Prison Officer

Prison Officer – HMP Manchester

Employer: HM Prison & Probation Service
Location: HMP Manchester, 1 Southall St, Cheetham Hill, Manchester, M60 9AH
Salary: £34,928 to £39,334 per year, depending on contracted hours
Contract: Permanent
Working pattern: Full-time, part-time, flexible working and job share
Vacancies: 20
Job reference: 477441
Closing date: 15 October 2026 at 11:55pm

About the role

HM Prison & Probation Service is recruiting Prison Officers at HMP Manchester, offering an opportunity to build a career protecting the public while helping prisoners make positive changes in their lives.

Prison officers work directly with prisoners in a challenging and varied environment. The role requires empathy, resilience, confidence and strong communication skills, as well as the ability to work effectively as part of a team.

You could find yourself acting as a peacekeeper, counsellor or teacher during the course of a working day. You will build constructive and professional relationships with prisoners while helping to maintain a safe and secure prison environment.

The prison operates 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so the role involves working different shift patterns, including evenings, some nights, weekends and public holidays.

Salary and hours

Initial training is 37 hours per week. After training, employees can choose to work 37, 39 or 41 hours per week, with salary reflecting the hours worked.

• 37 hours: £34,928 per year
• 39 hours: £36,816 per year
• 41 hours: £39,334 per year

The advertised salary includes applicable allowances for the role and location.

There may also be opportunities to work additional paid hours.

Requirements

You do not need formal qualifications to become a prison officer. Personal qualities and the ability to demonstrate the required skills are important.

You will need to demonstrate:

• Communication and influencing skills
• Commitment to providing a quality service
• Effective decision-making
• Care and understanding
• Resilience and confidence
• The ability to work effectively as part of a team

You must also:

• Be at least 18 years old when you start employment
• Meet the Civil Service nationality requirements
• Pass the required medical and fitness assessment
• Meet the required eyesight standard
• Meet the required hearing standard

Tattoos are permitted, including visible tattoos, provided they are not offensive, discriminatory, violent or intimidating. Facial tattoos are generally not permitted except for cultural, religious or medical reasons.

Visa sponsorship and Right to Work

Skilled Worker visa sponsorship may be available subject to eligibility, but sponsorship is NOT guaranteed.

The employer specifically states that, because of current immigration requirements and recruitment timescales, candidates who require Skilled Worker visa sponsorship are unlikely to be sponsored for this campaign.

Applicants should therefore carefully consider whether they already have the appropriate right to work in the UK before applying.

Important UK residency requirement

Because of the security status of HMP Manchester, successful applicants must undergo Counter-Terrorism Check (CTC) vetting.

Applicants must provide evidence that they have been resident in the UK for the last three years. Candidates who do not meet this residency requirement will not be able to take up the post.

A period outside the UK may still be considered in certain circumstances, such as returning to the UK, a gap year, travelling for up to around a year or visiting family overseas, provided UK residency has been maintained.

Recruitment and assessment process

Candidates will be assessed on the behaviours, strengths and abilities required to become an effective prison officer.

The assessment includes:

• Communicating and influencing
• Managing a quality service
• Making effective decisions
• Caring

The recruitment process includes online assessments followed by an Online Assessment Centre (OAC) for successful candidates.

The first online test assesses basic judgement and numerical skills. Candidates who pass will progress to the Values-Based Assessment, followed by the Online Assessment Centre.

Candidates who achieve the required pass mark but are not initially invited to the assessment centre may remain under consideration until additional assessment capacity becomes available.

If you were unsuccessful at the Stage 2 online test within the previous six months, you can now re-apply.

Medical and fitness assessment

Successful candidates will need to complete a medical and fitness assessment, including eyesight, hearing and basic health screening.

Medical and fitness assessments cannot be completed outside the UK. Applicants must attend a UK-based assessment centre to progress their application.

Merit vacancy

This is a merit-based vacancy.

Candidates who successfully complete the Online Assessment Centre will be placed on a merit list according to their assessment score. Job offers will be made to candidates with the highest scores as vacancies become available.

Candidates can remain on the merit list for up to 12 months.

If unsuccessful at the sift/interview stage, a six-month waiting period applies before another application for a prison officer position can be submitted.

Operational Support Grade opportunity

The Online Assessment Centre will also assess candidates for suitability for an Operational Support Grade (OSG) role.

If a candidate is unsuccessful in securing the Prison Officer position, they may instead be offered an alternative OSG role, depending on suitability and vacancies.

Benefits

The role includes:

• 25 days’ annual leave, increasing to 30 days after 10 years’ service
• Paid public holidays plus one additional privilege day
• Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Cycle to work scheme
• Travel loans
• Other Civil Service benefits

Application process

Applications must be submitted online before the closing date.

The application and assessment process includes online tests and, for successful candidates, an Online Assessment Centre. Successful applicants will also need to complete the required security, medical and fitness checks.

Closing date: 15 October 2026 at 11:55pm

Job reference: 477441

Source: HM Prison & Probation Service / Civil Service Jobs