Business Support Officer Ref. 3136

About Us
We’re MI6, also known as SIS. Our mission is to protect the security and economic well being of the UK from overseas threats such as regional instability, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. Working across the globe and in close partnership with MI5 and GCHQ, we help the Government to counter these threats through the provision of secret intelligence. A role in MI6 will see you providing vital support to this work, within a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.

The Role
The work of Business Support Officers is varied. You could be working in a team supporting intelligence gathering, or part of a team that ensures the smooth running of the organisation. You’ll be placed in your first two roles and spend two years in each getting to know the role and learning about the broader organisation, all within a supportive environment. After this, you will have the opportunity to apply for an overseas post if you wish, or promotion if you’re ready. No matter the department you support, your perspective will always be valued. And you’ll have the opportunity to develop and be encouraged to think of new ways of doing things.

A range of working patterns are available, including part-time, compressed hours and job shares. If this interests you, it can be discussed during the recruitment process

About You
Business Support Officers come from diverse backgrounds. Some come straight from full-time education, others might have extensive work experience, but all are attracted by our unique working environment. You’ll need at least 5 GCSEs Grades 9-4 (A to E) including Maths and English Language Grades A to C or equivalent. You don’t need any administrative experience to start as a BSO, it’s your skills and potential that we’re interested in.

We look for a high level of professionalism, as well as sound judgement and strong organisational skills. We need people who are adaptable with a broad range of skills like communication, problem-solving and the ability to plan and prioritise your workload. This means you’ll be able to perform well in any of our varied roles.  As someone who enjoys working in a team, you’ll go out of your way to help others and share your knowledge. And, importantly, you’ll understand the importance of discretion. If that sounds like you, you’re perfect for MI6.

Training and Development
We’re hugely committed to staff development. All our Business Support Officers attend a short induction course when they join. Your learning doesn’t stop there, as you’ll have the opportunity to attend a wide range of personal development and job specific courses throughout your career. Whether it’s through courses run by our own academy, or through knowledge sharing, you’ll never stop learning. Our strong community of Business Support Officers has created a peer network, where you can learn from each other, share ideas, organise events and build connections that’ll last throughout your career. 

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £31,393 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.
-    Opportunities to work flexibly, subject to business needs.
-    Interest-free season ticket loan.
-    Excellent pension scheme.
-    Cycle to work scheme.
-    Facilities such as a gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars.
-    Paid parental and adoption leave. 

Equal Opportunities 
At 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 

We’re Disability Confident
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 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 vacancy, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are: 

•    Five GCSEs at grade 9-4 (A*-E, including Maths and English Language at grade A*-C (or equivalent)
•    Successfully passing a question about your motivation for applying for the role
•    On completion of the application form, you will be invited to an online interview. This is your offer of interview.

(If you require reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process please let us know)

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 complete an online application form and online test.
-    You’ll be invited to attend an online interview.
-    If you’re successful at this stage, you will be made a conditional offer of employment while you undergo the Developed Vetting process (details below). You will only be made a final offer of employment once you have obtained the necessary security clearance.

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 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 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.

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.