This is a high-impact leadership role at the heart of protecting the integrity of our financial systems. You will drive delivery at scale by ensuring collaboration across HMRC and beyond, helping to tackle our most serious threats.
The Director Fraud Investigation Service is accountable for some of HMRC’s most complex civil investigations, and all criminal investigations into serious tax non‑compliance, fraud and wider economic crime. The Director oversees the use of a wide range of criminal and covert capabilities and is responsible for personal authorisation of operations meeting specific criteria.
In 2024/25, FIS teams secured and protected over £3.9 billion while launching more than 11,000 civil cases and nearly 450 criminal investigations. The directorate also plays a key role in sanctions enforcement, as well as Anti‑Money Laundering Supervision of high‑profile sectors.
This role is vital in supporting the government’s ambition to close the tax gap. The government’s recent investment in HMRC will see FIS’s counter-fraud capability grow to increase the number of annual charging decisions for the most harmful fraud by 20% by 2029-30.
The role sits at the heart of a network of key partnerships, working with teams across HMRC, with a range of law enforcement partners and multi‑agency partnerships in the UK and internationally. This includes having a key role in the J5 (Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement), which works to combat international tax crime and money laundering.
Success demands proven knowledge of tax investigations and tax compliance and/or experience of leading in a criminal justice environment, as well as exceptional leadership to inspire multidisciplinary teams.
If you are motivated by complex, high-risk challenges and want to play a pivotal role in public service, this is your opportunity to lead at the forefront of fighting serious tax fraud.
Key Responsibilities
Reporting to the Director General, Customer Compliance, this is a pivotal senior leadership role.
This is a vital SCS2 leadership role heading HMRC’s Fraud Investigation Service (FIS), providing strategic and operational leadership of a directorate of over 5,000 people and 10 Deputy Directors.
Key Responsibilities of this role include:
- Highly visible and engaging leadership of FIS, championing HMRC strategy and values and clearly role modelling the inclusive and collaborative culture needed to make HMRC successful.
- Strategic leadership of work to tackle tax evasion, fraud, and economic crime, collaborating across HMRC to tackle our most serious compliance risks in a joined-up way.
- Ensuring robust planning and performance management to deliver stretching targets in line with Spending Review and fiscal event commitments, while improving productivity and professionalism.
- Ensuring that the work of FIS is conducted lawfully and to the highest professional standards.
- Building effective working relationships and delivering collaboratively across business boundaries. Contributing to the leadership of Customer Compliance Group and HMRC, taking on corporate leadership responsibilities.
- Continuously building capability and professionalism in FIS and embedding HMRC’s Charter and Compliance Professional Standards in the way we work.
- Senior Responsible Officer for matters relating to the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act (RIPA), including oversight of covert investigative capabilities.
- Supervising Anti Money Laundering compliance for nine sectors including Money Service Businesses and Art Market Participants. Leading on sanctions enforcement, ensuring compliance with UK and international regulations.
- Working with the UK law enforcement community, fostering collaboration and intelligence sharing.
- Working collaboratively with international partners including the J5 (Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement) and the OECD’s international tax crime forums, contributing to global efforts to combat tax evasion and financial crime.
Customer Compliance Group – Organisation
