Cyber Technologies & Solutions Degree Apprenticeship

Job summary

• Do you have an inquisitive mind?
• Do you like to understand how something works?……… and then how you can break it!
• Are you interested in using your skills on classified projects you can’t see anywhere else?
• Can you work in a team of world-class scientists and engineers who are all learning and creating new tools and techniques to break computer systems?
• Can you learn to adapt and build hardware and software solutions to give our military new knowledge, tools, and techniques?

Join Dstl as a Cyber Technologies and Solutions Degree Apprentice!

Step into the world of defence science and technology with our Cyber Apprenticeships—an opportunity to help protect the nation’s most advanced research, innovations, and digital systems.

As part of a specialist team working at the forefront of security and intelligence, you’ll develop the skills needed to understand and assess evolving cyber threats while gaining hands on experience with cutting edge tools, expert mentors, and real world missions.

This is your chance to grow, learn, and make a meaningful impact from day one.

Your current situation:

You may have never worked in an office, be finishing sixth form, leaving the armed forces, looking for a career change, or not enjoying your current studies. No matter what your current situation is, if you are at least 18 years old you can join us as an apprentice.

Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.

Job description

As a Cyber Technologies & Solutions Degree Apprentice, you’ll build a powerful blend of practical skills and deep technical knowledge—everything you need to start shaping the future of cyber.

You’ll get hands on with real hardware and software, learn how to spot and fix vulnerabilities, and explore how people, maths, and code all come together in modern cyber systems.

For more information on the Cyber Technologies & Solutions Degree Apprenticeship, please see the candidate pack attached below.

Person specification

We are looking for motivated individuals who are inquisitive and have a desire to understand how technology and systems fundamentally operate, who can bring their developing technical experience into play to ensure that Dstl can meet the constantly evolving challenges of the digital age.

For more information on the essential criteria, please see the candidate pack attached below.

Important Information:

Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats.

This role will require Developed Vetting and you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.

For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.

Individuals within DSTL who hold dual nationality and currently hold the required clearance level may apply. If found suitable for the role further security discussions will need to take place before a formal offer can be made.

Attendance:

At Dstl, our vision is to have a modern way of working efficiently, accommodating and enabling our people to create, collaborate and deliver.

To do this successfully in this job will require attendance at a Dstl location; Government Departments including wider MoD or Delivery and Mission Partner’s premises for 60% of your working time.

Where business needs allow, and with the agreement of your line manager, there may be the option for a combination of workplace and home-based working. This is a non-contractual arrangement.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Delivering at Pace
• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Changing and Improving

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £27,924, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £8,089 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

Benefits

Dstl’s full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:

• Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 26% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme.

• Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours (e.g. working a 4 day week/ 9 day fortnight), job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).

• Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.

• Where you work: Depending on your role, blended working may be available including remote working to suit you and your team. This can be discussed at interview.

• Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.

• Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid

• Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.

• Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk and we will do all we can to support you.

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use https://www.civil-service-careers.gov.uk/artificial-intelligence-and-recruitment/ .

At the application stage we will be assessing the essential criteria against your submitted application against the essential criteria outlined in the job profile.

Sifting will take place between 24th-27th March with interviews to be held face to face between 13th-30th April at Dstl Porton Down.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Dstl Recruitment
• Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk

Further information

Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process you should email dstlrecruitment@dstl.gov.uk stating the nature of the issue. We will respond within 5 working days.

Attachments

20260209_Cyber Technologies & Solutions Degree Apprenticeship_Candidate_Pack Opens in new window (pdf, 5950kB)