Authorising Officer

Role Overview

The role of an Authorising Officer. Authorising Officers are responsible for assessing public authorities' requests to acquire communications data in compliance with the Investigatory Powers Act 2016 and other relevant legislation.

Your role will be to independently assess the necessity and proportionality of applications received from public authorities. Applications are received from across the UK, and you will have the responsibility for the final decision as to authorise, decline or return applications.

The applications IPCO receive contain large amounts of information and need to be fully considered. Each application should be considered on its own merit, and you will make timely and objective decisions based on the facts available.

The role of Authorising Officer is vital as communications data can either support or disprove an alibi and can identify links that may exist between suspects and a crime scene. Sometimes CD is the only way to identify these offenders, particularly where offences are committed online, such as child sexual exploitation or fraud.

Our operation is a fast-paced environment, with high volume workloads.

Due to the nature of this work, high levels of discretion will be expected from the successful candidates. IPCO welcomes applicants from all backgrounds.

• Assimilate complex information quickly and use it to make effective decisions independently within the strict constraints of legislation.
• Understand the impact of their decisions, take responsibility, and have the confidence to justify them.
• Have effective written and oral communication skills and be comfortable engaging with a variety of stakeholders at different levels.
• Respond positively to changes in working systems, processes and teams and follow the productivity targets, showing commitment to continuous improvement in an environment where performance matters.
• Ability to work responsibly in dealing with confidential/sensitive information, being mindful of data security.
• Maintain ethical principles and adhere to IPCO core values, applying them to every aspect of your work.

This role is scheduled as a shift working role. IPCO Authorisations operates business hours of 0700 - 2200 and therefore the shift pattern includes early starts, evening and weekend working, as well as working on public holidays. All staff working shifts receive an Annualised Hours Working (AHW) allowance. This is an additional allowance received alongside your basic salary, based on your attendance patterns for the year that compensates for working shifts.

You will receive an annualised hours agreement, which is a written agreement between you and your manager, detailing the period the agreement runs for, your attendance requirements and your AHW percentages. This figure is currently circa 18%. This percentage calculation is assessed in line with the operational demands of the business and is subject to change and review. It is not guaranteed and may cease at any time.

Whilst part-time work is available, it must fit within IPCO business hours, 0700 - 2200 and include weekend and public holiday working hours.

IPCO is currently adhering to the Home Office hybrid working model, which enables staff to split their time working in the office and rently this is 60% of working hours spent in the office. Office attendance is mandatory as critical aspects of the role must be carried out on systems that cannot be accessed from home.

You will be given the necessary training to fulfil the role of Authorising Officer. You will receive a comprehensive package of classroom-based, interactive and mentor-based learning, over a period of 6 weeks to develop an understanding of the relevant legislation and how to consider an application. During this time, you will be fully supported by IPCO's trainers and mentors. At the end of training, you will complete an assessment which must be passed before you can undertake the duties of the role.

The training course is run on a full-time basis on weekdays. During the initial 6‑week training period, you will receive 0% AHW allowance to reflect the Monday to Friday…