British Transport Police
Drone Technician
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Job Introduction
Salary: £37,005.87 per annum, plus £4775.00 London Allowance
Contract Type: Fixed Term Contract (23 months with potential to convert to permanent)
Location: London – Ebury Street
Type of Working Arrangement: Field and office based
Hours: This is a full-time 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
We are offering a quite incredible opportunity to join British Transport Police as a Drone Technician as part of our innovative Drone Development Programme. As a Drone Technician with BTP, you will lead the installation, construction and maintenance of BTP's drone infrastructure across the rail network, ensuring systems are safe, compliant and operationally effective. You will play a key role in developing and expanding BTP's advanced drone capability, supporting the delivery of a nationally significant policing capability.
This role will involve a lot of long-distance travel across the UK and overnight stays in hotels. Therefore, this role is suited to any Electrical or IT Engineers who already work in the field and Drone Pilots/ Surveyors who have the technical capability to perform repairs and maintenance on their equipment. A typical week may involve two days a week in the London office, where you will also get the opportunity to pilot our drones during operations, and three days working in the field. This working pattern will depend on the requirements of the role, however.
Please note, this role also requires the successful candidate to work at heights on site across the BTP jurisdiction.
What You'll Be Doing
- Installing and commissioning drone infrastructure across the rail network, ensuring systems are safe, compliant and operationally effective.
- Maintaining and troubleshooting drone systems and supporting infrastructure to ensure reliability, performance and availability.
- Providing technical support to drone operations, including commissioning flights and supporting operational activity where required.
- Supporting testing, trials and rollout of new drone technologies and sites, contributing to the expansion of the Drone Development Programme.
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What You'll Bring To The Team
- Relevant technical or vocational qualification, or equivalent experience in engineering, electrical systems, construction, drones or robotics systems.
- Experience of working to health and safety standards, conducting risk assessments and resolving technical faults using a methodical approach to troubleshooting.
- Strong technical problem-solving skills, the ability to work independently across multiple locations, and effective communication skills to collaborate with colleagues, contractors and partners.
- Minimum of 5 GCSEs (or equivalent), including English and Maths, and a full UK driving licence with minimal penalty points.
Additional Information
Training and courses provided (not an exhaustive list):
- Fixed ladder climb and rescue (working at height)
- MC1 Mains compliance electrical safety
- BTP driver training
- GVC drone pilot (5 day course)
- BVLOS DIAB drone pilot
- IPAF 1b & 3a MEWP (Mobile Elevated Work Platforms)
- Radio detection CAT and Genny Operator Course
- DJI Dock maintenance training (UK and Netherlands based course)
A van and tools will be provided. The Drone Technician will be able to take their van home and deploy from there, as required, to task locations.
The work pattern is Tuesday to Friday, 10hr shifts (short shift on Friday to a total of 37hrs per week) with flexibility on start time to suit the task.
Shifts rotate between 07:00-23:00 on flying duties and generally 07:00 starts for technical build and maintenance work
Further information about this vacancy can be found in the attached job description.
Vetting
Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment Vetting (3 years minimum UK residency required), including full background and financial disclosure.
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.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
Applications will be via an up-to-date CV and online application form, as part of this application please outline how your skills and experience demonstrate your suitability for the role. 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.
Completed applications must be submitted by 11.59pm, Monday 26th October 2026
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.
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