Job Title: VRES Contact Centre Operator
Salary: The starting salary is £42,871 which includes allowances totalling £3,009 and a 20% shift allowance.
The salary is broken down as £33,219 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £35,541. Plus, a 20% shift allowance and a location allowance of £2,009 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.
Location: Charlton Car Pound
MORE CHALLENGES. MORE EXCITEMENT. MORE OPPORTUNITIES. BE AT THE HEART OF A CHANGING SERVICE.
This is an exciting time to be working as a Contact Centre Operator for the Metropolitan Police Service. In addition to large-scale transformation, there's the unique and ever-evolving challenge of policing London. This means that as a Contact Centre Operator, there are more opportunities for you to get involved with making London the safest global city in a time of unprecedented change within the UK's largest Police Service.
Vehicle Recovery Examination Services (VRES) is a key part of the MPS drive to tackle vehicle crime on the streets of London. Working in partnership with a number of external agencies and MPS contractors to remove, recover, restore and dispose of vehicles that are involved in collisions, those involved in serious and organised crime that require forensic examinations or those that are seized under Police powers for no insurance or are unlicensed. We support Front line policing and operate 24/7/365, we have our own unique in-house policing team and a command and control team. We currently operate out of two forensic car pounds, Perivale and Charlton. The team processes over 40,000 vehicles a year and we deal with everything, from two wheeled bikes all the way up to and including HGV’s. Our work has a direct impact upon the service the MPS delivers Londoners to and it is vital we are able to continue to deliver this service to meet current and future demands.
We are looking for Communication Specialists to work as Contact Centre Operators who will be the first point of contact with our customers both from within the organisation, for example Police Officers, and externally for example Victims of Crime. This role is critical to ensuring our customers’ expectations are exceeded and that ultimately, they feel valued and supported every time they use our services.
This is an incredibly demanding and challenging role, but you will be rewarded with an immensely satisfying and varied job that is never dull, as well as having the opportunity to make a real difference to the community, to London and to the Met itself.
Being a Contact Centre Operator is a demanding job, but an incredibly varied one. For example, you could be dealing with a recovery request from a police officer for a vehicle that is involved in a serious crime which is part of a live ongoing investigation, or you may be supporting a victim of crime who has been notified that their stolen vehicle has been found and you are arranging an appointment for them to reclaim their vehicle.
The Contact Centre supports Frontline Policing and as such operates 24/7/365 days a year. Having excellent active listening skills is crucial, you will at times need to be able to make fast time decisions as well as possess strong verbal communication skills in order to provide our customers with accurate information.
You must be able to remain calm and polite when under pressure and/or when dealing with unsatisfied customers. Having a clear focus on providing customer service excellence and stamina to handle high call volumes, you will have an eye for detail and have excellent problem-solving skills.
We work in an ever-evolving environment with a real thirst for continuous improvement always seeking to maximise advances in technology. As such, we are looking for IT literate individuals who are able to adopt and adapt to new ways of working and embrace change. Our Contact Centre is the nerve centre of VRES, come and join us and be a part of this essential team.
How to apply
To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply button “. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement, and an online application form. In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and Personal Statement.
Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 30th April 2026.
Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence 2 weeks after the vacancy has closed.
Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interview dates will commence 2 weeks after the hiring managers review.
