John Yates forwarded the CV of Neil Wallis's daughter to Scotland Yard's HR chief with a note observing that the News of the World executive had been a "great friend" of the force.
The former top policeman also said Mr Wallis had been a "close advisor" to Sir Paul Stephenson, who had just taken over as Metropolitan Police commissioner.
The Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) found no evidence that Mr Yates directly influenced the Met's decision to recruit Mr Wallis's daughter Amy but concluded it was "poor judgment" for him to pass on her resume.
Mr Yates emailed Ms Wallis's CV to the Met's then-director of human resources, Martin Tiplady, on January 29, 2009.
He wrote: "The attached CV belongs to the daughter of Neil Wallis, the Dep Editor of the News of the World.
"You probably know that Neil has been a great friend (and occasional critic) of the Met in past years and has been a close advisor to Paul (Stephenson) on stuff/tactics in respect of the new commissionership.
"Mr Wallis' daughter is looking for a change of direction and something steady - a bit along the lines of the work that my son did recently - although she looks eminently qualified to do something more demanding.
"I have met her on several occasions and although would not claim to know her well she is clearly bright, very personable and presents well.
"Clearly there is a vetting issue which would prob have to go through normal channels unless you advise me otherwise.
"Be grateful for an early response so I can manage expectations with both Neil and his daughter."
A member of Mr Tiplady's staff forwarded Mr Yates's email on March 11 with a note that said: "Martin (Tiplady) is very keen for us to accommodate Ms Wallis, particularly in light of her father's position/relationship!"
The IPCC report noted that Mr Tiplady did not recall saying this.
Ms Wallis was given a job in the Met's human resources department starting on June 1, initially on a six-month fixed contract, although she later successfully applied for a permanent position.
Contrary to Scotland Yard's recruitment policy, she was hired without a formal interview and apparently without any references being taken up.
The IPCC concluded there was no evidence of misconduct by Mr Yates.
But it said: "It is however evident that the email chain between two members of the MPS (Metropolitan Police Service) senior management board was perceived by more junior staff to be in the nature of an instruction to find a job for Ms
Wallis - and this should have been foreseeable both to Mr Yates and Mr Tiplady.
"Whether or not it was 'routine' for senior officers to pass on CVs it was poor judgment to do so, bearing in mind the appearance of favouritism."
The report recommended a review of the Met's practices in hiring friends and relatives of senior staff to avoid the perception they are getting an unfair advantage.
Scotland Yard said in a statement: "The IPCC carried out an independent investigation into the involvement and actions of assistant commissioner John Yates in the recruitment process for the daughter of Neil Wallis and the MPS accepts its findings.
"As the IPCC has previously made clear, it found no evidence of misconduct that would justify disciplinary proceedings in relation to allegations about forwarding a CV for the purposes of employment at the MPS.
"The report recommends that we review our practices in relation to senior staff who refer friends and relatives to our human resources department for appointment, attachment and holiday employment.
"The MPS has been the subject of much external scrutiny in recent months and the review recommended by the IPCC will form part of our wider response in taking forward the emerging issues and advice such as that from Elizabeth Filkin and the Leveson Inquiry."