Foundation Analysts Ref. 2408

Stonewall Top Employer AwardSocial Mobility Foundation AwardThe Times Top 100Disability confident leader

Analysis
Belfast
£26,660 rising to £28,820 after one year
Yes
A period of working a 24/7 shift pattern during the first four years of employment is required

Your attention to detail will help us build a clearer picture.

MI5’s mission is to keep the places, people and communities that we love safe. Our Foundation Analysts are at the heart of this, finding details that help us stop threats and prevent harm. It’s a varied role, which is why we need people from all walks of life to help us. As a Foundation Analyst, you can build a career doing a vital job within a supportive team.

The Role

As part of a multi-skilled analysis team based near Belfast, you’ll work towards a shared purpose: developing insight from data. Every day, you’ll work together with colleagues, providing information to help keep people safe. You’ll join a four-year development programme where you’ll learn how to analyse a variety of data which is often incomplete, so we can understand the whole picture.

Working closely with teams across MI5, you’ll work to understand their requirements. You’ll use this information to find the right answers and progress our investigations using the different tools and techniques you will be trained on through the programme. Although you’ll work with a variety of data, from audio files to written communication, you’ll be very clearly briefed on what you’re looking for. Your tasks will be prioritised to help you manage and plan your own workload. Day to day, you’ll explain your findings and share your progress with colleagues.

Whilst it may be a fast-paced environment, you won’t be on your own. You’ll always have your team to help you, provide guidance and talk through your ideas.

You’ll also have the support and resources to develop your skills. Throughout the programme, you’ll enjoy ongoing training, including specific training on how to analyse different types of data. On top of this, there will be opportunities to learn about the organisation more widely and make time for your own self-development.  

Before going into your first analyst role in a thematic team, you’ll complete six weeks of full-time training. During this time, you’ll learn the role and become familiar with our processes. After your first role, you’ll move onto your second analysis role. This role will involve shift work on a 24/7 basis, for which you’ll receive an allowance. You don’t need any experience of working shifts and you’ll know your shift pattern well in advance so you can plan your life outside work. You’ll then move to your third and final role on the programme for the remainder of the four year programme. You’ll return to a standard working pattern in a different analysis team, where you’ll be able to consolidate your new knowledge and experience of data. After this role, you’ll have the opportunity to specialise in a certain area of analysis.

Key responsibilities

•    Work together with other teams in MI5 to gather information and understand requirements.
•    Learn how to work with different types of data and answer specific questions.
•    Communicate your findings back to teams and keep everyone updated on your progress.
•    Work independently and with real initiative.
•    Seek guidance and opinions from experienced analysts.
•    Explain information in a clear manner, recording and sharing information and knowledge securely.
•    Adhere to compliance, policy and legal guidelines.

About You

It’s only with different perspectives, backgrounds, cultures and outlooks that we can find the answers we’re looking for. Our Foundation Analysts have different backgrounds and come from different communities – but the thing that unites them is their passion for protecting the people and places they love.

If you relish learning new things, then we’ll teach you everything you need to know. This will be your first rung on the ladder for a long and fulfilling career in analysis. Although you’ll have a C or 4 in GCSE English or equivalent qualification, we aren’t looking for someone who has experience in analysis or a degree. It’s more important that you’re curious and a team player, with a logical, proactive approach.

You’ll need to enjoy solving problems and seeing through to resolution. You’ll be keen to get stuck in and find answers yet know when to seek guidance from more experienced colleagues. It’s this flexibility and motivation that’ll help you to adapt to changing situations. As you’ll be working with a range of people, you’ll need to be comfortable communicating plus have the ability to listen carefully and communicate your findings quickly and clearly using a variety of methods.  
Please note that you’ll need to be able to drive to our site. Car parking facilities are available for all.

Whilst we accept applications from graduates for this role, you should note that it is not a graduate level position and the Intelligence Officer Development Programme (IODP), Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme and Technical Graduate Development Programme are more suited to those looking for a graduate opportunity. These opportunities are regularly advertised on our website.

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £26,660 plus other benefits including:

-    25 days’ Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 12 days public and privilege holidays.
-    Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
-    A Personal Learning Budget to fund development at each stage of your career, and dedicated time to invest in your learning and development.
-    Opportunities to work flexibly, subject to business needs
-    Excellent pension scheme
-    Facilities such as a subsidised gym and restaurant
-    Paid parental and adoption leave

Culture and Working Environment

As part of our team, you’ll discover a workplace that’s welcoming, supportive and encouraging.  You’ll be part of an organisation where people want to support one another and make a difference. Aside from fostering an open culture, we’ve got a range of growing affinity groups. For example:  

•    Faith/No Faith communities for staff to come together  
•    Ethnic Minority and gender equality networks
•    Groups supporting wellbeing, mental health, neurodiversity and disability LGBTQ+ support networks

You’ll also find a variety of sports and social groups to help you settle in and connect with people with similar interests.

Before You Apply

To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen. If you are a dual national, of which one component is British, you will also be considered. For the Foundation Analyst role, you’ll also need to have a C or 4 in GCSE English or equivalent qualification. We do 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.

Honesty and integrity are really important if you want to work at MI5. Take some time to read about the vetting process and make sure you meet the criteria in the vetting pages of the ‘How to Apply’ section. The process can take some time, but this is just because it’s thorough. Giving misleading information and omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously.

The role is based near Belfast, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application.

Discretion is vital in MI5. 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.

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, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodiverse conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce.

We’re Disability Confident

As a Disability Confident leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. This is known as Offer of an Interview. To secure an interview for this vacancy, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

•    Eligibility questions – You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy. If you meet the eligibility criteria you will directed to the initial application form.
•    Online tests – You will be required to reach the pass mark set for the cognitive ability test and transcription assessment.
•    Application form – You will be required to pass an application form sift

On successful completion of these stages, you will be invited to complete a telephone interview. This is our offer of an interview.

Eligibility Criteria
 
To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. One of your parents must be a British Citizen or must have one of the nationalities or citizenships from one of the following: British Overseas Territory, British Subject, British National (Overseas), British Overseas Citizen, British Protected Person, citizenship of a country in the Commonwealth, citizenship of a country in the European Economic Area (EEA), or citizenship of the United States of America (USA). If deceased, they should have had such citizenship or nationality before death.

If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. If successful, you will not normally be required to give up your non-British citizenship but, as a condition of your employment or secondment, MI5 may impose restrictions on your postings, work travel and/or general use of that nationality. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. Each case will be carefully considered on its own facts.

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 is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

•    Initial application – You’ll need to complete some basic personal details and eligibility questions
•    Online tests – You will then be asked to complete a Cognitive Ability Test and a short Transcription Assessment
•    Full application – You’ll then need to complete your education and work history and answer some competency-based questions
•    Telephone Interview – You’ll be asked both competency based and strengths based questions
•    Assessment centre – You’ll attend an online assessment centre involving an interview, roleplay and written exercises.

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

Our Vetting

To work in this role, you will need the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in MI5 has to go through and it can take some time. As part of the DV process you will be asked to fill in a detailed questionnaire and attend an interview with a vetting officer. In your interview the vetting officer will have a thorough, compassionate and honest discussion with you about you as a person and your life experiences, to ensure holding a DV clearance is right for you. You don’t need to do any preparation for your vetting interview, just be honest and be yourself. All applicants for DV are treated impartially and consistently, irrespective of gender, race, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation and other protected characteristics.

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.

This Program / Vacancy is closed to applications.