Principal Investigations Officer - JG 6 - 3 Posts at Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)

Job Purpose

• Responsible for conducting of investigations and providing rapid response initiatives into complaints related to offences committed by any member of the National Police Service.

Key Responsibilities/ Duties / Tasks
Managerial / Supervisory Responsibilities

• Supervise implementation of strategies, policies, manuals, plans, standards and procedures pertaining to investigations;
• Coordinate investigations of any complaints on police misconduct and make recommendations to the division;
• Lead team in conducting investigations into public interest cases
• Manage records of all cases investigated by the Authority;
• Supervise internal case tracking system of all investigations;
• Coordinate implementation of quality assurance standards of investigations; and
• Coach, mentor, supervise and facilitate capacity development within the team.

Operational Responsibilities / Tasks

• Liaise with other teams to enhance investigations;
• Conduct audit and review of all investigations;
• Gather and analyse information on investigations;
• Liaise with other institutions on issues of Police oversight, including other State organs in relation to services offered by them;
• Provide safe custody of all evidence;
• Participate in rapid responses;
• Facilitate prosecution process in court in Liaison with the division head
• Provide reports on ongoing and completed investigations;
• Receive and allocate cases for investigations to team members and monitor progress;
• Provide data to facilitate publication of findings of investigations;
• Communicate and implement department’s decisions to team members;
• Develop periodic individual performance reports; and
• Identify risks faced by the team and formulate measures to mitigate them.

Job Dimensions:
Financial Responsibility

• Coordinate the development and implementation of team’s annual work plan and budget;

Responsibility for Physical Assets

• Responsible for all investigation’s physical assets in the team (ICT, office furniture and equipment, investigations records, files, exhibits and field tools, equipment and machines)

Decision Making / Job Influence

• Managerial decisions
• Operational decisions

Working Conditions

• Predominantly in an office setting with occasional field travel.

Job Competencies (Knowledge, Experience and Attributes / Skills).
Academic qualifications

• Master’s degree in any of the following disciplines: Forensic Science, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Law, Social Science or any other relevant field from a recognized institution;
• Bachelor’s Degree in any of the following disciplines: Forensic Science, Criminal Justice, Criminology, Law, Social Science or any other relevant field from a recognized institution

Professional Qualifications / Membership to professional bodies

• Membership to a relevant professional body;
• Management course lasting not less than (four) weeks from a recognized institution

Previous relevant work experience required.

• Served for a minimum period of three (3) years in the grade of Senior Investigations Officer at IPOA 7 or nine (9) years in a comparable and relevant position in the Public/Private Sector

Functional Skills, Behavioral Competencies/Attributes:
Functional Skills: 

• Investigations Skills
• Leadership Skills
• Planning Skills
• Decision Making Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Communication Skills
• Negotiation Skills
• Analytical Skills
• Report writing skills

Behavioral Competencies/Attributes:

• Transparency and accountability
• Ethics and Integrity
• Team player
• Creativity and innovation
• Resilience
• Independence