Job Introduction
Salary: Starting salary of £40,679.22 per annum which consists of a base salary of £32,649.35 plus 20% Shift allowance and a £1,500 Market Supplement
Contract Type: Permanent
Location: Force Control Room at Baskerville House, Birmingham
Type of Working Arrangement: Office working
Hours: The working hours for this role can be unsocial as it involves a 24/7/365 shift pattern that include early starts, late finish times and night shifts. Nevertheless, working as a Communication Officer for BTP offers a career that is incredibly stimulating, exiting and fulfilling.
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:
Calls can come at any time, which is why our Communications Officers work within a core shift pattern that covers 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. This vital role involves answering both emergency and non-emergency calls and directing police resources across Great Britain to where they’re needed most.
As part of our dedicated team, you’ll receive comprehensive training and ongoing support to prepare you for the wide variety of calls and responsibilities you’ll encounter. Whether it’s a life-threatening emergency or a routine enquiry, your ability to remain calm, compassionate, and professional is essential. You’ll need to think on your feet, provide reassurance, and gather accurate information to ensure the appropriate police response is deployed swiftly and effectively.
In return, we offer an attractive salary and a dynamic operational role where you’ll play a key part in protecting the public and our stakeholders from harm and making a real difference every day.
As a Communications Officer, you will be working in a safety-critical role and be responsible for:
- Handling calls, dispatching radio messages, and managing police responses to incidents.
- Accurately recording information and assessing it to determine the appropriate level of responses.
- Effectively managing emergency telephone calls, evaluating the urgency of the incident, and prioritising police responses when necessary.
- Obtaining and evaluating information to determine response criteria and deployment levels using THRIVE and NSIR, prioritising public and officer safety at all times.
- Monitoring incidents and providing advice, deployment and direction of appropriate resources via radio to ensure a suitable and effective responses.
Essential Skills:
- Effective communication skills.
- Excellent customer service skills and the ability to make decision based on threat, risk and harm.
- Manage situations in a calm and assertive manner.
- Utilising different communication methods (e.g. telephone, radio, email).
- Proficiency in IT and the ability to use multiple integrated systems and with excellent keyboard skills. You must be able to capture information in a timely and accurate manner during the contact.
- Working as part of a team in a control room/contact centre environment.
What we offer:
- 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays, increasing to 30 days after 5 years.
- Family-friendly policies, including up to 26 weeks paid maternity and adoption leave.
- Bespoke benefits platform and Blue Light Card access.
- Salary sacrifice options for cycles, home technology, gym membership, and electric vehicles.
- Interest-free annual rail season ticket loan after 6 months. (Remove if FTC)
- Access to the Transport Benevolent Fund for health, welfare, and financial support.
- Development opportunities, including fully funded apprenticeships.
- Excellent Pension scheme: We offer the BTP GPP Police Staff Pension Scheme, administered by Royal London. This group personal pension plan is available to all police staff and is a defined contribution scheme. It provides the flexibility to vary your pension contributions from 4.4% to 12% of your salary. For more information, visit the Royal London dedicated pension page or email us at Pension-Queries@btp.police.uk. Note: If you are an existing member of Police Staff in the RPS, your pension will not be affected.
Vetting: Successful applicants will be required to pass Recruitment/Management Vetting (3/5 years minimum UK residency required), including a full background and financial disclosure. For more information and Top Tips, please see attached document.
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.
Additional Information:
Interview process: This role involves a first stage telephone interview, followed by prioritisation, typing and listening tests which upon successful completion will lead to a face-to-face competency based interview.
Further information about this vacancy can be found in the attached job description.
How to apply:
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.
Completed applications must be submitted by 11.59am on 9th November. (Please note, BTP reserves the right to close the application process early should we receive a large number of applications).
The above advert, Job description and Application process is available through the medium of Welsh - if requested. (Delete if role is not based in Wales)
Inclusion & Diversity:
At BTP, we are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued. We believe diversity drives innovation and better decision-making. Our roles are open to everyone, and we encourage applications from underrepresented groups, including Black, Asian, and minority ethnic candidates, women, LGBTQI+ individuals, people with disabilities, and those who are neurodiverse. As part of our commitment we operate a ‘Disability Confident Scheme’ - all candidates who declare a disability and meet the essential criteria for the role will be offered an interview.
For more information on Inclusion or the Disability Confident Scheme, please click the links Inclusion & Diversity Disability Confident Scheme
Join Us:
Grow your career with us. We can’t wait to hear from you! See why BTP is right for you and click here for more information. For further information, please contact our Resourcing Team at RecruitmentTeam@btp.police.uk.
