Intelligence Officer Development Programme

The IODP is a structured two year programme designed to teach you about MI5 investigations and give you the confidence to run them. New entrants either complete two postings of one year's duration, or one posting of two years. These initial roles are designed to develop key skills relevant to intelligence work.

After two years and subject to successful completion of performance reviews and assessments, Intelligence Officers are then eligible to undertake our six week Foundation Investigative Training Course (FIT). FIT will prepare you for a move into one of our investigative sections. On successful completion of the course, you will also be eligible to apply for promotion, subject to assessments. If successful, your salary will increase to £36,736.

You will then take up your first three year investigative or assessment role in MI5. After this, you will have the choice to remain in investigative work, or move into an operational, assessment or policy role. Throughout your career you will have the opportunity to move between these areas of work and apply for further promotion, subject to assessments.

IODP postings (years one and two)

For the first two years new entrants fulfil roles that are designed to develop skills directly relevant to intelligence work, helping you learn how investigations work before you lead them. The following are a flavour of the types of roles you could be doing.

Digital Intelligence

Many new entrants join our Digital Intelligence Unit. Roles here will involve analysing and assessing information gained through interception, in order to further investigations. After initial training on the tools we use, you could be embedded in an investigative team, providing advice and analysis to help inform and direct investigations.

Warrantry

A role in our warrantry section will provide an excellent overview of MI5's investigations and operations. Warrants allow MI5 to intercept letters, emails and telephone calls, interfere with property or carry out intrusive surveillance. Here you will be involved in preparing warrants and ensuring they meet the appropriate legislative criteria, before being forwarded to the Home Secretary for approval.

Centre for the Protection of National Infrastructure (CPNI)

This is an inter-departmental organisation accountable to the Director General of MI5. A role in the CPNI would see you working with colleagues from across government, meeting and advising representatives from private sector companies that form part of the UK national infrastructure. In this role you might be collecting, analysing and assessing intelligence from a variety of sources, in order to produce reports for these external partners. Your responsibilities may also include discussing challenging issues such as security for high profile events, like the London Olympics and Commonwealth Games.