Investigator

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Investigator Pensions Investments and Insurance Belfast

Make a positive difference to financial services

Contract: Permanent

All applicants must live and work in Northern Ireland.

Working hours: full time (35 hours pw) and part time (28 hours pw)

Salary: 32577 pa (full time) 26061.60 pa (part time)

Reporting to: Ombudsman Manager

Start date: 30th November 2026

Our current hybrid policy requires four days per fortnight in the office.

Join the Becoming an Investigator recruitment network and be one of the first to hear about upcoming opportunities in your area: here

As part of your induction youll need to spend your first week in our London office. We will cover your expenses for your time in London.

About us

The Financial Ombudsman Service is an independent not-for-profit organisation that plays a vital role in UK financial services. Every day we help resolve disputes between consumers or small businesses and their financial service providers.

The complaints we deal with vary. A customer might be having trouble with their bank account struggling with payday loans think an insurance pay out isnt fair or be worried about their mortgage.

If we believe a customer hasnt been treated fairly well ask the business to put things right. If we think the business isnt at fault well explain why. The decisions we make have a huge impact: they can be life-changing for individuals and they provide insights which are useful for financial businesses.

By joining us as an Investigator youll play a key role in pensions investments and insurance products. Each case and each customer are different. No two days are ever the same and sometimes the work is demanding but its a job that makes a real difference and youll be rewarded with generous benefits as well as job satisfaction.

Key responsibilities

As an Investigator new to the role youll spend up to six months in our academy getting the training you need to make fair and reasonable decisions with certainty. After that youll work as part of a team supported by an Ombudsman Manager / Operational People Manager overseeing your own caseload and prioritising your work.

Youll be responsible for:

• Investigating complaints about pensions investments or insurance products
• Managing your caseload effectively to reach targets
• Managing relationships with our customers both consumers and financial businesses
• Examining evidence to get to the heart of each complaint
• Weighing up all sides of a story and assessing the relevant rules and regulations to make fair and reasonable decisions
• Communicating with empathy listening carefully to both sides asking the right questions and using sound judgement and
• Communicating your findings clearly explaining what you think and why through a clear and structured written response

Person specification

Youll be a self-starter who can prioritise tasks and work well independently. Youll have an analytical problem-solving mind and good people skills.

You may have experience in customer services sales or retail in a legal/paralegal role or have worked in casework claims or investigative work for another public agency.

Essential Criteria

• Expertise making fair and balanced decisions where you must articulate your thinking clearly
• Excellent communication skills including a talent for listening and explaining things in clear language as well as good written English
• Experience providing excellent customer service with people who may be angry or upset
• Problem solving and finding constructive solutions
• Strong administrative skills and the ability to prioritise your workload
• History of working to meet targets or service level agreements

Desirable Criteria

• Demonstrable ability to investigate asking the right questions to get to the hear of the issue
• Knowledge of financial products
• Relevant qualifications within pensions investments and insurance
• Experience in decision making or investigative roles for example legal paralegal casework or claims

Why the Financial Ombudsman Service

Were a UK-wide service with strong values and a diverse workforce where you can be your authentic self. Were committed to being a great place to work and to recruiting people from all backgrounds. So as well as a competitive salary we offer a great package of benefits including:

• Core benefits including generous pension life assurance critical illness cover income protection personal accident cover private medical insurance virtual GP
• Optional benefits including travel insurance technology scheme cycle to work scheme dining and lifestyle memberships dental cover
• Holiday entitlement of 25 days with the option to buy or sell extra days (full time equivalent)
• Discounts on your everyday shopping from groceries and petrol to household goods and gift vouchers
• An Employee Assistance Program offering professional support with legal health and money issues
• Opportunities for personal and career development

Find out more about our work culture on our website where we also have a dedicated careers page. You may also find it useful to check our LinkedIn page and Instagram.

How to apply

Go to the website and upload your CV which should highlight relevant skills and experience and explain any gaps in your working life. Use the supporting statement box to demonstrate how you meet the minimum criteria. As part of our investigator recruitment process applicants who demonstrate the required experience and background through their CV and application will be invited to complete our online assessments. We use the relevant assessment results together with the information provided in the application to determine whether candidates meet the minimum criteria for interview. The next stage of the process is interview. Reasonable adjustments are available throughout the recruitment process.

Please bear in mind that we may close the application window for this role earlier than the date specified if theres a large number of applications.

Authenticity of applications

We value authentic personal applications. If we determine that your CV or supporting statement was generated using AI tools your application may be withdrawn from consideration.

Talent Pool

Please note that positions are limited and will be filled on the highest scores at interview. Once all vacancies have been allocated; qualifying candidates may be placed in a Talent Pool for future opportunities should they chose to be put on this list. Being part of the Talent Pool does not guarantee a position but ensures you will be considered should further openings arise.

Proud to be an inclusive employer

Reflecting the communities we serve helps us provide the best service to our customers. Diversity and inclusion are fundamental to our success so we welcome applications from women and other under-represented groups. As part of our commitment to the Race at Work Charter we welcome applications from Black Asian and other ethnic minority candidates.

We are proud to be a Disability Confident Leader and under the scheme will progress a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who meet the minimum criteria to interview. Interviews may be conducted via video telephone or an panel Interview with some vacancies requiring an online assessment to measure the minimum criteria.

If youd like to speak to us about any reasonable adjustments you need please email and let us know your preferred method of contact.

You can find out more about our Diversity and inclusion strategy and plans on our website where you can also read our 2022 Diversity Inclusion and Wellbeing report.