Job Title: Research Technologist - Facial Recognition

Salary: The starting salary is £53,459, which includes allowances totalling £2,928.

The salary is broken down as £50,531 basic salary, which will increase annually until you reach the top of the scale £55,103. Plus, a location allowance of £1,928 and a non-pensionable allowance of £1,000.

Location: Southwark

Seeing is believing. And that’s the only way you’ll really get to know about our sophisticated technologies and how we’re using them to fight crime in the capital. We don’t say much, for obvious reasons, but suffice to say that we’re leading advancements in emerging technologies to deliver bespoke electronic and IT solutions in specialist areas to make London safer.

The Technology, Research and Innovation (TRI) team keeps the Met at the cutting-edge of tech. Our work is highly innovative, and no two projects are ever the same.

This role is an outstanding opportunity for somebody with hands-on experience working with facial recognition, imagery and video who wants to further develop and progress their test and evaluation skills. Some of the work involves horizon-scanning for new technology and how it can be used within policing, other work involves supporting new and existing tools and technologies. You will be working in an exciting scientific and innovative environment, delivering operational technology solutions to make London safer.

You will be part of a dedicated team who explore technology solutions and concepts for unique business issues. You will use all of your hands-on evaluative skills and subject matter experience to contribute to the evaluation and development of facial recognition systems to be used by the MPS.

Have other technology skills?

Even if you do not feel you have had enough experience in some of the things that you think we do, we value the range of backgrounds that those joining us have come from, making this a perfect environment to grow into. Some of the qualities and abilities that our team have cannot easily be put into a job advert, so go ahead and apply, let us know what interests you about this role. We look forward to hearing from you.

If you do not feel your experience entirely fits the role, we have other roles within this space that you may be interested in. We are keen to hear from people with different skillsets and you may be a far better fit than you realise.

What you will be doing

The Metropolitan Police Service utilises facial recognition solutions to identify individuals who are wanted by the courts and policing. This technology presents powerful opportunities through various operational applications. For the MPS to fully utilise these tools, it is imperative that we carry out rigorous and ongoing evaluation and testing to ensure accuracy, fairness and high performance. You will be a part of the innovative and enthusiastic Technology, Research and Innovation (TRI) team which supports the wider facial recognition capability.

The work is highly innovative and may involve undertaking research activities in collaboration with academia and industry, exploring new off-the shelf technologies, taking commercially available products and modifying them or where a solution does not exist, creating it. This may be through development of bespoke electronic hardware/software/IT solutions or a combination of these. Delivery of these solutions within TRI involves the complete lifecycle from developing requirements with customers, producing design solutions and turning these designs into fully functional products or systems for operational use in the field. The unit specialises in being able to rapidly deliver tailored technical solutions to meet immediate operational requirements.

The Facial Recognition Research Technologist role includes hands on evaluation and development of facial recognition systems to meet policing requirements and regulatory standards.

This includes coordinating and following testing frameworks, maintenance and creation of test data, and delivery of evaluation reports, including statistical analysis and visualisation techniques. The role holder is responsible for their ongoing knowledge and development to ensure their skills are current in the field of Facial Recognition and wider biometric technologies. Other duties include liaising with academia, specialist working groups and industry.

We are looking for the kind of person who can learn quickly and wants to try new things so don’t worry if you feel you don’t meet all of the criteria, we still encourage you to apply.

We will give you the time and space to nurture your interests, and you’ll be surrounded by a warm and inclusive team who will share advice, knowledge, and your enthusiasm for technology. Whilst you’ll need to have worked in a technical job previously, that could be anything from the public sector to academia or industry.

As part of your role, you may have line management responsibilities including supporting and developing staff to ensure knowledge and skills are current. You may also be able to support and mentor others that can learn from the experience that you bring to the role.

Employee Benefits:

• Salary starting at £50,531 and progressing to £55,103 via annual progression. In addition, you will receive £2,928 location allowance.
• 28 days holiday, rising to 33 at 5 years’ service, plus bank holidays.
• Contributory Civil Service Pension.
• Long service rewards, paid overtime available and eligible for Blue Light Card.
• Sponsored membership to a professional body
• Interest free season ticket
• The opportunity to make a meaningful difference to London, the Met and the communities that it

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies show that women, and black, Asian and minority ethnic people are less likely to apply for a job unless they meet every qualification or already have every skill being requested. So if you’re excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with the job description we’d love you to apply anyway, you might just be the perfect person for the role or another role within the team, or we might be able to help you develop towards your dream role in the future.

Vetting

This post requires access to the most sensitive intelligence material on a daily basis. Applicants must hold or be prepared to undergo National Security Vetting (NSV) Security Check (enhanced) (SC(e)) level before taking up the post; with a willingness to undergo Developed Vetting (DV) once in post, if required.

As the post holder will have access to very sensitive information, there are limitations on travelling to a small number of countries and we will undertake additional security checks as part of the recruitment process. Applications from candidates with close connections to certain countries may take considerably longer to process, or in some cases result in a withdrawal of an offer of employment. Further details will be provided at the conditional offer stage.

How to apply

To begin your career at the Met, please click the "apply now" button below. The application process requires a comprehensive CV, a Personal Statement, and an online application form. In your Personal Statement, you should explain your interest in the position and illustrate how your skills and experiences make you a suitable candidate. Please note that you should not submit two copies of your CV, and ensure that your documents are saved in either PDF or Word format, clearly labelled as CV and/or Personal Statement.

Please do not use AI to generate a CV or personal statement for you, as we may discount your application if it appears to have been used.

Completed applications must be submitted by 23:55 on 16th September 2025.

Once received, your application will be reviewed against eligibility criteria, following this, your application will be reviewed by the hiring manager. The application review for this vacancy will commence 1 to 2 weeks after the closing date.

Following application review, successful candidates will be invited to interview. Interview dates will commence mid-September.

www.metpolicecareers.co.uk

What you will bring along

• A degree in a science or technology related discipline
• Experience of:
  • working in a technical discipline relevant to the role
  • working with facial recognition systems and the technologies behind them
  • communicating technical concepts and findings to both a technical and non-technical audience.
  • coordinating and following testing frameworks
  • using Excel, PowerPoint and report writing
  • various statistical analysis and data visualisation methods.

• Understanding of the principles of biometrics within law enforcement
• Working knowledge of image/video compression and image processing techniques.
• Excellent communication (both verbal and written) and interpersonal skills.
• Appreciation of health and safety, legal, regulatory and ethical considerations

What we’d like for you to have from any of the following

• Experience working with the following within a law enforcement setting
  • biometrics
  • facial recognition systems
  • audio/video systems.

• Detailed knowledge of fundamental technical engineering principles behind digital video recording and reproduction
• Knowledge of and interest in emerging technologies, trends and how they impact facial recognition
• Practical knowledge of camera systems and parameters
• Experience of working with academia and external suppliers
• Driving licence