Job Details
Job Title: Drug Expert Witness - HC623874
Location: Southampton Central Police Station - Limited onsite staff parking available
Salary: SO2, £40,383.00 - £42,612.00 per annum
Contract : Permanent
Hours: 37 hours per week - (There may be a requirement to work unsocial hours occasionally in order to respond to operational demands for which the appropriate recompense will be paid.)
Closing Date: Monday 27th April 2026 at 23:59 hours
Police Officers and Police Staff are eligible to apply for this post but any successful Police Officer candidate must then apply to retire.
About the role
You will provide independent and impartial expert evidence for criminal investigations & court appearances relating to Drug Supply, across all levels of criminality in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight.
Key responsibilities will be but not limited to:
* To comply with Home Office directives maintaining currency with relevant trends and developments regarding Drug Supply and use.
* Maintain CPD showing your interaction with Drug investigations and current drugs misuse knowledge that supports your credibility to deliver expert evidence.
* Comply with relevant legislation and the rules of evidence and court procedures specific to expert witnesses, especially compliance and adherence to Criminal Procedure Rule Part 19.
* To carry out Drug handling, packaging, identification, transportation and storage in line with the relevant CSI, ISO standard
* Attend pre-trial meetings with the Crown Prosecution Service and to provide expert evidence in court.
* To provide advice, guidance and briefings to Police Officers/Staff who are providing basic drug identification or
The role holder will be required to visit various locations within Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, and it is essential they have a current full drivers licence and access to a reliable vehicle, for which an appropriate allowance will be paid.
Please see the role profile for further information Drug Expert Witness team, Forensic Support, Forensic Services.
Whats on offer
* Family friendly policies supporting those with caring responsibilities.
* Generous annual leave entitlement starting at 24 days in addition to public holidays, rising to 29 after five years’ service.
* Access to a wide range of learning and development opportunities.
* Local Government Pension Scheme.
* Retail, holiday and leisure discounts through Hampshire Police Leisure and Sports Club or Blue Light Card.
* Excellent wellbeing support and access to Employee Assistance Programme.
* Staff representation groups and inclusion network.
* Eye test vouchers.
Essential Qualifications
Essential: Competent Investigator PIP1 or Competent Investigator Serious and Complex Crime (PIP2) or staff Educated to QCF Level 3 or to have undertaken work experience deemed to have brought the postholder to a comparable level.
Essential Experience
• Extensive experience of completing investigations into offences relating to Drug Supply
• Experience of giving evidence in court in trials relating to Drug Supply
• Demonstrate an in-depth knowledge of drug related matters
• Basic keyboard skills and working knowledge of Microsoft Office Word
• Demonstrate an understanding of money laundering
Competencies and Personal Qualities
We are emotionally aware - Level 1
We take ownership - Level 2
We collaborate - Level 1
We support and inspire - Level 1
We analyse critically - Level 2
Contact details for an informal discussion
Please contact the Recruitment Team at police.recruitment@hampshire.police.uk or on 023 8045 1611
Please note that the email address you supply when submitting an application will be used for contact throughout the full lifecycle of that vacancy. You will not be able to amend your contact details. You should therefore ensure that you choose an appropriately accessible email address, being mindful that the process may take several months for some roles.
Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary is an inclusive employer and strives to have a workforce representative of the communities we police and serve. We recognise that we are not fully representative and are working to address this imbalance through a variety of initiatives.
Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is an equal opportunities employer that positively promotes flexible working, enabling officers and staff to achieve a healthy work-life balance whilst meeting operational requirements of the constabulary. We actively encourage applications to be made on a full time, part time or flexible working basis.
The Equality Act 2010 allows us to promote equality within Hampshire and Isle of Wight Constabulary by adopting Positive Action to support people from under-represented groups. Our aim is to recruit talented people with a diverse range of skills and experience and welcome applications from all sections of the community. Our Positive Action team are available to provide support through the application and assessment process by contacting: positive.action@hampshire.pnn.police.uk
The Disability Confident campaign aims to remove barriers, increase understanding and ensure that people have opportunities to fulfil their potential and realise their aspirations. We will accommodate requests for reasonable adjustments where possible throughout our recruitment and promotions processes and encourage anyone requiring reasonable adjustments to disclose this at the earliest opportunity.