Thames Valley Police
Detective Sergeant - Forensic Management (CTPSE)
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About the Role
The CTPSE Forensic Management Team are responsible for the management of all Counter Terrorism (CT) crime scenes and the recovery and preservation of all physical evidence in CT investigations in support of the Senior Investigation Officer’s (SIO's) Investigative Strategy; This includes the assessment, management, coordination, recording and search direction of CT crime scenes including those linked to all aspects of Executive Action, prisoners, witnesses, conventional post blast scenes, Disaster Victim Identification (DVI) and CBRN investigations. The FMT also manage all forensic submissions and strategies for CT investigations.
We now have a rare opportunity to join this team as a Detective Sergeant. This is an exceptional opportunity to lead specialist forensic operations, support high-profile investigations, and play a critical role in protecting communities from the threat of terrorism.
We welcome applications from substantive Detective Sergeants and those who have passed their home force promotion process and are awaiting a posting.
Working alongside senior investigators, forensic specialists and national partners, you will oversee forensic strategies that support some of the most significant overt and covert investigations across the UK.
As Detective Sergeant within the Forensic Management Team, you will:
- Lead and supervise specialist forensic investigators and constables.
- Develop and coordinate forensic strategies for complex and high-profile investigations.
- Manage forensic examinations, exhibit recovery, storage and evidential processes.
- Attend and supervise terrorism-related incidents, including bomb scenes, CBRN environments and major crime scenes.
- Coordinate forensic searches of premises, vehicles, suspects and urban or rural locations.
- Work closely with Senior Investigating Officers, forensic scientists, pathologists and national policing partners.
- Deliver briefings, presentations and specialist training across policing and partner agencies.
- Ensure forensic activity meets ISO 17020 standards and quality assurance requirements.
- Support regional and national Counter Terrorism exercises and operational deployments
You will be trusted to lead forensic activity during some of the most demanding incidents and investigations in the country, often working alongside national partners and specialist agencies. The role requires resilience, professionalism and the ability to thrive in fast-paced operational environments where your decisions can have a significant impact on public safety.
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Please note that this role is part of a national, regional and local network and as a result you may be required to travel for business purposes mainly across the South East region and occasionally throughout the UK. Therefore, the successful candidate will require a full UK manual driving licence.
You will be also required to perform on-call arrangements for immediate response as required across the South East region.
Due to the nature of our work, security is of paramount importance to us and therefore it will be necessary for the successful candidate to obtain and maintain vetting level DV together with a number of enhanced security checks. In order to achieve this, you must be a British National and have resided in the UK for the past ten years. Exemptions may apply for overseas or other diplomatic service (with HM Government), and studying abroad. Please be aware that if successful there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries once in post.
You can find more information about security vetting here.
How To Apply
To apply, click on the “Apply” button below and submit your application before the closing date of Sunday 6 September 2026 at 23:55hrs.
The leadership within CTPSE and SEROCU are actively committed to embedding and sustaining an inclusive culture that recognises and champions the diversity of our people, and promotes equity and equality so that everyone can succeed at work. The region is delivering this commitment through a long term strategy that takes a holistic and intersectional approach to wellbeing & inclusion. Our strategy is underpinned by the five strategic objectives;
- Inclusive Culture – We will create, embed, and continually develop an inclusive culture for our people.
- Engaged & Involved – We will ensure our people are engaged, involved, and listened to.
- Wellbeing – We will prioritise the wellbeing of our people.
- Representation – We will attract, recruit, retain and develop a diverse workforce.
- Inclusive by Design – We will ensure that inclusion is a core principle of our policies, products, and decisions.
We welcome applications from those interested in part time and flexible working, and encourage applications from our under represented communities.
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Our people say that benefits include a good work/life balance, a supportive and welcoming place to work and great opportunities to further develop your own capabilities.
If you wish to apply you need to have support from your Head of Command / Department.
Hampshire officers need to complete an AD277b alongside their application. This form is not available on the force’s standard forms library. It can be found on the HR Portal. Please contact WFPlanning@hampshire.police.uk if you have any queries relating to this.
Kent Officers will need to inform Kent HR Resource Planning at the earliest opportunity of intention to apply. Every Officer application form must be signed by the Chief Supt or police staff equivalent and sent to Kent HR Resource Planning no later than 5 working days prior to closing date unless exceptional circumstances apply. This is required so that Chief Officer approval can be obtained for the application to progress, which will be managed by Kent HR Resource Planning. These steps must be completed prior to submission application. If your application for an opportunity is not approved prior to submission to the recruiting organisation you may not be supported for release to the role, should you be successful.
Officers from other forces are welcome to apply. You may wish to consult with your HR team regarding completion of additional forms.
Please upload your latest PDR (or if no PDR, a recent copy of your CPD record/Focus Feedback meeting) and a copy of your Training Record. Please also upload the Recommendation for Appointment Form (enclosed with the Job Advert) in the ‘Line Managers Approval Form’.
If you have any questions about the role, please contact RecruitmentSE@thamesvalley.police.uk quoting the Job Reference number 23805. If you have applied for this role in the last six months, we respectfully ask that you do not reapply at this current time.
We reserve the right to close this vacancy if we receive a high volume of applications. Should you wish to apply for this post, we advise you to complete and submit your application form as soon as possible.
Please use Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge when completing your application, wherever possible, as this will enhance performance.
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