Salary: £37,005.87, plus £4,000 Market supplement, plus 10% Shift and 10% On Call allowance per annum with yearly increments based on performance
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Cardiff/Bristol
Type of Working Arrangement: This is an operational role based primarily at our Cardiff/Bristol office. Occasional home working may be possible for specific tasks, but the role requires regular presence on site.
Hours: This is a full-time, shift based role (37 hours per week)
British Transport Police (BTP) is the national police force for the rail network throughout Great Britain. We are the ‘Guardians of the Railway,’ putting passenger safety at the heart of what we do. Our values are simply: We Care, We Do the Right Thing, We Strive to Be Better Every Day, We Are One BTP, and We Are Proud to Protect. Join us and help create an environment where we can all be our best every day.
The Opportunity:
Are you looking for your next exciting career move? British Transport Police has an excellent opportunity for a Scenes of Crime Officer to join our Scientific Support Unit.
Based in Cardiff or Bristol, you'll join a dedicated team of Scene of Crime Officers (SOCOs) who provide specialist forensic support across the railway network. In this vital role, you will work closely with police officers and key stakeholders to deliver expert forensic advice and develop effective forensic strategies tailored to each incident.
Your day-to-day work will involve attending scenes of crime and fatalities across Wales and the South of England, carrying out thorough and methodical examinations to recover and preserve forensic evidence. You will play a crucial role in supporting investigations while helping to minimise disruption to rail services, facilitating the safe and timely reopening of railway lines wherever possible.
This is a unique opportunity to make a real difference, using your forensic expertise to support investigations, protect the travelling public, and contribute to keeping Britain's railways safe.
What you'll be doing:
What you'll bring to the team:
Qualifications and Training
Experience
Skills
Knowledge
Additional Information:
A full UK manual driving license is required for this role.
The job involves extensive travel across the UK, working long hours, which may sometimes be unsociable and includes shifts and on call.
The job will necessitate working in difficult circumstances including tunnels, steep embankments and outside in all weather conditions.
The job entails dealing with extremely distressing situations including scenes involving death and mutilation, liaising with family members who have received news of recent loss of a loved one and victims of crime. Applicants should be prepared for challenging and difficult circumstances.
Further information about this vacancy can be found in the attached job description
What we offer:
How to Apply
To apply, please complete the online application form, include your CV and a cover letter detailing how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role.
Completed applications must be submitted by 11.59pm, 4 October 2026
Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting (3 years minimum UK residency required), including a full background and financial disclosure. For more information and Top Tips, please see attached document.
Medical: We’ll ask for relevant health and medical history details to support employee wellbeing.
References: We'll ask for references to cover the past 5 years.
Inclusion & Diversity:
We are committed to building a workforce where everyone feels they belong.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, identities and lived experiences. Diversity strengthens our teams, improves our services and helps us better represent and support the communities we serve.
We are proud to be an inclusive employer and strive to create a workplace that is fair, respectful and accessible to all. We actively work to challenge discrimination, remove barriers and ensure equity throughout our recruitment and employment practices.
If you need any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment or selection process, please let us know - we are happy to support you. Your talent, your potential, and your unique perspective matter here.
For more information on Inclusion or the Disability Confident Scheme, please click the links Inclusion & Diversity Disability Confident Scheme
Join Us:
Ready to take the next step in your career? At BTP, you’ll have the opportunity to grow, make a real impact, and be part of something extraordinary.
Find out why BTP could be the perfect fit for you - About Us - British Transport Police
Curious about what life at BTP is really like? Hear directly from our people and discover what makes working here so rewarding. Explore real stories on our blog: Our Stories - British Transport Police
For further information, please contact our Resourcing Team -RecruitmentTeam@btp.police.uk.
AI can be a useful tool to spark ideas or help you organise your thoughts, but when it comes to your application, we want to hear from you, not an algorithm. What truly stands out to us are genuine stories, personal insights and the experiences that have shaped who you are. Authenticity matters - it helps us understand your motivations, your strengths and how you’ll contribute to our team. So, use AI if it helps you get started, but let your own voice lead the way.
The above advert, Job description and Application process is available through the medium of Welsh - if requested.
