Lead Software Engineer, British Intelligence Agencies
MI6
£74.6k
£74,624 and a recruitment and retention allowance of £6,251, with an opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability (GDDPC) Framework - formerly known as DDaT.
More information about location
4-5 days a week in office
UK's domestic and foreign intelligence services
Posted today
UK's domestic and foreign intelligence services
1001+ employees
Posted today
£74.6k
£74,624 and a recruitment and retention allowance of £6,251, with an opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability (GDDPC) Framework - formerly known as DDaT.
More information about location
4-5 days a week in office
1001+ employees
Company mission
MI5, MI6 and GCHQ work together to protect the UK from a range of national security and overseas threats, keeping citizens safe.
Role
Who you are
- You’re always looking for the best way to do things that means spotting opportunities to improve, simplify and strengthen how software is built and run
- You bring solid experience as a Software Engineer, grounded in modern engineering practices, and you’ve made practical use of AI across the development lifecycle
- You understand how to use it well, generating code where it adds value while applying the right level of scrutiny to ensure it is secure, reliable and fit for purpose. Reviewing both AI-generated and peer code is something you’ve done before and you always approach this with clarity and care
- You’ll be confident setting direction and reviewing system design and integration, comfortable connecting services and thinking end to end. Experience with Model Context Protocol would be beneficial for this role, particularly if you have practical experience. Above all, you stay curious, keeping pace with new approaches and adapting when priorities shift
- Finally, you’ll have experience leading a team of engineers, including setting a clear direction and providing guidance to junior engineers. And you’ll have experience building strong relationships with stakeholders
- To work at MI6, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality
What the job involves
- 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 Lead Software Engineer, you’ll work right at the heart of this, shaping how we harness today’s AI capability into meaningful, lasting impact
- You’ll lead a team of engineers with purpose, setting a clear direction, championing technical excellence and helping less-experienced colleagues grow their skills and confidence along the way
- Day to day, you'll make key technical decisions, take ownership of important areas, and lead the transformation of existing software and engineering approaches toward AI-native ways of working
- This means building and enabling AI platforms that other engineering teams can rely on, embedding within those teams where needed, and giving guidance to junior engineers
- Working closely with stakeholders across MI6 and beyond, you'll bring clarity to complex problems, build strong relationships, and make sure technical direction is well understood and effectively delivered
- Being in a product-led environment you’ll work across a broad and evolving technology stack, including Typescript, Python, Helm, and Terraform, and you’ll deploy solutions across a range of environments, from standalone systems through to large-scale Kubernetes clusters in cloud platforms
Application process
- An initial online application form including pre-screening questions to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria
- 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
- Application sift looking at your skills and motivation for the role and organisation
- An online HR interview focusing on motivation and competencies important to the role
- If successful at the HR interview, you will be invited to a face to face technical assessment
- If successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer of employment
Salary benchmarks
Our take
The British Intelligence Agencies - GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 play crucial roles in protecting the nation from a range of security threats. By focusing on counterterrorism, espionage, and cyber threats, the unified force works to safeguard the public and support law enforcement agencies. Its work, largely behind the scenes, is pivotal in ensuring national security.
With origins dating back to the 19th century, each of the British Intelligence Agencies plays a specific role within the security services. GCHQ focuses on signal intelligence gathering and information assurance, MI5 on counterterrorism and national security, whilst MI6 is focused on foreign intelligence and overseas security. This evolution into three specific organisations reflects the agency's ability to stay ahead of emerging security challenges, adjusting its strategy and operations as needed.
As technology and global threats change, the British Intelligence Agencies' approaches continue to evolve, ensuring the UK's security remains a top priority. With its deep expertise and ongoing adaptation, they are major key players in protecting national and international interests, whilst responding to complex security dynamics.
Kirsty
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Company benefits
- Merit awards – we have a merit award system to recognise exceptional contributions by individuals or team
- Flexible working – opportunities to work part-time, compressed hours or as a job share are available, dependent on the role and business needs
- Pension – we understand the importance of saving for retirement and offer a desirable pension scheme, which gives you a guaranteed pension based on career average earnings
- Annual leave – our employees are entitled to 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years’ service. In addition to this, employees are entitled to public and privilege holidays. Part-time employees receive the same entitlement calculated on a pro-rata basis
- Maternity and paternity leave – we offer maternity and paternity leave over and above the statutory entitlements
- Voluntary service leave – we offer special leave for our employees who wish to undertake voluntary work
- Rented accommodation loan – moving house to take up an offer of employment can be expensive. We offer new joiners the opportunity to take out an interest-free loan of up to £2,500, via our benevolent fund, to assist with the financial burden of relocating into privately rented accommodation. You will be sent an application for the loan at the point of receiving a final offer of employment
- Season ticket loan – we recognise that travel expenses from your home to the office can be significant, so we offer an interest-free season ticket loan which can be used for travel, car park costs or the purchase of a bicycle
- On-site facilities – there is a gym, restaurant, and coffee bar at some locations
- Clubs and societies – we offer a range of sports clubs, fitness classes, societies, and language training facilities
- Childcare Vouchers – we offer two childcare voucher schemes which provide a simple and cost-effective way for employees to receive help towards the cost of childcare
- Eye Voucher Scheme – we offer eye care vouchers and a financial contribution towards prescription glasses
- Physiotherapy – we offer subsidised in-house physiotherapy
- Personal learning – all our staff can undertake professional development to improve their skills and performance in the workplace
Company HQ
Manchester, UK
Articles
Leadership
Ken McCallum
(Director General)An MI5 Officer with over 25 years of experience in national security and intelligence. Their career has spanned roles in counterterrorism, cyber security, and leading MI5's strategic response to major incidents. They were appointed Director General in 2020 and previously served as Deputy Director General and Director General of Strategy.
Blaise Metreweli
(Chief)Blaise joined the Service in 1999 and has had a range of roles, most recently Director General Technology & Innovation (Q). She has spent most of her career operationally in the Middle East & Europe.
Anne Keast-Butler
(Director)Became the first female Director of GCHQ in May 2023. Previously served as Deputy Director General at MI5, where they led operational and investigative work, including responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With over 30 years in national security, they have held key roles in MI5, GCHQ, and Whitehall, including launching the National Security Programme.
Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at British Intelligence Agencies
- At the Intelligence Agencies, 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 underrepresented in our workforce, such as women, those from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment, and diversity on our website: https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html
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