National Detective Programme

Counter Terrorism

Job title: Police Detective, Counter Terrorism

Salary: £36,775

Contract: Permanent

Programme length: Two years

Location: London (Metropolitan Police Service)

Programme start date: March 2025

About the programme

Our National Detective Programme in Counter Terrorism is a salaried two-year training and development graduate programme. It is designed to develop your leadership and problem-solving abilities to equip you with the skills required in modern Counter Terrorism detective work. Upon successful completion of the programme, you will have a permanent role within the Metropolitan Police Service within Counter Terrorism (SO15).

Being a detective is all about how you interpret information and being able to spot clues where others don’t, allowing you to see below the surface. Society is changing and people are demanding better, for our communities, and from our police service.

You’ll collaborate with others, combining insight and evidence to pursue and prevent the most critical threats to our communities and country – terrorism. Your primary objective is to keep people safe, by reducing the risk of vulnerable people being drawn into extremism, investigating and bringing terrorists to justice.

Whether driving change in the police service alongside your colleagues, or improving relations with the public to build trust, your work will change the future for the better. You’ll work on complex and sensitive investigations, requiring discretion and precision. The intelligence you gather and the answers you’ll uncover, will be crucial to the security of our society and protecting innocent lives.

We are looking for talented graduates from all degree disciplines. You don’t need any previous policing knowledge or experience to have the potential to become the next generation of police detectives.

Eligibility

To apply for this programme, you must:

be over 17 years of age or older on application, (and 18 by the time of appointment)
be a British citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, your application will still be considered.
have been resident in the UK for the past ten years (If you’ve been abroad during the last ten years while serving in the UK Armed Forces, working for the UK government, as part of your university degree or on an extended holiday, your application will still be considered)
not currently be registered as bankrupt (or have bankruptcy debts that have been discharged within the past three years)
not have existing county court judgements outstanding against you
not be a current or previous member of a proscribed terrorist organisation or group
not plan to take an active role in politics once in role (this does not include voting, but would include canvassing for a political party)
be competent in written and spoken English and numeracy
hold at least two UK level 3 qualifications in any subject, or non-UK equivalent
hold a 2.2 or above in any undergraduate degree from a UK university (or equivalent from a non-UK university) and have completed all education by the programme start date of March 2025, this includes part time or distance learning. If you hold a non-UK degree, you must prove that you hold an English qualification
have not undertaken the College of Policing-licensed pre-join degree in Professional Policing Practice
have not previously attested, trained or been employed as a police constable

As you’ll be working within Counter Terrorism, you’ll be subject to Advanced Vetting, known as Developed Vetting (or DV), which is the highest government security clearance and required for handling sensitive information.

Rewards and benefits

Salary
As a police detective in Counter Terrorism you can earn a starting salary of £36,775, which will commence on the first day of your training academy. Every 12 months on the anniversary of your joining date, your pay increases to the next pay point.

Leave
You’ll start with 22 days per year (on top of public holidays), rising to 30 days depending on your length of service. You can also expect other forms of leave including adoption, maternity and paternity.

Work-life balance
This is not your typical 9-5. Police officers work varied shift patterns which gives them flexibility and freedom to maximise their time outside of work. Different to your typical working week, you’ll often receive several days off in a row. It may take some time to adapt to shift pattern working, but once you do, you may find that the flexibility of the schedule allows you to better balance work and home life.

Free London travel
Whether you’re on or off duty, you’ll enjoy free travel on London Underground and buses, seven days a week. You can also opt into a rail travel scheme for heavily discounted rail travel up to 70 miles from central London.

Pension
You’ll automatically be enrolled as a member of the Police Pension Scheme 2015, which awards police officers for their dedication and service to the public. It offers a generous and secure retirement package, providing officers with financial stability and peace of mind.

Training and development
The programme will start with an initial 13-week residential training academy. You will then take part in various sessions over the two years, designed to develop your leadership and policing skills, as well as reflect on the impact you have made. You will also have access to a dedicated Performance and Development Coach during the two years, who will provide tailored support and guidance.

Career progression

Following completion of the programme, you can enrol in the promotion process, and you will join our alumni community, where you can receive support with progression. We have alumni across the country who are represented at levels up to Chief Inspector who are leading change and exploring new approaches to policing.

Application process

There are three stages to our application process during which you’ll gain insight into the role of a police detective:

There is support available throughout the process from our recruitment team and adjustments can be made at all stages.

If successful, you will receive a conditional offer and be allocated a dedicated Recruitment Officer to assist with your onboarding and pre-employment checks including: fitness test, BMI, medical, references and vetting.

Learn more

For more information about what it takes to become a Police Detective in Counter Terrorism, visit the Metropolitan Police Service page.