What this Programme has to offer

We have traditionally recruited graduates through our Intelligence Officer and Data Analyst Development Programmes. We have now launched an alternative graduate campaign for roles within our corporate community. This is a role for those who are looking for a rewarding career in corporate services, and who want to use their skills to help keep the country safe, by providing the vital services that MI5 needs to operate.

Our Business Enablers develop a breadth of experience by undertaking a corporate role and collaborate with a range of business areas. Business Enablers can also go on to specialise in particular areas such as Finance, Legal, Information Management, HR, Project Management, Compliance, Recruitment, Policy, and Data Management. On joining, you will be placed in a corporate post which will typically last for 2-3 years. After that point, you will be able to apply for a range of different roles across MI5.

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Starting Salary

£33,350

Our starting salary is £33,350, rising to £36,053 after the first year.

Work Life Balance

Flexible

You can’t take your work home with you, so once you leave the office your time is your own.

Future

Varied Career

You will have the option to move around a vast range of different business areas or to specialise in an area that you find most interesting.

Induction and Training

While there is no specific training to prepare you for the Business Enabler role, on joining you will attend MI5's standard induction course, and then further training will depend on the role in which you are placed. This could be classroom-based training, on-the-job-training, or a mixture of the two.

Developing your Career

Once you are settled in your role it's over to you to decide how you would like to develop your career. MI5 will provide plenty of support to help you along the way.

Future

Once you have reached the end of your first corporate posting, you will be able to apply for different roles across the organisation. You might choose to move between departments and experience a broad range of work, or you might choose to specialise in one area of corporate services, such as Finance, HR or Recruitment.

Case Study

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Legal Oversight

My first posting as a Business Enabler was in the Legal Oversight Team. Initially I was quite daunted as I did not have any legal background, but my team were really supportive and made sure I had access to the right resources and training to get up to speed. The team acts as a liaison point between the Service and the Commissioners who have legal oversight of our work. Commissioners are appointed by the Prime Minister and their function is to ensure that we are acting within the legal frameworks which govern our work. 

In my role I facilitated Commissioner visits, provided answers to follow up questions from the visits, and helped to create guidance and promote best practice within the Service. All of these tasks meant I got to work closely with investigative and operational sections to ensure that we had the right information available at the right time. 

The posting gave me a good opportunity to see the wide range of work that MI5 does and has given me a good understanding of the legal frameworks that it operates within. It also gave me plenty of opportunity to build up the necessary experience and gather the evidence which supported my application for promotion at the end of my posting. 

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What we are looking for

To apply you'll need to have, or be expecting, a 2:2 degree in any discipline or have relevant work experience. It takes people from a variety of backgrounds to help us tackle the threats that we face and MI5 is committed to reflect the society we protect, for this reason our Business Enablers come from all walks of life. What they share are strong organisational skills, an eye for detail and the ability to work flexibly. Alongside this you'll be good at building relationships with a variety of people and will be a strong communicator.

Application Process

We run a transparent process that can last between nine to twelve months, we've outlined below what you can expect during this process.

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Application Stage

This involves eligibility, motivation and competency application forms, and a situational judgement test, that will ask you to make decisions regarding a number of work specific scenarios

Telephone Interview

The telephone interview will test your motivation and include some competency questions

Assessment Centre

This will consist of a motivation and competency interview, two role-plays and a written assessment

Final Selection Board

Following the assessment centre, you may be invited to attend a final selection board; this will be based on your performance throughout the process

Our Other Programmes

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Intelligence Officer Development Programme (IODP)

As the country faces increased threats to national security, a role as an Intelligence Officer gives you the opportunity to have a tangible impact on the security of the UK. 

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Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme (I&DADP)

Our Intelligence and Data Analysts use advanced data analytical techniques that place them at the heart of MI5's investigations.

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Technology Graduate Development Programme (TGDP)

Our Technology Graduate Development Programme offers an exciting opportunity to work in a unique and stimulating environment, where technology plays a crucial and increasingly frontline role.