Flexible Working: Full time (36 hours per week). Home working will not be possible but some flexible working considered, including part-time and compressed hours, dependent on business need.

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 an Explosives and IED Specialist, you’ll provide in-depth, reliable technical assessments on terrorist weaponry. With your extensive knowledge in this field, you’ll analyse intelligence that could relate to attempts to acquire and deploy explosives and help us assess the level of threat through verbal and written reports. The post sits within an MI5 weapons analysis team, whose main responsibility is to provide technical assessment on terrorist weaponry such as IEDs and firearms.

You’ll represent MI5 in the development of policy across Whitehall, cross-governmental committees and working groups, as well as supporting wider government efforts to counter the threat of explosives. Liaising with a range of policy customers, you’ll share current intelligence and assessments to influence programmes, and maintain links with government departments to ensure MI5 can access the various technical specialists we need. Plus, you’ll be working with colleagues across the intelligence agencies and police partners to deliver awareness briefings and training. 

The role involves individual project work as part of a small, collaborative team of specialists and internal and external partners and customers. Based in London, you’ll be expected to conduct regular liaison visits within the UK with occasional overnight travel for both UK and overseas conferences. Occasional out of hours working is required as part of the team’s on call arrangements. 

About You

You’ll have considerable experience working with ammunition and explosives, including counterterrorist IEDD. You will have an extensive military or policing background in a role such as Ammunition Technical Officer or similar; you may also hold a recognised professional qualification such as an Explosive Ordnance Engineering MSc (or in a related field) as well as IED Disposal qualification. In addition, you may be a member of a recognised professional body i.e. the Institute of Explosive Engineers.

Importantly, you’ll have operational IEDD experience in a high threat environment, as well as practical experience of explosive damage estimation and post-bomb scene investigation. This will be supported by your formal training in bomb disposal and chemical usage, allowing you to advise on the set-up and usage of such materials. 

As you’ll be working closely with colleagues across MI5 and government, you’ll enjoy collaborating with others and be keen to share your knowledge and expertise. You’ll communicate technical assessments to technical and non-technical colleagues, so you’ll know how translate intricate information in a way that’s easy to understand. 

Training and Development

Upon joining, you’ll undertake a three-day induction into the organisation. You’ll also be assigned an experienced mentor, who’ll be able to provide advice, guidance and support.

We’re committed to ensuring our colleagues have access to a wide range of development opportunities. You'll be encouraged to continuously develop your skills and knowledge, with training available in a variety of areas including IT, Homemade Explosives (HME) awareness courses, intelligence handling, legal, health and safety, and workshop training and familiarisation. Plus, you’ll have a personal learning budget to allow you to pursue your development in areas of your choosing.

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary between £61,350 to £66,175, plus other benefits including:

• 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
• Personal Learning Budget
• Interest-free season ticket loan
• Excellent pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Rented accommodation loan for new joiners relocating 

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 here:

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:

• You will need to hold an IEDD or EOD qualification and have operational experience in a high threat environment.
• You will need to hold a recognised ammunition or explosives related professional qualification.
• You will need to reach the pass mark for the technical question in the application form.

What to Expect

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

• If you meet the eligibility criteria, you’ll be invited to complete the full application form which includes motivation, competency, and technical questions.
• If you pass the application form sift, you’ll be invited to an interview.
• Interview, including technical and competency-based questions.
• If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment and progress to the vetting stage of the process.

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 continue any current employment until you have received your final job 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. 

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 practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discretely. 

The role is based in 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.