Vacancy Information

This role is within a unit where Surrey Police and Sussex Police work in collaboration, whilst remaining two separate legal entities/employers with different terms and conditions.

Both Surrey Police staff and Sussex Police staff are employed in this unit on their own force terms and conditions.

Successful candidates may be appointed on the terms and conditions of employment of either Surrey Police or Sussex Police, depending on organisational requirements. A discussion will be held with the successful candidate to confirm the details of location, salary, allowances and hours.

Division / Department - Specialist Crime
Grade - Surrey Police Grade F / Sussex Police Grade 9
Status - Full Time
Contract Type - Permanent
Salary Grade Range - Surrey Police £30,495 - £35,020 / Sussex Police £30,897 - £33,603
Working Hours - 36.0 Hours per Week
Shift Allowance - Yes
Politically Restricted - No
Location - Surrey Police Headquarters, Guildford 

The starting salary for this role will usually be at the bottom of the salary range and will be pro-rata if the working hours are less than full time. 

Chief Constables' Message

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

We are 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 we want to hear from you.

We wish you all the very best with your application.

Chief Constable Tim De Meyer & Chief Constable Jo Shiner

The Role & Key Responsibilities

From your first day with us you will be part of a policing family making a real difference.

It is our mission to identify and protect vulnerable people, prevent and respond to harm and keep people safe.

Surrey and Sussex Forensic Investigations department has an exciting opportunity to join Crime Scene Services in Surrey as a Crime Scene Investigator (CSI).

In this role you will act as lead forensic investigator at crime scenes of all types. You will be expected to:

Carry out the forensic investigation of crime scenes and any other police related incidents as required, including post-mortem examinations following an unexplained death. 

Seize exhibits in line with agreed protocols to maintain the integrity, continuity and security of the evidence for investigative processes and court proceedings 

Take detailed photographs of crime scenes. 

Develop and implement examination strategies within each investigation to assist the wider investigative objectives. 

Produce detailed written reports that illustrate the scene's layout and evidence locations. Use your expertise and observations to understand the sequence of events. 

Collaborate with police officers and forensic experts to interpret evidence and decide on examination strategies 

Undertake crime scene management duties and provide support and guidance for less experienced staff acting as coach where required .

Present evidence at court and explain its relevance in a clear, unbiased manner. 

Perform your duties across Surrey and Sussex, making an equitable contribution to the designated shift pattern and on-call rota covering a 24-hour period, 7 days per week, 365 days per year. 

Demonstrate a willingness to maintain competency and continuously develop in the role.

Be required to wear a Police Staff uniform as appropriate to the Force employer whilst on duty and maintain a smart appearance. 

Be able to work within and comply with the appropriate measures required to maintain ISO accreditation standards. You will be required to undertake training and participate in the provision of auditing for accreditation purposes across Forensic Investigations when requested. 

Uphold the values of the code of ethics. Our teams are held accountable for maintaining exemplary standards of professional behaviour. These are viewable on the College of Policing website.

This role includes salary progression from a grade F (£30,495 - £35,020) to grade G (£33,128 - £39,149) upon completion of a training and competency program.

Applicants who have attended an assessment day for this role in the last 12months need not apply again.

 

Skills & Experience

It is essential that candidates have a pass in both Maths and English GCSE or an equivalent qualification.

You must hold a current, full UK driving licence for manual vehicles, and will be required to pass an internal driving assessment to be authorised to drive police vehicles of the relevant class. 

Applicants should be either educated to degree level or have evidence of transferable skills from a relevant role in which they have worked for at least 12 months. The relevance of your qualification and/or experience within this role must be demonstrated within your application.

You will need to be physically and mentally resilient, as you will attend traumatic and disturbing police-related incidents where persons may be deceased or have come to harm.

Many of the duties involve lone working, so you must be self-motivated and able to perform successfully without supervision.

You will be expected to independently develop examination strategies based on observations and investigative requirements.

Teamwork is key, so you will need to demonstrate the ability to work in a wider group.

You will need to be able to prioritise your work, be organised with your time, and have the flexibility to alter plans as priorities change.

You will possess exceptional communication skills, both oral and written, as you will need to elicit information from victims of crime, produce reports, and advise on crime scene investigation matters.

You will regularly encounter victims of crime; therefore, you must be able to demonstrate the ability to deal with people in times of distress with both respect and empathy.

You must have the ability to operate, record, search, and communicate utilising role-related computer systems and software and have sound experience of using Microsoft Word, Outlook, Teams and Excel. 

You must be prepared to be flexible with your working hours depending on operational requirements. You will work across both forces on occasion as the expectation is that resources are deployed where the demand dictates. We do, however, recognise that our people are balancing demanding careers with commitments and interests outside of work.

Why Work With Us?

Policing is an exciting 24/7 business and we all have commitments outside work. We’re invested in supporting people to balance their life with work and we are open to conversations about flexible working. 

We take pride in looking after our people and offer a variety of benefits;

• career progression
• contributory pension scheme (LGPS)
• generous annual leave allowance
• discounts for everyday spend
• on-site gyms and a range of sports clubs
• generous and supportive parental leave
• financial and mental wellbeing guidance and support
• discounted contributory healthcare scheme

Please use the following links for more information on the benefits of working with Surrey Police or Sussex Police

Further Information

For any queries related to the role please email Rachel Proudfoot -  rachel.proudfoot@surrey.police.uk or Lauren Sargent - lauren.sargent@sussex.police.uk

Prior to applying for this role please note that the role of CSI is a physically demanding one and involves lifting, stairs and prolonged periods of standing on a daily basis.  Candidates should be able to perform these and other demanding duties such as driving long distances, working outdoors in varying weather, accessing crime scenes only reachable via stairs, and carrying heavy loads. 

You will require enhanced vetting status, in line with the Force Vetting Policy, and continue to maintain this standard. Due to the specialist operational nature of this role, you must be willing to provide finger/palm prints and a DNA sample for inclusion on a Central Elimination Database. 

In addition, you must be able to attend and pass two residential Crime Scene Investigation courses developed by a recognised national training agency. Failure to achieve a pass at these courses will lead to formal procedures to remove the post holder from the role.  These courses are residential and run for up to 6 weeks each. The location of the course is dependent on availability. The dates of the first course are 1st September to 9th October 2026. 

A pool of candidates will be created from this recruitment process and may be drawn upon should further vacancies arise. 

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.

This post is being advertised in parallel with Force redeployment processes.  Any redeployees who are identified will be given preference.  This may result in the post being withdrawn at any point during the recruitment process.

Please note that not all jobs are available for internal candidates across both Forces, the current agreed recruitment principles are;

• vacancies in collaborated units are available to all officers and staff across both Forces
• vacancies in non-collaborated units are only available to officers and staff within the Force with the vacancy unless it is advertised externally
• if the vacancy is advertised externally and an officer or member of staff from the other Force is successful it will result in a transfer of employment

Surrey Police and Sussex Police Special Constables, Volunteers and Agency Staff (excluding self employed workers) covered under the Agency Worker Regulations (AWR) are eligible to apply for internal advertised posts.