Roads Policing Investigation Section Head (Basildon)

Location of Role: Basildon 

Advert Closing Date: 11/09/2026 

Starting Salary: £37,020.00 (pro-rata for part-time vacancies)

Part/Full Time: Full Time 

Contract Type: Permanent 

Working Pattern: Mon-Fri 

Weekend/Evening Working: No 

We are seeking a motivated and experienced Roads Policing Investigation Section Head to lead and support investigations within Roads Policing Support. This is a key supervisory role responsible for setting investigation strategy, managing workloads, and ensuring the delivery of high‑quality, timely investigations that meet force policy, legislative requirements and criminal justice standards.

The postholder will manage investigations from initial allocation through to prosecution, working closely with Roads Policing Prosecutions, Criminal Justice partners and the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS). You will provide clear leadership, supportive supervision and professional guidance in line with the College of Policing and public service expectations to the investigation team, promoting high standards, wellbeing and continuous improvement.

We welcome applicants who bring strong investigative expertise alongside a collaborative and inclusive leadership style. You will be organised, resilient and confident in decision‑making, with the ability to manage complex casework while supporting and developing others in a demanding operational environment.

Main Responsibilities:

• Lead and conduct proactive investigations into criminal matters, including minor traffic offences and perverting the course of justice related to Roads Policing support, ensuring investigations are thorough, proportionate and compliant with legislation and force policy
• Manage and oversee investigations carried out by the investigation team, conducting case reviews, setting investigation strategies, and ensuring effective supervision throughout the investigative lifecycle
• Liaise with the Prosecution Section Head, CPS and Criminal Justice partners to seek advice, progress prosecutions and ensure evidential and public interest thresholds are me
• Adjudicate case files, ensuring all investigative opportunities have been explored, applying the evidential threshold test and completing Supervisor Rationales for prosecution or discontinuance where appropriate
• Maintain up‑to‑date knowledge of relevant legislation and procedures, including PACE and CPIA, and ensure team compliance with legal and procedural requirements
• Lead on the development and delivery of the Extra Eyes project, including triage, investigation and prosecution strategies, ensuring time limits are met and prosecution standards maintained
• Supervise and develop the investigation team, including recruitment, training plans, performance development reviews, welfare management and performance monitoring
• Contribute to strategic planning, efficiency improvements, business development opportunities and the future direction of Roads Policing Support
• Manage resources effectively, including overtime budgets, performance data reporting and identifying opportunities for income generation or regional collaboration

Applicants will need to provide evidence of the following skills/experience within their application:

Essential:

• Excellent investigative skills including relevant experience
• Professionalising Investigations Programme (PIP) Level 1 qualification
• Strong leadership and supervisory skills, with experience of managing teams with competing demands with proven experience in recruitment, welfare, performance and training
• Ability to critically analyse information
• The applicant must demonstrate an ability to be innovative
• Full UK driving licence

Desirable:

• GCSE Maths and English (or equivalent qualifications)
• Experience working within Roads Policing or a similar investigative environment

The role is currently based at Ely House, Basildon.

Essex Police offer agile working which designates that certain roles can offer flexibility in terms of place of work, including some home working. The specific requirements of this role will be discussed during the interview stages with candidates. The extent of flexibility will be agreed through individual assessment with the line manager to assess operational requirements and individual’s suitability for home working.  In the event that home working is agreed for the successful candidate, there will be a requirement to regularly attend the contractual workplace, as agreed with the line manager. 

Interested? For further information please contact kimberley.mcilquham@essex.police.uk.

For the full job description please click here. 

Your application for this role will be shortlisted on the content you provide within the “reason for application” question, within the application form itself. CV’s, covering letters or attachments are not included in the shortlist. Within your “reason for application” answer, please refer to any experience, skills, and abilities you feel you have that will make you suitable for this role, based on the role criteria stated in the job advert or job description. Please provide as much detail as possible as insufficient content may mean you do not meet the shortlisting criteria, however please note this question is limited to 9000 characters and this system will count spaces and blank lines as characters. This count may differ from the Microsoft Word word count function therefore you may wish to use a different online character counter to check the characters used.

Depending on your current vetting level and security clearances, you may be required to complete additional vetting information during the recruitment process.

Kent Police and Essex Police welcomes applications regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage or civil partnership status, pregnancy or maternity, race, religion or belief, sexual orientation, sex, or employment status.

Please let us know if you require extra support at any stage of the application process, or for further information regarding this position, please email us at recruitment.business.services@ecis.police.uk stating ‘Application Support and Adjustments’ in the title of your email. Alternatively, you can call us on 01245 452833. Where appropriate we will make adjustments to the selection process, working arrangements and/or the working environment provided it is reasonable in all the circumstances to do so.

If you’re not from the UK, you must be a resident in the UK and have lived here continuously for the last three years. You must also be free from restrictions with indefinite leave to remain. If you’re from the UK you must have lived here continuously for the last three years. This doesn’t apply to those serving abroad in the British Armed Forces.

As a Disability Confident Leader we:

• Have subjected our Disability Confident self-assessment to external challenge and validation.
• Are taking an active leadership role in encouraging and helping other employers on their journey to becoming Disability Confident.

Diversity, Equality and Inclusion are central to the values of our organisation. At Essex Police we value and embrace the unique experiences, identities and abilities that each of us bring to our roles. We strive to empower everyone to bring their authentic self openly and safely to work.

Through the dedicated commitment of our support networks, DE&I team and wider HR departments, we are on a journey to embed our DE&I commitments, ensuring Essex Police is an employer of choice; where everyone feels included.

Essex Police and Kent Police are an equal opportunities employer. Communications may be recorded for monitoring purposes.