About Us

We are MI5, we protect the UK from threats to national security such as terrorism and espionage. We gather intelligence and work closely with the police and law enforcement to detect threats and work out ways to stop them.

At MI5 it’s equally important that we protect our people, places and property. When you join us as an Estates Surveyor, Property Asset manager you’ll help us do just that – from one, or several of our locations.


The Estates Team

We require a Qualified Chartered Surveyor or equivalent to work within our estates team.  In this role you will deliver professional estates management and advice across a diverse portfolio, responding to business needs in order to deliver the most appropriate solution.  You will advise colleagues, deliver landlord and tenant work (rent reviews, lease, and MOTO/MOU negotiation) and act as the intelligent client to negotiate with third parties. This position provides an opportunity to work with a range of tenure types.


The Role

You will work alongside a team of professionals including facilities management and sustainability specialists, space planners, engineers, business experts, external consultants, and partner organisations to deliver a whole life menu of estates advice and fit for purpose, sustainable, compliant working-environments.  Using consultants where necessary, you will propose and deliver asset management plans and estate management, through entire property life cycles from acquisition to disposal.

You will be based in Central London with a requirement for travel across the UK.  Holding a full UK driving licence is highly desirable, but not essential.


Responsibilities

•    Manage landlord and tenant relationships and ownership issues in line with best practice and promote Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) best practice.
•    Manage property metrics, including the use of property databases.
•    Monitor rent, rates, utility, service charge payments and manage invoices and payments.
•    Manage budgets and forecasts.
•    Negotiate and advise on occupation agreements including rent reviews, renewals, and ownership issues.
•    Contribute to the estate Property Asset Management processes including asset management planning and execution.
•    Liaise with stakeholders, work with colleagues, and interact on property maintenance, sustainability and delivering direct services reflecting business requirements.
•    Contribute to the organisation’s estate Pathway to Net Zero and estate sustainability best practice including green leases and estate impact.


About You

•    You have experience of Landlord and Tenant Law, relevant legislation and best practice of ownership life cycle events to directly negotiate property and lease transactions.

•    You have the ability to manage and prioritise the workload and transactions across a multi-site portfolio while negotiating with all levels of external stakeholders including landlords, professional appointed surveyors and solicitors.  You will be adept at managing budgets, using your communication skills to support negotiations and escalate issues as required.
 
•    You are a dynamic yet adaptable individual, with the drive and determination to maximise efficiency in your property portfolio.

•    You balance best practice, customer focus and business requirements in communicating and delivering your professional advice.

•    You are aware of and have applied the Government Functional Standards 004 Property or “similar” in your work practice.
 

Desirable skills and experience

The following qualifications are desirable, but not essential:

•    Experienced in Corporate Real Estate Management, General Practice Estate Surveying across a diverse range of property types and tenures.
•    Working knowledge of estates related legislation, government estates and RICS best practice.
•    Working knowledge of delivering central government or public estates management solutions.
•    Experience in financial management and planning.
•    Proficient in the principles, methods, techniques, and tools for the preparation and monitoring of budgets to minimise costs and ensure cost effectiveness.

The following qualifications are desirable, but not essential:

•    MRICS/FRICS or senior membership
Or
•    Degree or equivalent in real estate, facilities management, or a related technical field.


Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £54,410 to £58,755 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.
-    Opportunities to work flexibly, subject to business needs
-    Interest-free season ticket loan
-    Excellent pension scheme
-    Cycle to work scheme
-    Facilities such as a subsidised gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars
-    Paid parental and adoption leave


Culture and Working Environment

As part of our team, you’ll discover an inclusive 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:  
 
•    Ethnic Minority and gender equality networks
•    Groups supporting wellbeing, mental health, neurodiversity and disability
•    Faith/No Faith communities for staff to come together
•    LGBTQ+ support networks

You’ll also find a variety of sports, activity, interest 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. 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 in MI5, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application.

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 neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce.


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 ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview where practicable; this is known as ‘Offer of an Interview’.

To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

•    Passing the application sift carried out by the hiring manager.


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. 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 of the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. Further information on our eligibility criteria can be found on the Applying section.


What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
•    Application form
•    Applications are sifted by the hiring manager
•    A one-day assessment centre (online or in person tbc) which includes:
o    Documents check
o    Competency question-based interview
o    Drugs test
•    Vetting process
•    Contract signing
•    Induction course
•    Start work in your team

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 the UK Intelligence Community 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.


Right to Withdraw

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.