As part of the West Midlands Surveillance Team you will deploy as part of a mobile surveillance team in support of serious crime investigations across the West Midlands region and occasionally further afield.
This is a fantastic opportunity to join a hardworking, professional and diverse team, working regionally and occasionally nationally with partners to develop, protect and deploy covert mobile surveillance capabilities.
Operational focus is around those individuals, Organised Groups and Individuals that pose the greatest threat, risk and harm to the region to ensure we are better able to serve the public and protect them from harm.
Main duties and responsibilities:
You will deploy as part of a mobile surveillance team during live operations. As no two operations are the same, your days will be extremely varied and fulfilling. Depending on the complex operations at hand, you’ll always need to think outside the box to deploy creative surveillance capability solutions.
Key Responsibilities:
- To support criminal investigations through the provision of covert mobile surveillance techniques, by being a suitably trained and accredited member of the mobile surveillance team on their daily deployments across the West Midlands Police force area and beyond, including occasional regional and national deployments.
- To display the highest levels of integrity, personal commitment and flexibility. The role can involve unsocial working hours, travel throughout the force area and occasionally beyond including shift changes at short notice dependent on operational activity dictated by the covert tasking process.
- To provide resilience as and when required to threats to life and dynamic operational tasking.
- To contribute to Surveillance Briefing/debriefing to ensure effective deployments and operational learning across the department.
- To promote equality, diversity and Human Rights in working practices by developing and maintaining positive working relationships, ensuring that colleagues are treated fairly and contributing to developing equality of opportunity in working practices.
- To be aware of road traffic exemptions, before each deployment.
- To maintain standards of professional practice – Ensure your behaviour complies with WMP organisational values and organise your own work effectively to meet the demands of your role.
- Identify, implement and monitor development activities to enhance your own performance, including participation in WMST and partner agency training days.
- Comply with Health and Safety legislation – Ensure that you show a duty of care and take appropriate action to comply with Health and Safety requirements at all times.
Essential requirements:
- To hold a current and valid Q1 mobile Surveillance Licence.
- To hold current and valid Police advanced car authorities. To be able to provide certification of these passes.
- To undertake a one-day mobile training/ assessment exercise (National Surveillance guidelines) if necessary. Candidates will be required to show that they have a good knowledge of National Surveillance Glossary and be able provide a clear and concise commentary.
- The post-holder will be required to be security cleared to SC and MV level. Appointment will be subject to successful application and maintenance of this level of clearance.
- To hold a police log keeping qualification.
- To have a knowledge of photography and video capture methods, which could assist the evidence gathering process.
- Demonstrate they are able to take cover and utilise tactics to maintain covertness.
- Demonstrate by example a working knowledge of the National Intelligence Model and Surveillance tasking processes in order to understand threat, risk and harm across the West Midlands Region.
- Demonstrate a broad understanding of legislation and procedure associated with the covert police investigations i.e. RIPA, PACE, CPIA, POCA, DPA.
- Demonstrate an ability to communicate confidently to a variety of audiences.
- Work effectively as part of a team and develop relationships across the organisation and with external partners, stakeholders and relevant bodies.
- Demonstrate an ability to work with limited supervision; planning and prioritising own workload.
- Maintain a tactful and professional approach and ensure that working practices are consistent.
- Prepared to work as, when and where required subject to relevant employment law and police regulations showing a flexible working approach to working hours and location as directed by the tasking process and operational demand.
- Demonstrate awareness of equality and diversity appropriate to this role and have a high level of personal integrity.
- Effective Communication skills
- Time Management
- Delivering Support for other team member.
- Innovative approach around technology and Surveillance techniques
Desirable skills:
- Previous experience of working within a covert environment, supporting covert activity.
- Any additional College of Policing surveillance qualification
- Mentoring or training qualification
- Effective management Techniques
- Ability to prioritise and manage conflicts (people and tasks).
This job description sets out a summary of the key features of the role. It is not intended to be exhaustive and will be reviewed periodically to ensure it remains appropriate for the role. The areas for which the post holder is responsible will be kept under review and may change over time in response to emerging priorities and organisational development.
Prospective officers and staff must be held to a higher standard of behaviour and accountability than members of the public, and that therefore their right to privacy can be fettered in certain circumstances. This is to ensure that members of the police are fully aware and accountable for the unique powers entrusted to them and the standards of professional behaviour they swear to uphold.
Benefit Statement:
By choosing to join West Midlands Police you will receive an enhanced benefits package including:
• Fair remuneration with progression opportunities and access to a very competitive pension scheme.
• Enhanced annual leave in addition to public holiday entitlements.
• Discounts across travel, parking, daily costs of living and leisure activities.
• A comprehensive wellbeing package including 24/7 support, free eye tests and flu jabs
• Comprehensive benefits including pension, Blue Light Card, and employee assistance programme.
Selection Process:
The selection process for this role will consist of the following elements:
• Initial application
• Shortlisting
• In-person interview
Important Information:
Closing date: 7th June 2026
Interview date: 1st July - TBC
The role requires the post holder to:
• perform duties on a force wide and occasional regional and national basis
• demonstrate a willingness to travel and be flexible when required; occasionally changing duties or working rest days at short notice
Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Management Vetting and Security Clearance scrutiny prior to commencing their role, this will include a full background & financial disclosure as part of the vetting process.
Medical: Appointment to this role will be dependent upon you successfully passing medical checks, which may include a drug and hearing test.
Working hours: Monday – Friday with some extended hours when required
Location: This role will be office based in Central Birmingham
Contact: If you would like to discuss this role or the assessment process, please contact:- WMP Intelligence Academy - IN_Intelligence_Academy@westmidlands.police.uk
West Midlands Police is a Disability Confident Leader - the highest level an organisation can achieve under the scheme run by the Department of Work and Pensions. As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Interview Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.
It is important to note that there may be occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to interview all disabled people who meet the essential criteria for the job. For example: in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. In these circumstances, the employer could select the candidates who best meet the essential criteria for the job, as they would do for non-disabled applicants.
"Diversity and Inclusion Vision: Maximise the potential of people from all backgrounds through a culture of fairness and inclusion to deliver the best service for our communities"
