Digital Forensic Specialist (Ashford/Fixed Site)

Location of Role: Ashford

Advert Closing Date: 11/07/2025

Starting Salary: £40,170.00 (pro-rata for part-time vacancies)

Part/Full Time: Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Shift not 24/7

Weekend/Evening Working: Yes

Kent & Essex Police have recently transformed their Digital Forensic Service (DFS) to adapt and take advantage of the latest technology and infrastructure available. We are seeking a highly skilled and motivated Digital Forensic Specialist to join our team at Kent & Essex Police. This role offers a unique opportunity to work with cutting-edge technology and infrastructure at our Ashford Police Station.

The new Digital Services’ structure has been designed to provide the best possible career progression and CPD framework to ensure you will have the tools and necessary experience to carry out first class digital forensic investigations.

Digital devices and information communication technology are present in almost every investigation the Police Service undertakes. These range from complex computer platforms to mobile phone handsets, games consoles, digital CCTV systems and satellite navigation. As digital devices continue to evolve it will be critical that you are able to adapt & learn new emerging technologies to meet the requirements of the role.

We seek enthusiastic, adaptable, and dynamic individuals with advanced technical skills, including in-depth knowledge of computer and mobile phone hardware, software, and operating systems. Strong communication and interpersonal skills, both verbal and written, are crucial.

Candidates should possess a minimum of an A-level qualification in a relevant subject or have a minimum of 3 years' recent experience in a digital forensic service provider (law enforcement or private sector). Candidates should demonstrate Proficiency with the leading digital forensic tools and have experience in writing technical reports, previous court experience is advantageous.

As a Digital Forensic Specialist, you will manage a personal caseload, offering expert advice and conducting thorough digital forensic investigations. Your responsibilities will include preparing and presenting evidence in court, producing detailed technical reports, and supporting the criminal justice process. You will be expected to provide advice and assistance to officers and staff concerning the proportionate extraction of digital data. This role requires you to utilise streamlined, targeted extraction techniques or triage capability of sized digital devices to enable faster charging decisions.

You will have a working knowledge of the quality standard ISO 17025 and will be required to develop and maintain your competence under these requirements ensuring best practice is shared amongst colleagues. It is expected that you will update your technical knowledge of specialised Digital Forensic procedures and advancements within the Digital Forensic field to further your progression as a Digital Forensic Specialist.

This role requires handling highly sensitive and potentially distressing information, necessitating a high degree of emotional resilience. You must be able to work under tight deadlines, manage multiple tasks, and handle competing demands effectively.

The Digital Forensic Specialist role at Ashford Police Station is shift based, you will be working a 6-week pattern where you will be required to work 1 weekend in 6. The shifts are detailed below:

AM shift: 0700 – 1500

PM shift: 1200 – 2000

Weekend shift: 0800 – 1600

Please complete in full the Reason for Application, in regard to the following areas;

Technical ability, knowledge of computer and/or mobile phone hardware, software, and operating systems
Recent experience within a digital forensics’ environment
Knowledge and experience of working in an ISO 17025 accredited environment
Communication and interpersonal skills both verbally and written
Ability to manage multiple and competing demands

Interested applicants are encouraged to contact Chris Elmore or Chris Crute for further information regarding the role on 01622 654733 or 07969584240 christopher.elmore@kent.police.uk or chris.crute@kent.police.uk

For the full Kent job description please click here.

For the full Essex job description please click here.

Kent Police and Essex Police have separate salary grading systems therefore the salary for this position will be dependent on which home office force you are appointed to. This will be discussed with the successful applicant before a final offer is made.

Your application for this role will be shortlisted on the content you provide within the “reason for application” question, within the application form itself. CV’s, covering letters or attachments are not included in the shortlist. Within your “reason for application” answer, please refer to any experience, skills, and abilities you feel you have that will make you suitable for this role, based on the role criteria stated in the job advert or job description. Please provide as much detail as possible as insufficient content may mean you do not meet the shortlisting criteria, however please note this question is limited to 9000 characters and this system will count spaces and blank lines as characters. This count may differ from the Microsoft Word word count function therefore you may wish to use a different online character counter to check the characters used.

All of our posts require a level of vetting and security clearance. During the recruitment process you will be sent vetting information forms to complete.

Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.

Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at recruitment.business.services@ecis.police.uk stating ‘Application Support and Adjustments’ in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833.

Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain.

If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.

Essex Police and Kent Police are an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.

Essex Police is a Disability Confident Leader, we:

have subjected our Disability Confident self-assessment to external challenge and validation
are taking an active leadership role in encouraging and helping other employers on their journey to becoming Disability Confident.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion are central to the values of our organisation. At Essex Police we value and embrace the unique experiences, identities and abilities that each of us bring to our roles. We strive to empower everyone to bring their authentic self openly and safely to work.

Through the dedicated commitment of our support networks, DE&I team and wider HR departments, we are on a journey to embed our DE&I commitments, ensuring Essex Police is an employer of choice; where everyone feels included.