DE&S Protective Security Adviser Apprenticeship Scheme

Job summary

Location: MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol, BS34 8JH (office attendance required)
Duration: 24 – 26 months
Start Date: September 2026
Salary: £23,280 (with annual increments)

Entry Requirements: Five full GCSEs at grades 4-9 including English Language and Mathematics, and two A Levels at minimum grade C

Working Pattern: Full-time

Overview:
Join the DE&S Security Profession in a vital role that helps protect our people, information, assets, and capabilities. This apprenticeship scheme offers hands-on experience and the opportunity to work towards a Level 4 qualification. As a Security Apprentice, you will play an active part in identifying vulnerabilities, understanding threats, and supporting the delivery of protective security measures across a diverse organisation. This scheme develops the foundational skills needed to contribute to a “converged security” approach, integrating personnel, physical, technical and cyber security in line with the Government Security Framework. You will gain hands‑on experience, professional development, and the opportunity to learn from security specialists working across Defence to ensure that critical activities remain safe, secure and resilient.

Job description

During this apprenticeship, you'll rotate across a variety of Security Profession teams, developing practical experience in personnel, physical and cyber security.

You will:

• support the identification of threats and vulnerabilities
• help assess security risks
• contribute to developing proportionate mitigations that protect Defence people, assets, and information.

Working with internal and external partners, you will:

• assist in producing security briefings
• maintain asset and risk registers
• contribute to protective security planning and assurance activity
• gain experience communicating effectively with stakeholders
• support the adoption of protective security best practice across DE&S, building the core capabilities required of a future Protective Security Adviser

Read more about the Apprenticeship Standards here: Protective security adviser / Skills England

Person specification

Minimum selection criteria:

• Five full GCSEs at grades 4-9 including English Language and Mathematics and Two A Levels at minimum grade C
• Pass at online assessment stage

Final-year students can apply with official predicted grades; all qualifications must be evidenced by end of August 2026. (Equivalent level qualifications to GCSEs in the required subject and grades will also be considered).

Eligibility:

• UK residency for the last 5 years
• Security Check (SC) clearance required
• Right to work in the UK (DE&S does not sponsor visas)
• Must not hold existing higher-level qualifications in the same or a similar subject
• Must no longer be in full-time education by the start of the scheme

Behaviours

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

• Communicating and Influencing
• Working Together
• Making Effective Decisions
• Delivering at Pace

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £23,280, Ministry of Defence contributes £6,744 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

• Salary of £23,280 with annual increments
• 25 days holiday (plus bank holidays and an extra privilege day)
• Employer pension contribution of 28.97%
• Flexible working options and access to on-site facilities
• Professional training and funding for qualifications
• Access to employee networks promoting diversity and inclusion
• Huge range of discounts

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.

Application Process

Apply Online (26 Jan – 16 Feb 2026)

Complete an online application form using the link in this advert. Complete all information accurately including how you meet our minimum selection criteria. Please allow sufficient time to submit your application before the deadline.

Online Assessments (Feb 2026)

We’ll ask you to complete some interactive assessments. These should take around 35 - 40 minutes. They will provide us with insight into your adaptability, how you interact and learn new skills, and how you will naturally act and think at work.

Eligibility checks (March 2026)

We will review your application form to ensure you meet our minimum selection criteria and nationality requirements.

Assessment Centre (April 2026)

Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an assessment centre at DE&S headquarters, MOD Abbey Wood, Bristol. There will be limited dates available. You’ll undertake an interview, presentation and a group activity. Please note, attendance is required in person, as virtual participation is not available.

Provisional Offer (May 2026)

We will offer based on order of merit to the number of roles available.

Onboarding (May – Aug 2026)

All pre-employment checks will take place to ensure you evidence our minimum selection and eligibility criteria to undertake a role within the MOD. If all are successful, we will provide a formal offer of employment.

Induction (September 2026)

Subject to confirmation, this scheme is expected to start September 2026.

Additional Information

• Your application form must list your qualifications to meet the minimum selection criteria, if missing, we will be unable to qualify you against our eligibility checks.
• Should you encounter any technical difficulties submitting your application please take screenshots and email us DESHR-ETCoE-Recruitment@mod.gov.uk. Without screenshots of the issue, we may be unable to progress your application.
• On occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to invite all successful candidates to an assessment centre, we may limit the number of invites offered. In this circumstance we may prioritise interviewing candidates who align most closely to the selection criteria. Information for this will be drawn from other sources of information from your application such as your CV.
• Civil Service offers are made in order of merit. If you have passed our assessment centre but there are no roles available, we may offer you an alternative, or lower role in a similar position that matches your skills and experience, or you may remain on a reserve list for 12 months.
• Security clearance must be obtained without any caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role you’ve been recruited for. If it isn’t obtained prior to the start of the scheme or is obtained with caveats that prevent you from carrying out the role, any conditional offer made to you will be withdrawn.
• Due to the classification of information associated with certain projects, some work-based placements are restricted to Sole UK Nationals only.
• Office attendance and attendance to a training providers site (where applicable) will be required. Travel and accommodation costs for office attendance or assessment centres are not reimbursed.

• This post is not eligible for relocation allowances.

• Please Note: In the event of a tied score at Assessment Centre, the Order of Merit will be distinguished based on the ranking of the assessed behaviours below:

1. Communicating and Influencing
2. Working Together
3. Making Effective Decisions
4. Delivering at Pace

In the event of the need for further merit differentiation the scheme lead will order candidates in merit using candidate assessment feedback.

• Please view and save our Candidate Information Pack: DE&S Candidate Information Pack

Diversity and Inclusion

As a Disability Confident level 3 leader, DE&S is committed to creating an inclusive workplace. We welcome applications from all backgrounds and offer reasonable adjustments for candidates with disabilities.

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 and offer them an interview or assessment centre opportunity if they meet the minimum criteria for the job.

On occasions where it is not practicable or appropriate to invite all Disability Confident candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria to an assessment centre, we may limit the number of invites offered. In this circumstance we may prioritise interviewing candidates who align most closely to the selection criteria. Information for this will be drawn from other sources of information from your application such as your CV.

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 security check (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

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

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 : Entry Talent TA Team
• Email : DESHR-ETCoE-Recruitment@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-EngApprentice@mod.gov.uk

Attachments

Defence Civil Servant Offer_External Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)FURTHER INFORMATION Opens in new window (pdf, 129kB)TACOS Opens in new window (pdf, 181kB)