Forensic Accountant

Salary: The starting salary is £71,503 which includes allowances totalling £2,841.

The salary is broken down as £68,662 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £75,638 Plus, a location allowance of £1,841 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.

Location: Charing Cross Police Station

This is an exciting time to be working as a Forensic Accountant for the Metropolitan Police Service. In addition to large-scale transformation, there's the unique and ever-evolving challenge of policing London. This means that as a Forensic Accountant, there are more opportunities for you to get involved with making London the safest global city in a time of unprecedented change within the UK's largest Police Service.

This is a rare opportunity to apply your accounting and analytical expertise to criminal investigations.

The Economic Crime Command investigates serious and complex financial crime, fraud and money laundering. Financial Investigators also seize criminal cash and work to confiscate the assets of convicted criminals to compensate their victims or pay the money back to the public purse.

The role of a Metropolitan Police Forensic Accountant is to be an expert witness and to support financial investigations. While primary responsibility is to the Economic Crime Command, when required you will also support investigations from across the Metropolitan Police Service where review of financial evidence is key to the case.

This is an independent, hands on role and there are no junior or supporting staff. The candidate needs to be willing and able to perform all parts of the role from data entry to detailed analysis of financial transactions, writing witness statements and producing exhibits for court. Your evidence may be used by lawyers to reach charging decisions or by juries to reach their verdicts. You will be called upon to give evidence in court.

This is an office based position with a requirement to travel to work with Financial Investigators. The role also involves attending Case Conferences with solicitors and barristers, providing exhibits and questions for police interviews and assisting at search warrants and the serving of court orders.

Key Activities and Responsibilities

Your work will mainly involve analysis of bank, accounting and other financial records, comparing them to other evidence and presenting the results of your work in witness statement and exhibits. The aims of the analysis will vary from case to case but will in all cases be focused on addressing questions and requests agreed and approved at the outset of the assignment.

Court is the focus of all MPS Forensic Accountants’ work and giving evidence is an integral part of the role. You will act as an expert witness and give evidence in both criminal and civil hearings. Your duty is to assist the court. This includes answering questions and giving your professional opinion. You may also be directed to do further work at short notice where new evidence comes to light.

In addition to your core role you will be required to support financial investigators, for example by delivering training and presentations when required.

Vetting

This post requires access to the most sensitive intelligence material on a daily basis. Applicants must hold or be prepared to undergo National Security Vetting (NSV) Security Check (enhanced) (SC(e)) level before taking up the post; with a willingness to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) once in post, if required.

Additionally, this material is of particular sensitivity to the UK and its distribution must be restricted to UK nationals. In approved circumstances dual nationals (of which one element is British) may also be granted access. However, in the event that potential conflicts of interest cannot be managed the post holder will not be able to see the intelligence material and will not be able to perform their duties. For the purpose of safeguarding national security and in line with Cabinet Office Policy, supported by Section 82(2) to (4) of the Police Reform Act (2002), applicants who do not hold or acquire Security Check (enhanced) (SC(e)) OR Developed Vetting (DV) clearance and meet the nationality requirements cannot be offered the post.

Essential Criteria

• Professional accountancy qualification such as Chartered (ACA) or Chartered Certified (ACCA) and membership of a professional UK accountancy body such as ICAEW or ACCA.
• Minimum of five years post qualification experience in practice in an accountancy firm
• Experience of preparing and auditing statutory accounts for owner-managed businesses
• Recent experience of working in general practice as an accountant or within forensic accounting
• Sound knowledge of UK GAAP accounting standards, Companies Act legislation, UK taxation and corporate financial reporting methods. 
• Must be willing to undertake vetting to MV/SC level. Candidates need to be aware there are currently significant delays to the vetting process which may delay an effective starting date.

Desired Experience

• Previous forensic accounting or court experience is beneficial but not essential
• Experience of accounting and financial records from a broad range of owner-managed businesses
• Experience of explaining accounting figures, rules or concepts to clients or other individuals who are not accountants
• Experience of preparing reports and making presentations
• Experience of tax investigations, civil or contractual disputes
• Experience in dealing with people at all levels of an organisation
• Experience of stakeholder engagement, dealing with third parties or other agencies external to the candidate’s organisation

Desired Skills