Vacancy Information

Sussex Police are inviting applications from committed, inspiring and dynamic leaders for the exciting and challenging role of Deputy Chief Constable.

If you believe that you can help lead the force towards delivering our priorities of protecting communities, catching criminals and delivering an outstanding service to victims, witnesses and the public, we would love to hear from you.

Chief Constables' Message

I really welcome your interest in joining our Police Force. It is a privilege to lead the teams in Sussex Police who continuously work selflessly and tirelessly in order to keep people in our county safe.

I am looking for talented and inspirational people who put the needs of the public at the heart of everything that they do and who want to make a difference. If you feel you are that person then I want to hear from you.

Chief Constable Jo Shiner

The Role and Key Responsibilities

Sussex is a diverse county, policing across both rural and urbanised communities. This requires an open-minded approach encouraging innovative and inspirational solutions to engage with our under-represented and hard-to-reach communities. There is no doubt that we are at a pivotal moment in policing, where we must act bravely to adapt and change proactively, and your leadership will be instrumental in ensuring that this is delivered. This includes both internal organisational change and external factors including Local Government Devolution and the Sussex Mayoral Election in 2026.

We are therefore looking for an exceptional leader, with a passion for working collectively and collaboratively with policing colleagues, our partners and communities. Recent investments have enabled the force to create new and effective teams to proactively police our communities. You will be required to continue this development, while ensuring the force achieves efficiencies wherever possible; especially against the backdrop of the current environment. This is about listening to our communities, hearing them, and then ensuring we have the right people and resources, with the right skills and abilities to deal with past, current and future demand.

We strive to deliver an outstanding service to victims and witnesses; building public trust and confidence in our service. As Deputy Chief Constable, you will be pivotal in fostering and enhancing our force identity; establishing a committed, professional workforce which delivers against our priorities. You will lead the work to continuously improve our performance and ensure that our people are supported and empowered to do so. You will play a key role in ensuring Sussex Police is an Anti-Racist Force and that the Force is making tangible, measurable and sustainable changes to achieve this.

Why Work With Us?

Applications are invited from substantive Deputy Chief Constables/Deputy Assistant Commissioners or Assistant Chief Constables/Commanders who are seeking a substantive position in Sussex Police.

Your application should also have attached:

• An up-to-date Curriculum Vitae.
• A personal statement of no more than two pages, setting out your suitability to become the next Deputy Chief Constable of Sussex Police, referring where appropriate to the values set out in the College of Policing Competency and Values Framework and Policing Professional Profile for a Deputy Chief Constable.

Applications should be submitted by Midnight on Sunday 4th January 2026. Eligibility will be as per the College of Policing ‘Guidance for Appointing Chief Officers’.

Shortlisting will take place on 13th January 2026.

Interviews will be held on 5th and 6th February 2026 at Lewes Police Headquarters.

The selection process will consist of a presentation and panel interview chaired by Chief Constable Jo Shiner.

Further Information

If you believe you have the skills and desire to become part of our Chief Officer team, delivering our priorities, then we very much welcome your application. If you would like to discuss this opportunity, please contact Chief Constable Jo Shiner jo.shiner@sussex.police.uk

Diversity Statement

We are only as good as our people.  It's important that our officers and staff can be themselves in the workplace and we know that as an organisation we'll grow from the variety of thinking, approach, and the skills that diversity brings; all of which help us to deliver a better policing service. We strive to ensure how we deliver our services, provide information and how we recruit is open and accessible to all.

We have multiple staff support groups who help to improve our understanding of minority issues and ensure they are reflected in our work. We are proud members of Disability Confident, hold Race Equality Matters Trailblazer status, are a signatory of the Race at Work Charter and are aligned with the Armed Forces Covenant and the HeForShe movement.

We are committed to being an anti-racist police service. We promise to challenge injustice, ensure fairness and to uphold anti-racist principles in both our organisation and our communities. For more information, you can read our full anti-racism statement here.

We value the differences that people bring from all backgrounds and communities. Regardless of age, sex, ethnicity, sexual orientation, gender identity or gender expression, disability, social status, or religious belief, we would love to hear from you.

Please use the following links to find out more on Equality, Diversity and Inclusion at Surrey Police and Sussex Police

Additional Information

Following submission of your application you will receive a confirmation email with a copy of your application attached. Occasionally emails from this address can fall into spam/junk folders so please ensure this is checked regularly.  You may wish to consider adding noreply@surreysussexpolice.as.recruitmail.com to your address/contact list to ensure you receive all communications.