Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
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pre-screening questions, which will ensure you meet our initial eligibility to apply
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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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application sift, which will assess your motivation for the role, the organisation and your relevant experience
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online interview, which will include motivational questions, technical questions and competency questions
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if successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to vetting
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take up to 12-months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
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: https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity
Were Disability Confident
MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) 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. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our Offer of Interview (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential 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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application sift, which will assess your motivation for the role, the organisation and your relevant experience. You will be required to meet the minimum pass mark set to be invited to an online interview
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.
Before you apply
To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here. (Penna link to appropriate website Eligibility sections).
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). Its something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here. (PENNA link to org website vetting page).
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you cant take any recreational drugs and youll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more securely.
The roles are based in Cheltenham and Manchester, so youll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. A loan is available to support people relocating to London.
We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in‑person interviews or assessments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.
Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Right to withdraw statement:
Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Please note, it is this organisation's policy not to provide feedback at any stage of the recruitment process. This may be contrary to the message below.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
