The role also attracts technical framework and disruption allowances that you’ll have the opportunity to apply for once your training is complete. 

By your second year as a fully trained specialist, you may be able to earn £48,150, excluding overtime or on-call payments.

About Us
MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing, and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses, and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you’ll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.  

The Role
As a Technical Operations Electronics Engineer, you’ll play a vital role in testing, installing, maintaining, and optimising our technical equipment to collect vital intelligence that helps keep the country safe.

Working in a committed team, you’ll use your engineering expertise to deliver specialist engineering tasks to a high standard. The majority of this work will be at system level and is a blend of RF, electronics and some network engineering mixed with DIY skills. This is a practical role where you’ll be using your skills in the field to support our operations.

Continuous learning is central to our work, such as keeping up to date with new technologies to benefit your development, but also to enable us to deliver the best possible operational support. You’ll be encouraged to do this by working closely with other teams on project work, contributing to future technical capabilities and working with colleagues across the UK Intelligence Community. This is a hands-on role where sharing knowledge and expertise is vital, as this helps us stay ahead and deliver impact at the heart of national security. This is all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive. 
There’s never a dull day in this unique and challenging environment. You’ll need to adapt and respond quickly to short-notice demands, sometimes outside of work hours. As such, having a full UK driving license is essential for this role, as you'll be required to travel to different locations across the UK.

About You
You’ll have an ONC or equivalent in Electronic Engineering with a background working as a development, systems, or test engineer, and can demonstrate experience of troubleshooting across lab and field environments. You’ll be keen to develop and willing to work towards completing (or already hold) a HNC in Electronic Engineering, with our support.
Our people thrive under pressure – attending to urgent business needs, it’s critical our Technical Engineers think quickly and are effective when responding to issues that occur within our live operational systems, so, you’ll have excellent problem-solving skills and an ability to work in challenging environments. Ideally, you'll also have direct experience using hand and power tools.
While you’re comfortable working independently with minimal supervision, you'll also enjoy working as part of a team, actively contributing your ideas, and communicating effectively with peers and seniors alike.

Training and Development
When you join, you’ll undertake in-depth, on-the-job training, that will take roughly one year. Following on from this, you’ll have access to in-house support, as well as external courses to continue your development.

Additionally, a dedicated member of staff will be on-hand to mentor you throughout your training period – as well as providing advice, sharing knowledge and their experiences as you settle into your role. Our bespoke training will give you the skills you need to apply your existing experience to our specialist ways of working. 

Technology moves at pace and it’s important we keep on top of emerging technologies.  We’re committed to developing our staff and recognise this looks different for everyone, there’ll be lots of tailored training, coaching, and mentoring, alongside opportunities to gain qualifications and pursue ongoing professional development. From dedicated training, to ensuring you’re updated and aware of evolving industry standards, we’ll support your professional growth. 

This role has the potential to lead to other opportunities across MI5, MI6, and GCHQ. If you’re interested in building a varied career as well as gaining unique skills, then we’ll support you to make that happen.

Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £40,629 which rises to £43,923 after a 12-month probationary period. 
 
Other benefits include:   

•    25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays 
•    Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme 
•    Interest-free season ticket loan 
•    Personal Learning Budget
•    Excellent pension scheme 
•    Cycle to work scheme 
•    Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars
•    Paid parental and adoption leave
•    Paid overtime
 
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.
 
We’re Disability Confident  
MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s 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 person-to-person interview 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:   

•    A minimum OCN level qualification in Electronics Engineering (or equivalent)
•    Demonstrate experience working as a Development, Systems or Test Engineer and can evidence experience trouble shooting across lab and field environments.
•    Can demonstrate a strong motivation and commitment to work at MI5 as a Technical Operations Electronic Engineer.
•    On successful completion of these stages, you will be invited to an interview. This is your offer of interview.
  
What to Expect  
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

•    Application sift, looking at your motivation for the role and the organisation. 
•    Assessment centre comprises a competency-based interview, technical interview, and a practical test where you can demonstrate your knowledge of electronic equipment. 
•    If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment.

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next.  Your application may take around 6 – 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you’ve received your final job offer.  

We regret that we are unable to reimburse travel expenses. 
  
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.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll 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 practise and will help you to manage your application with us more discretely.

This role is based in Central London, so you’ll 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.  

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 withhold 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.