Technical Risk Adviser

Job summary

We're MI6, also known as the Secret Intelligence Service (SIS). 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

As a Technical Risk Adviser, you’ll apply your technical expertise and business activities to help operational teams make informed decisions when using technology in complex and often time-critical scenarios. You’ll assess whether proposed tools, techniques or approaches are secure, proportionate and aligned with mission needs, balancing potential risk against operational impact. You’ll also contribute to the requirements and designs for technical systems, providing expert advice on risks, and techniques and systems to manage these appropriately.

Working closely with mission teams in the UK and overseas, you’ll support activity where technology and cyber capabilities are central to delivery, helping teams understand cyber risks and opportunities and producing tailored plans. With specialist training, this is a role that will combine technical breadth with practical influence. You’ll assess solutions across areas such as cyber security, networking, hardware, cryptography and penetration testing, using a structured, analytical approach to identify risks. You’ll provide decision makers and risk owners with advice on the technical aspects of incidents, including the impacts and appropriate responses. Additionally, you’ll work directly with engineers and stakeholders to develop pragmatic solutions that enable delivery while managing those risks effectively.

Incident response is also a key part of the role, including advising on impact, containment and remediation, and helping teams learn and adapt. You’ll research and learn about relevant technologies, business activities, and the context in which the organisation operates, to stay up-to-date and ensure that advice is relevant and coherent. Alongside this you’ll produce educational material, such as blogs or a presentation, to share knowledge and expertise about an issue with the organisation.

Person specification

You’ll bring a strong technical background, with experience in cyber security or related disciplines such as network engineering, penetration testing, vulnerability research, systems architecture or technical capability development.

Crucially, this experience must have been gained within a national security or intelligence environment, giving you an understanding of the operational context and the importance of managing risk in sensitive scenarios.

You’re comfortable with analysing complex technical problems, identifying key risks and making balanced judgements, often with incomplete information. Just as importantly, you can communicate effectively and persuasively in speech and writing. You'll need to be able to persuade your audience, drawing out key points from complex technical scenarios and articulate your reasoning in terms that resonate with your audience, who often won't be technologists.

Curious and adaptable, you enjoy working across a broad range of challenges and can quickly apply your knowledge in new contexts. You collaborate effectively with others, build trust with stakeholders and take a pragmatic, proportionate approach to solving problems while keeping security, safety and operational outcomes in mind.

Benefits

Training and development
At MI6, we’re proud to offer an inclusive and supportive working environment. We value and nurture talent, and we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential. No matter your experience or background, you’ll get lots of dedicated support. Upon joining, you’ll receive an initial induction to learn more about the organisation before joining your team.

Once in your role, you’ll have access to a broad range of learning opportunities, including industry-recognised certifications, internal courses and self-directed study, with time set aside to support this. You’ll also learn through exposure to real operational challenges, gradually taking on more complex work as your experience grows.

There’s a comprehensive training and development pathway on offer, which uses the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (GDDPCF). It includes tailored training, coaching and mentoring, alongside opportunities to gain qualifications and pursue specialist Agile Delivery pathways, if this interests you.

Support is embedded throughout, with input from your line manager, mentors and colleagues. As you progress, there are opportunities to deepen your expertise, broaden your technical knowledge or develop into more senior advisory roles.

Rewards and benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of between £80,875 - £94,754 in London or £75,882 - £89,010 in Cheltenham 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
• an interest-free season ticket loan
• an excellent pension scheme
• a cycle to work scheme
• facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• paid parental and adoption leave

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

Equal opportunities
At MI6 diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.

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:

1. You'll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation
2. Demonstrate hands-on technical involvement in cyber activities within national security, with broad familiarity across technical areas, beyond purely commercial or non-technical work - to be assessed at application form sift
3. A proven ability to problem-solve, analyse complex situations to identify and assess risks, and effectively communicate complex technical matters to a non-technical audience both verbally and in writing – to be assessed at application form sift

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see 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) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios.
3. Application sift reviewing your motivation and skills.
4. A HR interview focusing on motivation and competencies important to the role.
5. If successful at the HR interview, you will be invited to a face-to-face technical assessment.
6. If successful, you’ll 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 to 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.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.

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 practise and will help you manage your application with us more securely.

The role is based in London or Cheltenham so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.

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 reserve 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.

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.

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 : The Recruitment Team
• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@recruitmentoffice.org.uk

Further information

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