Senior Digital Forensic Specialist

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Location of Role: Chelmsford

Advert Closing Date: 06/10/2026

Starting Salary: £49,716 (pro-rata for part-time vacancies)

Part/Full Time:Full Time

Contract Type: Permanent

Working Pattern: Shift not 24/7

Kent & Essex Police have recently transformed their digital service to adapt and take advantage of the latest technology and infrastructure available. An exciting opportunity has arisen for an individual to undertake the role of Senior Digital Forensic Specialist within Kent & Essex Digital Forensic Services, based at Chelmsford, Essex Police HQ.

The new Digital Forensic Services’ structure has been designed to provide the best possible career progression & Continuing Professional Development (CPD) framework to ensure you will have the tools and necessary experience to carry out first class digital forensic investigations.

Digital devices and information communication technology are present in almost every investigation the Police Service undertakes. These range from complex computer platforms and mobile phone handsets to games consoles, digital CCTV systems, video management platforms and cloud-based storage solutions. As digital technologies continue to evolve, it is critical that you can adapt to and learn emerging technologies to meet the requirements of the role.

The role involves the day-to-day supervision of a team of digital forensic practitioners, including specialists engaged in the examination and recovery of evidence from computers, mobile devices and CCTV systems. You will be responsible for ensuring service delivery against published SLAs, monitoring workloads and quality standards, allocating resources appropriately, and supporting investigations through the effective management of digital forensic submissions. You will ensure compliance with ISO accreditation requirements, legislation, organisational policy and forensic best practice across all forensic disciplines.

You will be able to provide advice and guidance to officers and staff regarding the proportionate extraction, recovery and interpretation of digital evidence from computers, mobile devices and CCTV systems. This will include advising on investigative opportunities, evidential requirements, disclosure considerations, CCTV seizure and submission requirements, video enhancement opportunities, and the suitability of targeted extraction, triage and streamlined forensic approaches to support investigative and charging decisions.

You will possess an understanding of CCTV systems and associated technologies, including digital video recorders (DVRs), network video recorders (NVRs), cloud-based CCTV solutions, video formats, export methods and evidential continuity requirements. You will support staff in identifying, preserving, recovering and presenting CCTV evidence, ensuring that examinations are conducted proportionately, effectively and in accordance with forensic and legal requirements.

You will have an understanding of the quality standard ISO/IEC 17025 and how this affects the role. You will be required to develop and maintain your competence under these requirements, ensuring best practice is shared amongst colleagues. It is expected that you will maintain current knowledge of specialised digital forensic procedures, CCTV technologies, emerging digital evidence sources and advancements within the wider digital forensic field.

To balance these technical attributes, you will need to be a highly motivated team player with the ability to manage competing priorities, supervise and develop staff, conduct performance and welfare conversations, and utilise coaching and mentoring techniques to create an environment that is both…