Senior Data Engineer

Job summary

We’re MI5, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service. Our mission is to protect the security and economic wellbeing 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.

Job description

Enhancing how we operate today will better prepare us for the challenges of tomorrow. That’s why we’re creating dedicated teams focused on bringing Artificial Intelligence (AI) into some of our most mission critical areas. As a Senior Data Engineer, you’ll join a mission-focused team to tackle datasets that are often complex and imperfect.

Day to day, you’ll build, refine, and maintain the data pipelines that enable our teams to make fast, informed decisions. You’ll be hands-on with the technical delivery – onboarding sensitive data and ensuring it is handled within strict legal and ethical boundaries. You’ll work alongside Software Engineers and Applied AI Scientists to operationalise models and integrate APIs, turning technical possibilities into reliable, real-world tools.

While your main focus will be delivering high-quality technical work, you’ll also play a key part in the wider engineering community. You’ll share knowledge, guide peers, and help us evolve our engineering best practices. You’ll have the space to experiment with new tools, ensuring our technical capabilities stay cutting-edge.

Person specification

You’re a curious, adaptable, and motivated person who enjoys solving problems in unstructured environments where no two challenges look the same. You’re comfortable working independently, building data pipelines and developing robust data models, with strong core technical skills in areas like data modelling or Python-based ecosystems rather than low-code tools. You bring a creative, inquisitive mindset and a habit of learning by doing – prototyping, experimenting, and continuously building on your understanding.

You feel confident engaging with both technical and non-technical audiences, translating complex ideas into clear, actionable insights, and you enjoy shaping solutions collaboratively.

At this level, you’ll bring deep technical expertise and experience with modern AI and LLM-enabled workflows, including testing, evaluation, and ethical considerations.

Benefits

Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £63,823 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

• Interest-free season ticket loan

• Excellent pension scheme

• Cycle to work scheme

• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave

Training and development

We take professional development seriously, and you'll be joining a community that invests in helping people grow their skills. You'll have access to a broad mix of learning opportunities, including in-house and online training, technical deep dives and development pathways shaped around your interests and the needs of the organisation. This includes support to strengthen your capability across modern AI techniques and wider security practices, with a variety of different courses on offer.

We use the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (formerly known as DDaT) as a compass to provide guidance and tools to support you. You can find out more about the framework here: Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. You’ll also have opportunities to work with external professional bodies and training providers who offer routes to specialist accreditation, advanced AI training or broader professional recognition. Whether you choose to deepen your expertise in a specific technical area or broaden your capability across new domains, you’ll have the guidance and support you need to progress.

Alongside formal training, you’ll benefit from mentoring, peer support and a collaborative community that shares knowledge openly. You’ll have opportunities to rotate across different teams, explore emerging technologies and contribute to shaping how MI6 evolves its AI and data science capability. As you develop, you’ll have the space to experiment, expand your expertise and play an active role in strengthening our AI practice across the organisation.

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

Offer Of Interview

We are committed to providing equitable opportunities throughout the recruitment process to support candidates with disabilities. As part of this, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as the Offer of an Interview.) To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

• You’ll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses your ability to problem-solve.
• Demonstrate independent technical expertise in data engineering with proven ability to integrate modern AI and LLM enabled workflows, including testing, evaluation and ethical considerations – to be assessed at application sift
• Demonstrate a proactive approach to self-improvement and the ability to support the team to shape best engineering practices – to be assessed at application sift

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, visit our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.

What to expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

1. An initial online application form including pre-screening questions to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria
2. Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) rating the appropriateness of your responses to a series of short scenarios. The SJT tests criteria important for all roles in our organisation
3. Applicationsift looking at your skills and motivation for the role and organisation
4. If you pass, you’ll be invited to anonline interview where you’ll be asked questions relating to your motivations and our core competencies
5. If you pass, you’ll be invited to an in-persontechnical skills-based interview, based on the Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework for the role
6. If successful you will receive a conditional offer of employment

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. Read about our eligibility criteria here: Eligibility , SIS

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: Vetting , SIS

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.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more securely.

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. An interest-free loan is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.

We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in-person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.

Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.

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. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

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.

Please note, it is this organisation's policy not to provide feedback at any stage of the recruitment process. This may be contrary to the message below.

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

Security

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.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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

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 : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk
• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk

Further information

https://www.sis.gov.uk/careers/