Legal Intelligence

Fraudsters are becoming increasingly adept at concealing their illegal activities, making clever use of financial instruments and international structures to do so. The Intelligence and Investigation Service (IOD) of the NVWA operates through intelligence-led investigations, and the IOD’s Intelligence Gathering team plays a key role in this by actively gathering information from open sources. This information may ultimately lead to criminal investigations.

What will you be doing?

As a legal professional, you—together with your legal intelligence colleague—play a crucial role within the team in providing the legal framework for investigations and helping to streamline criminal investigations. When fraud indicators arise, you assess whether criminal offenses have been committed, and you are the go-to person for verifying that everything is legally sound and properly worded. In addition, in this role you will deal with a wide range of legal issues aimed at optimizing work processes when gathering new fraud indicators, and you will be seen as the team’s legal expert. 

As a legal professional, you will work across all NVWA areas, where you will be responsible for:

• Optimizing the intelligence process by addressing various overarching issues, such as innovation in potential methods of information gathering. This could include innovative digital investigation techniques, as well as determining which sources can or cannot be consulted. 
• The quality and legal review of the various intelligence products and documents prepared by colleagues in the Investigative Planning Unit, such as preliminary assessment documents, transfer reports, formal charges, and, in some cases, a report of suspicion.
• Providing legal support to the information investigators and the intelligence coordinator during the initial phase of identifying new fraud indicators.
• Serving as a legal resource for the Intelligence team.
• Providing legal documents and briefings on relevant criminal law issues to the Intelligence team.
• Tracking and presenting relevant case law.
• Drafting legal frameworks for various intelligence products.
• Effective collaboration with other legal professionals both within and outside the NVWA.
• Participating in various knowledge-sharing groups, both within and outside the NVWA-IOD.

The information you encounter in the course of your work is sensitive, confidential, and often relates to current events. While this is an appealing aspect of the role, it goes without saying that you must handle it with integrity.

In addition, you will represent the IOD at various internal and external meetings concerning developments and/or changes in laws and regulations relevant to the IOD.

Would you like to help combat fraud related to nature, animals, and products, and are you committed to building a safer society? Then apply for this position today.

The job interviews will take place on Tuesday, March 18, 2025, in the afternoon. 

Job Requirements

We are looking for a legal professional who is a good team player and approachable to the entire team. You are sociable, enjoy interacting with investigators, and are curious about ongoing cases within the team to see if you can contribute to them. As a legal professional, you particularly enjoy contributing your insights from the very start of an investigation, thereby helping to prosecute fraudsters. You also get excited about exploring overarching issues that add value for the entire team, or even extend beyond the team. With your legal knowledge, you can independently tackle an issue to achieve the desired result.

In addition, we would like to see the following:

• A degree in Dutch law with a specialization in criminal law (and, preferably, extensive knowledge of or experience with criminal and administrative law, particularly in the area of special environmental legislation, both under national and European law).
• Demonstrable knowledge of or experience with investigative work and/or investigative products.
• You are able to review official reports for content, legality, and quality.
• You are able to coach (fellow) team members and provide them with feedback.
• You have a knack for identifying and analyzing information in depth.

Skills:

• Forming an opinion
• Persuasiveness
• Stress resilience
• Working with precision

The NVWA is committed to building a workforce that reflects the diversity of society and places great importance on an inclusive hiring policy. We therefore encourage everyone to apply, regardless of cultural background, age, gender identity, religion, disability, or sexual orientation.

Terms of Employment

• Salary level: Grade 12
• Monthly salary: Min. €4,691 – Max. €6,907 (gross)
• Employment status: Fixed-term employment contract with the possibility of conversion to a permanent contract
• Contract duration: 2 years
• Minimum number of hours per week: 32
• Maximum number of hours per week: 36

Other terms and conditions of employment

In addition to an onboarding program tailored to your role and extensive training and/or coaching opportunities to support your professional growth, we also offer the following employee benefits:

Individual Choice Budget
You will receive an Individual Choice Budget (ICB) equal to 16.50% of your gross annual salary. You can choose to have your ICB paid out, for example, monthly or annually, or you can use it to purchase additional leave hours. In addition, you can use your IKB to purchase a (electric) bicycle for commuting tax-free, set up your home office, or even make your home more sustainable. To encourage this, the federal government also offers an employer contribution on top of the IKB.

Vacation Days If you work 36 hours per week, you are entitled to 144 vacation hours and 64 IKB leave hours per year. Do you work more or less? Then these hours are calculated proportionally. And do you need a little less vacation time? Then you can also choose to have your 64 IKB leave hours paid out or added to your IKB saved leave

Travel Allowance
You will receive a mobility card that allows you to travel by train in second class for your commute. Do you bike to work? If so, you will receive a travel allowance of €0.21 per kilometer cycled.
If you hold a field-based position, you are often also eligible for an electric company car. You may also use this vehicle for personal purposes, subject to the applicable tax implications.

Leave Policies The government offers leave policies for various situations, such as (supplementary) maternity leave (up to 5 weeks with 100% pay), parental leave (up to 9 weeks at 100% pay in the first year and an additional 75% for 4 weeks), care leave, and adoption/foster care leave.

Pension The Dutch government has an attractive pension plan with ABP, the General Civil Service Pension Fund. Read more about the ABP pension plan here.

Allowances and Reimbursements For some positions at the NVWA, it is necessary to work outside regular office hours or to be on call. However, these requirements are offset by additional allowances or reimbursements. For example, we offer an on-call and standby duty allowance and an irregular shift allowance.

Details

• Applications will be considered in accordance with applicable agreements, including the Central Government Collective Labor Agreement and the NVP Application Code.
• A Certificate of Good Conduct (VOG) is required to work at the NVWA.
• If the position involves a fixed-term employment contract with the prospect of becoming permanent, the permanent contract is initially preceded by a one-year contract. Provided the employee proves to be suitable, the contract is generally converted into a permanent contract of indefinite duration after one year.
• Is this a job opening for a fixed-term contract with the possibility of becoming permanent, but do you already have a permanent position as a civil servant? If so, you will retain your permanent position.
• If the position is initially a fixed-term role, it will not be reopened if the role can be made permanent within the organization and the (initially) temporary position was filled by an internal employee with a permanent contract.
• Online screening—for example, through search engines or social media—can be part of the selection process.
• A competency test and/or an assessment may be part of the selection process.
• A comprehensive A or B screening by the General Intelligence and Security Service (AIVD) may be required for certain positions at the NVWA, including those in the Intelligence and Investigation Service (IOD).
• Recruitment agencies are asked to refrain from contacting us regarding this job opening.

More about the Senior Inspector job category

The Central Government Performance Framework helps employees and managers establish performance and development goals during performance reviews and provides insight into career opportunities within the federal government.

For more information, visit the Central Government Job Classification System 

More about your future department

The NVWA-IOD consists of two departments: the Intelligence & Strategy (I&S) Department and the Investigation Department. The I&S Department comprises four teams: the Intelligence Gathering Team, the Intelligence Analysis Team, the Criminal Intelligence Team, and the Strategy & Advisory Team.  The I&S Department collects and refines intelligence across all areas of the NVWA, contributes to increasing and broadening understanding of target groups and risks, and ensures internal and external coordination at the strategic and tactical levels. This coordination is specifically aimed at improving the quality and effectiveness of the Intelligence and Investigation Service division, including in collaboration with other units of the NVWA. Collaboration within the department is positive.
The Intelligence Gathering and TCI teams are responsible, among other things, for actively gathering information across the various domains of the NVWA. In doing so, the Intelligence Gathering team accesses information from so-called “open sources,” and the TCI team from so-called “closed sources.”

The Intelligence and Investigation Service (IOD) plays a key role in raising fraud awareness within the NVWA, and the specialized knowledge and products of the Intelligence Gathering Team are crucial to the IOD’s operations. On the one hand, the team contributes to maintaining up-to-date, in-depth knowledge of the various sectors and supply chains that fall under the NVWA’s regulatory oversight. On the other hand, the Intelligence Gathering team, in close collaboration with the Criminal Intelligence Team and the Intelligence Analysis Team, initiates the criminal investigations conducted by the IOD.

For more information about our work, listen to the NVWA-IOD podcast “Roet in het eten, fraude onder de loep” (A Spanner in the Works: Fraud Under the Microscope):https://open.spotify.com/show/1SfNiCnouLqG3tEfaZceU8.

Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA)

In the Netherlands, we take it for granted that the products we use and everything we eat are safe. We expect animals to be treated well, even if they are destined for slaughter. We want to be able to consume fruits and vegetables without a second thought, and other products are “naturally” fine too. We want to be able to walk in nature without worry and buy toys for our children without suspicion. As consumers, we simply rely on that; for us, it goes without saying.

But we sometimes forget that companies work hard every day to maintain those high standards. That it isn’t always easy for business owners to comply with all applicable laws and regulations. We also forget that the government oversees this. Safety sounds so simple, but it isn’t.

What does the NVWA do?
The staff of the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) work hard every day to maintain that standard. Through dialogue with businesses in the hospitality sector, slaughterhouses, plant cultivation, and other producers, the NVWA monitors food and product safety, plant health, and the welfare of animals, nature, and the environment. We do so in accordance with national and international laws and regulations. We operate on a basis of trust, but we take firm action against businesses that do not adhere to the rules. In the interest of society.

We closely monitor where the greatest risks lie and where oversight is most urgently needed, so that we can inform consumers and others in a timely manner. The NVWA also plays a key role in export inspections and in the import of products into Europe.

What does the NVWA stand for?
The NVWA is responsible for overseeing animal welfare, animal health, food safety, product safety, tobacco and alcohol prevention, plant health, and nature and the environment.

The Dutch government strives to be an employer that every employee—regardless of age, gender, sexual orientation, ethnic background, or disability—wants to work for. Addressing social issues in diverse teams makes us more effective and innovative. That makes the work meaningful and challenging.

The NVWA is an agency of the Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries, Food Security, and Nature (LVVN) and the Ministry of Health, Welfare, and Sport.

Interested in applying?

The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) invites you to apply on their website. Clicking the button below will take you away from this site and directly to the application form. The government values a diverse and inclusive organization. Working in diverse teams makes us more effective, more innovative, and makes the work more enjoyable. Everyone is therefore invited to apply.