers
You must also be actively working in these roles your accreditation is not suspended) and have demonstrable experience leading investigations under POCA. Successful candidates who are not currently trained as a confiscator (under Part 2 POCA) will be expected to achieve this accreditation once in post
19. Demonstrable experience of working on complex, serious financial crime or criminal investigations NIM Level 3) involving confiscation, asset tracing, or proceeds of crime, including setting investigation strategies and reporting to stakeholders
20. Proven experience and practical application of relevant legal frameworks and investigative tools, including:
CPIA, PACE, RIPA/IPA, MLAT
Different areas of jurisprudence such as trust, contract, property, company, insolvency law
Secondary legislation such as the Criminal and Civil Procedure Rules and Statutory Instrument
Essential:
21. Experienced in using mainstream financial intelligence tools such as Moneyweb, ARENA and consumer credit databases to gather and interpret information with care and accuracy
22. Comfortable working with Altia or similar software to organise and analyse complex datasets, ensuring clarity and structure in financial information
23. Demonstrable analytical and investigative skills, with the ability to apply sound judgement and offer well considered recommendations that enhance team performance
24. Effective communication skills, able to share complex information in a clear and approachable way, both in writing and verbally, promoting understanding and collaboration
25. Collaborative and efficient approach with a can-do attitude, maintaining positivity while working under pressure to meet deadlines and deliver meaningful outcomes
Benefits
26. 25 days annual leave plus bank holidays
27. Hybrid model with up to 60% remote work
28. Non-contributory pension (8–12% depending on age) and life assurance at eight times your salary
29. Private healthcare with Bupa, income protection and 24/7 Employee Assistance
30. 35 hours of paid volunteering annually
31. A flexible benefits scheme designed around your lifestyle
For a full list of our benefits and our recruitment process as a whole visit our benefits page.
Our values and culture
Our colleagues are the key to our success as a regulator. We are committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive culture: one that’s free from discrimination and bias, celebrates difference and supports colleagues to deliver at their best. We believe that our differences and similarities enable us to be a better organisation – one that makes better decisions, drives innovation and delivers better regulation.
If you require any adjustments due to a disability or condition, your recruiter is here to help - reach out for tailored support.
We welcome diverse working styles and aim to find flexible solutions that suit both the role and individual needs, including options like part-time and job sharing where applicable.
Disability confident: our hiring approach
We’re proud to be a Disability Confident Employer and therefore, people or individuals with disabilities and long-term conditions who best meet the minimum criteria for a role will go through to the next stage of the recruitment process. In cases of high application volumes we may progress applicants whose experience most closely matches the role’s key requirements.
Useful information and timelines
Timeline:
32. Job advert close: 1st February 2026 at Midnight
33. CV Review/Shortlist: 3rd February 2026
34. Case Study Assessment: 11th February 2026
35. In Person Face to Face Interview: w/c 23rd February 2026
36. Your Recruiter will discuss the process in detail with you during screening for the role, therefore, please make them aware if you are going to be unavailable for any date during this time.
37. SC Clearance is required for this role (SC Guidance) - you will hold or will be required to obtain Security Check (SC) level vetting