The Home Office is offering up to £130,000 for its next borders and immigration watchdog to replace David Bolt when he steps down this year.
The next Independent Chief Inspector of Borders and Immigration will serve a three-year term scrutinising the work of the Home Office, an advert posted to the public appointments website said.
ICIBI is an independent watchdog who reports to the home secretary. They provide regular reports on the border and immigration functions, covering topics ranging to visa processing, detention facilities and the information provided to visa applicants.
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Their reports are presented to parliament – although in recent years, the Home Office has failed to put ICIBI's reports to MPs for several months at a time. Reports are meant to be laid before parliament and published eight weeks after they are submitted to the home secretary, but as CSW reported in January, it failed to do so for a single one of the 14 reports Bolt submitted in 2019.
The chief inspector will lead a team of around 30 people.
Applicants must have led an organisation at board level or equivalent and have demonstrable experience of delivering "excellent performance outcomes within a changing operational environment", according to the job ad.
They must also be able to show they have helped to develop a "sound strategic direction for an organisation" and that they can "analyse and make judgements from complex data and contribute to workable recommendations on complex and sensitive issues"..
"Whatever your background, you will appreciate the importance and opportunity that this role presents. Excellent communication skills, decisiveness, independence and unquestionable integrity will be essential," the advert said.
The next chief inspector will take over any ongoing work led by Bolt, who had been due to step down in May but will inspead stay on until October.
Last month Bolt announced said he would begin five new inspections before stepping down, examining asylum casework, the EU settled-status scheme, adults at risk in detention, UK Visas and Immigration’s front-end services, and e-gates – with a further one or two to be announces at a later date. He said it would likely fall to his successor to complete some of the work on these projects.
Home secretary Priti Patel: "I would like to thank David Bolt for his time in office and all the work he has done to monitor and drive efficiency in the immigration systems.
"I am certain that the next appointment will continue to constructively challenge and scrutinise the department’s immigration functions so that they are as effective and efficient as they can be."