Operational Forensic Scientist Ref. 1922

At MI5, our mission is to keep the country safe, through the protection of national security including threats from terrorism and espionage.

To help us, we’re looking for a highly skilled, experienced and motivated Operational Forensic Scientist to join our team. This role will help provide MI5 with scientific solutions, working closely with Intelligence Officers and operational teams to help build our operational capability, and collect the intelligence our investigative teams require.

Key Roles and Responsibilities:
This is an opportunity to perform in a key operational role in the heart of MI5’s specialised operations work. You will be part of a team which builds new capabilities, deploys operationally and collects and processes key intelligence for MI5.

The team you will join offers scientific solutions to operational problems.

In this challenging role, you will work alongside the Forensics Team to maintain operational readiness to carry out key operational tasks for MI5 and its partners.

Operational Forensics Scientists are expected to:
•    Maintain operational readiness to carry out key operational tasks for MI5 and its partners.
•    To provide a knowledgeable response to a varied customer base to meet their requirements.
•    To support the team in developing MI5’s Biometrics strategy.
•    Operating a variety of analytical equipment and its maintenance.
•    As required to deliver department-related briefings and technical training to staff.
•    Take responsibility for capabilities relating to your skillset and/or previous experience.

About You:
Expected skills, knowledge and experience

MI5 is looking for an individual with significant operational deployment experience, ideally in Police CT work with essential expertise in forensic latent prints examinations and development that will enable you to rapidly get up to speed with MI5’s operational-technical deployments.

It is essential for the individual to:
•    Have demonstrable forensics experience with expertise in latent print examination;
•    Have held a Full UK Driving Licence, for at least 3 years, and for that licence to have no more than 3 endorsement points at the time of your application. Please note, you will be required to take part in a driving assessment as part of the recruitment process.
•    Be fit to carry out duties required for the role. Please note, you will be required to take part in a mandatory medical/fitness assessment as part of the recruitment process.

A suitable candidate will:
•    Have a team player focus who puts the shared interests of the team ahead of their own;
•    Be someone who can work both autonomously, using their own initiative and within a team dynamic;
•    Be someone who can communicate with credibility to contacts at various levels being able to direct and deliver messages to fellow team members, customer tasking teams and partner agencies.
•    Understand the importance of and to be able to build strong working relationships with colleagues and external agencies.
•    See development as a consistent need, being motivated to learn, develop and participate in on-the-job training.
•    Be someone who will agree to and can meet set objectives within agreed deadlines.   
 
After successfully completing 12 months in post you will be required to go onto a shift pattern of work. This will incur an addition to your salary. More details regarding this addition will be discussed with candidates who attend interviews/assessments.

This role itself is subject to a 12-month pass/fail probationary period with progress being reviewed every 3 months within that period.

The successful candidate will need to commit to an overall minimum posting length of 5 years and once training is complete, you must be able to cover operational tasks and on-call commitments on a full-time basis.


Training:
Although the role requires an individual with extensive Forensics experience, MI5 will provide extensive training which will be prioritised to support the business needs.

•    You will receive on-the-job technical training, based around your core objectives and be provided with a bespoke training programme – tailored to your skills and experience - with set targets and deadlines you will be assessed against.

Benefits:

If you join us you’ll enjoy access to a variety of benefits throughout your career.   These include:

•    Very competitive Pension scheme with low employee contributions and high employer contributions;
•    Interest free travel season ticket loan;
•    Cycle to work scheme;
•    Subsidised Gym and access to a variety of fitness classes;
•    Subsidised staff restaurant and Café.

Recruitment Process

When you apply for this role you will be invited to upload your CV and complete an online application form. The recruitment team will conduct a sift of your application and successful applicants will be invited to attend a competency based face to face interview/assessment to further explore your skills and motivation for the role. As part of this stage will require you to undertake a driving assessment to confirm your suitability for the role.

If you are successful at this interview stage, you will be required to agree to be undertake the vetting stage of the recruitment process. This will include the need to attend a security interview with a vetting officer. You should read about the vetting process and satisfy yourself that you meet the criteria outlined in the vetting pages of the ‘How to Apply’ section prior to submitting your application.  

Giving misleading information or omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously. You should ensure that you follow the guidance from when you apply.

This role requires candidates who have passed the interview/assessment stage to undertake a pass/fail fitness for role medical. If unsuccessful it will mean your application cannot be further progressed.   

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to being a ‘Disability Confident Leader’ we offer an interview to all candidates with a disability who meet our minimum criteria for the role that they are applying for. This is known as the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS).

You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy. If you meet the criteria you will be directed to the initial application form. On successful completion of this stage, you will be invited to interview. This is our guaranteed interview.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must meet our residency criteria. You must be a born or naturalised British citizen and one of your parents must be a British citizen or have substantial ties to the UK.

Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for nine out of the last 10 years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You will nonetheless be considered if you have, for example, served overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of Her Majesty's Government, studied abroad, or lived overseas with your parents. You can apply at the age of 17 years and 6 months, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday.


Discretion

Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. 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.  Further information on our eligibility criteria can be found on the ‘How to Apply’ section.

MI5 is an Equal Opportunities employer, committed to reflecting the society we protect.  Our recruitment process is fair, transparent and based on merit. We particularly welcome applications from diverse and under-represented groups.