Investigator: Digital Forensics

Position Reports to:   Manager: Investigations

Division: Taxpayer Engagement

Location: Cape Town, Durban or Pretoria 

Advert Closing Date:  26 No 2025

About the Position

SARS is looking for a highly skilled, experienced, results driven, self-directed Investigator Digital Forensics to conduct investigations on different digital forensic disciplines in order to identify, acquire, preserve, analyse and report on digital evidence that withstands legal scrutiny. Technical knowledge previously acquired needs to be applied  in the interpretation and presentation of financial information, tax laws and regulations, in order to identify subjects and associated links with the proceeds of crime, to ensure the collection of revenues due to the SARS and to support short to medium-term decision making

Job Purpose

To conduct investigations into digital and/or forensic disciplines in order to detect, collect, secure, preserve, analyse and report on digital evidence into complex tax and customs risks associated with syndicated tax and customs offences and related issues within a project environment that will withstand legal scrutiny.

Education and Experience

Minimum Qualification & Experience Required

• Bachelor's degree / Advanced Diploma Digital Forensics/ Computer Science (NQF 7) AND 5 - 7 years' Digital Forensic experience, of which 2 – 3 years at a technically skilled level

OR

• Senior Certificate (NQF 4) AND 10 years Digital Forensic experience, of which 2 - 3 years at a technically skilled level

Additional Technical Competencies:

• Collection and preservation of evidence and the chain of custody (Investigations)
• Adjective Law - Applied Knowledge (with supervision). It concerns that part of the law that determines how the legal rules imposed by the substantive law will be administered or enforced in other words the practical application thereof. It for instance determines how SARS can obtain certain information about a specific individual in relation to his/her finances to determine his/her liability for tax and what can be done if that person did not comply with the substantive law i.e. the fiscal legislation. It also prescribes the conduct for which a person can be penalised, at what rate and how to collect the penalty in order to enforce the legislation. It also prescribed the manner in which i.e. to conduct a SARS criminal investigation.
• GOC Confidential - (a) sensitive information, the unlawful disclosure of which may be harmful to the security or national interest of the Republic or could prejudice the Republic in its international relations;(b) commercial information, the disclosure of which may cause financial loss to an entity or may prejudice an entity in its relations with its clients, competitors, contractors and suppliers. E.g. Taxpayer information
• Interviewing and interrogation (Investigations)
• Investigative reporting
• Testify in formal and criminal proceedings

Job Outputs:

Process

• Verify on traceability, reliability, and legal defensibility of information flowing into the investigative process and advise on potentials risks and mitigative actions
• Maintain the evidence value chain to ensure traceability, reliability, and legal defensibility of evidence throughout its lifecycle.
• Plan and organise own work tasks within area of work. (I)
• Identify and resolve queries and problems timeously, apply discretion in line with process guidelines provided.
• Draw on own knowledge and experience to diagnose symptoms, causes and possible effects to solve emerging problems. (I)
• Convert and process data into a format suitable for use by investigative team.
• Enrich data using organizational and project specific data and sources
• Effectively utilise resources allocated to the job to perform contracted work outputs and report on and escalate any shortfalls.
• Provide specialist input through the investigation of opportunities for operational and process, product and risk optimisation. (I)
• Plan for value-added process improvements, initiatives and services to deliver on operational strategy and objectives. (I)
• Initiate process and procedural change, implement the change and provide guidelines and support related to new requirements because of the change. (I)
• Apply practical and applied knowledge and act authoritatively on methods, systems and procedures to identify trends and potential risks. (I)
• Accumulate information to report on work progress and use for decision making purposes and the identification of improvement opportunities. (I)
• Communication of situational interpretation and judgement of work outputs and queries in area of specialisation. (I)

Governance

• Implement and provide input into the development of governance, compliance, integrity and ethics processes within area of specialisation.

People

• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with peers and team members to achieve predefined objectives.
• Search for, integrate and share new knowledge attained through formal and informal learning opportunities in the execution of your job.

Finance

• Adhere to organisational policies and procedures to ensure cost effectiveness and reduction of financial costs.

Client

• Contribute to a culture of service excellence, which builds positive relationships and provides opportunity for feedback and exceptional service.
• Provide authoritative, specialist services, expertise and advice to internal and external stakeholders.

Behavioural competencies

• Fairness & Transparency
• Analytical Thinking
• Accountability
• Conceptual Ability
• Expertise in Context
• Problem solving and Analysis
• Honesty & Integrity
• Attention to Detail
• Trust
• Respect
• Commitment to Continuous Learning
• Organisational Awareness
• Responsiveness to operational demands

Technical competencies

• Functional Policies and Procedures
• Data Collection and Analysis
• Efficiency improvement
• Investigative Skills
• Reporting
• Search and Seizure
• Digital Forensics
• Evidence Management – handling, conversion and managing data integrity
• Planning and organising
• Problem analysis and judgment
• Business Knowledge
• Capacity Planning
• Project Coordination and operational support

Compliance Competency

• Security Clearance: GOC Confidential

Employment Equity

The Employment Equity policy of SARS will be considered as part of the recruitment and selection process and Persons with Disabilities are encouraged to apply. Successful candidates will be required to undertake an oath of secrecy, pre-employment screening, case study, pre-assessment, psychometric assessment and or vetting, and a declaration of private interest. The appointment is also subject to appropriate reference(s) and security clearance where applicable.