Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
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An initial online application form including pre-screening questions to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria
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Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios
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Full online application form
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An interview, which will include competency questions and further exploration of your motivation to work for the intelligence services
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If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment and then proceed to the vetting stage
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer. This role has two planned intake points in 2027 and 2028. As a result, the recruitment process may take longer than usual.
Equal opportunities
At MI5 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.
Were Disability Confident
MI5 is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions' Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as the Offer of an Interview.) To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
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You'll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation
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Achieve the minimum pass mark for motivational questions - assessed at application sift
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Demonstrate the ability to manage your workload, communicate clearly and work with others to deliver shared goals - assessed at application sift
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
