Senior Software Engineer Ref. 3200

Flexible Working: There is a possibility for flexible working such as fitting your working hours around your individual needs (subject to core hours and business need), term time and part time (minimum coverage of 3 days).  

About Us 

MI5 and MI6 are part of the UK’s Intelligence Services.. We work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests and businesses from various threats at home, overseas and online, including cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. Working across our vital missions, you’ll deliver impact at the heart of national security, all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive. 

The Role                            

Technology sits at the heart of everything we do at MI5 and MI6. We're looking for experienced Software Engineers to lead technical multi-disciplinary product teams.  You’ll set the technical direction and support the decision making and risk taking within engineering teams while working alongside a range of technical specialists including Product Owners, Business Analysts, Delivery Managers, Data Scientists and Machine Learning Engineers, to build and run secure applications and products. We use agile methodologies to deliver products that are core to MI5 and MI6's operation and we make use of modern approaches and cloud technologies such as AWS and Azure. As well as on-premises platforms and long-established technologies and frameworks. 

This is a vital role in a team that ensures MI5 and MI6 can stay ahead in an evolving digital world. You’ll share our collective responsibility to keep the country safe and be keen to constantly improve yourself and your team, leading the development across a small number of teams or taking responsibility for a particular technical specialism where you will act as a subject matter expert. You’ll support and mentor less experienced colleagues and help them to understand what great software engineering looks like, promoting best practises, and setting standards across the organisation, you’ll participate in guilds, and encourage cross-organisation initiatives to help build our community of engineers. 

Our tech stacks vary between products (such as Java, C#, React.js, Oracle, Mongo, Elastic Search and Hadoop to name a few). We embrace a DevSecOps mindset, our teams automate, run and support what we build.   You’ll be working under the Digital, Data and Technology (DDaT) Capability framework, which recognises and rewards specialist expertise. Due to the nature of our work, some of the teams only work from the office. There may be opportunities to work in a hybrid way, this is not guaranteed and dependant on the business need.  Whether it’s building a platform to enable the analysis of data systems to track the progress of our investigations, compliance services to ensure we are operating legally or tooling to improve our developer experience, the nature of our work presents unique and fascinating engineering challenges, the likes of which you will never have seen before.    

About You  

You’ll demonstrate experience working with a broad range of technologies, leading engineering teams and competent in making technical decisions or taking responsibility for a particular technical specialism matter expert. We’re looking for software engineers who are proficient in developing software in at least one common language.  For example, Java, C#, Python, GoLang or JavaScript. You’ll be able to demonstrate proficiency in the use of the agile methodology and have awareness of design patterns and how to implement them appropriately with security in mind. We value your good communication skills, as you collaborate with solution and principal architects to ensure the team owns and drives forward the solution that delivers the right results. 

Training and Development  

We’re committed to developing our staff and recognise this will look different for everyone. We’ll use the Digital Data Technology (DDaT) capability framework as a compass to provide guidance and tools to support you. There’ll be opportunities to gain qualifications and pursue specialist pathways, as well as undertaking tailored training, coaching and mentoring. Individuals can also attend hackathons and have up to 20% innovation and personal development time.

As you develop, grow, and maintain your technical skills, you will have the opportunity to progress through DDaT pay points. You’ll need to regularly demonstrate and accredit your skills based on the framework. If you don’t maintain the required skills, you’ll be given the opportunity and support to rectify this, as you could revert to a lower level of capability and pay.

 Rewards and Benefits  

You’ll receive a starting salary of £74,609 - £83,677 (dependent on skills and experience) 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
• 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.

We operate a capability-based pay approach for specific DDaT roles, recognising and rewarding specialist expertise. Salaries include consolidated (pensionable) and non-consolidated (non-pensionable) elements. The approach consists of three pay points per grade aligned to capability levels, allowing greater pay progression within role. As you develop, grow, and maintain your technical skills, you will have the opportunity to progress through the pay points. You will need to regularly demonstrate and accredit your skills based on the capability framework for your role.  If you fail to maintain the required skills, you may be reverted to a lower capability and pay level. 

Equal Opportunities 

At MI5 and MI6 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: 

https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity 

https://www.MI6.gov.uk/explore-careers.html 

We’re Disability Confident 

MI5 and MI6 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:  

• Demonstrate ability in developing software in at least one common language (assessed at application form sift)
• Demonstrate taking a lead across multiple teams or taking responsibility for a particular technology specialism in a relevant role. As well as, guiding and supporting less experienced individuals (assessed at application form sift)
• Demonstrate proficiency in the use of the agile methodology and have awareness of design patterns and how to implement them appropriately with security in mind (assessed at application form sift)
• Demonstrate an understanding of the principles of modern standards approaches such as continuous integration and delivery, test driven development and cloud services (assessed at application form sift)

 What to Expect  

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

• You’ll be invited to upload your CV and complete an online application form.  
• If you pass, you’ll be invited to an interview where you will be asked questions relating to your motivation and our core competencies. 
• If you pass, you’ll be invited to a technical skill-based interview based on the Digital Data and Technology capability framework for the role.  

This will cover drawing upon your experience for the following DDaT skills. 

1. Programming & Build including Modern Standard Approaches 
2. Development Process Optimisations 
3. Information Security 
4. System Design including User Focus 

For more details, please see  https://www.gov.uk/guidance/software-developer#lead-developer            

If you pass, you’ll start our vetting 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 to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer. 

Before You Apply 

 To work at MI5 and MI6, 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. 

The role is based in Central London so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before applying. An interest-free loan via our benevolent fund is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment. 

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.