Platform Engineer, British Intelligence Agencies
MI5
£66.3k
£66,332, with an opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework (GDDPCF), formally the (DDaT) Digital, Data and Technology Capability Framework.
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
£66.3k
£66,332, with an opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework (GDDPCF), formally the (DDaT) Digital, Data and Technology Capability Framework.
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
- A natural problem solver, you enjoy tackling complex challenges and turning them into practical solutions. Experience may come from working as a Platform or DevOps Engineer across a range of technologies and customer environments, or from a Software Engineering background with demonstrable experience in solving platform and infrastructure-related challenges in current or recent roles
- An understanding of the software development lifecycle in an enterprise or commercial environment is essential, alongside familiarity with design patterns and secure coding practices
- Working closely with engineers and technologists, this role focuses on understanding challenges and shaping effective platform solutions. Confidence communicating with both technical and non-technical audiences is important, particularly when explaining ideas clearly, aligning on priorities, and building trust across teams
- You’ll be comfortable working independently with a high level of autonomy, making pragmatic decisions and seeing work through from problem to solution. Being proactive in seeking support from senior engineers and leaders when needed, along with a willingness to learn and grow, is also important
- Proficiency in at least one modern programming language, such as Node.js, Python, or Java, is expected along with experience in core engineering practices including TDD, CI/CD pipelines, cloud services, and agile methodologies. Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform is also important
- To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality
What the job involves
- As a Platform Engineer, you'll design, develop and operate platforms that give developers the tools they need to build critical technology that helps keep the country safe. Joining MI5 offers the opportunity to contribute to a growing technology capability while being part of an expanding engineering workforce, helping to enhance platforms and products delivered across the organisation
- Day to day, the role involves building developer tooling, managed services, and automation, along with self-service solutions. Infrastructure-as-code is used to ensure consistency and reliability across cloud and on premises environments, enabling teams to move quickly with confidence
- A significant part of the role centres on working closely with our product teams, understanding pain points, prioritising what matters most, and shaping solutions that meaningfully improve the developer experience. The outcome is streamlined workflows, reduced friction, and more time for engineers to focus on delivering solutions to meet MI5’s outcomes . You’ll play a key part in contributing to our engineering community by sharing best practice standards, patterns, and establishing clear and consistent approaches that teams can adopt with confidence
- When issues arise, you’ll get stuck in, troubleshooting platform problems and improving reliability, usability, and observability, while feeding those insights back into better design. Sharing knowledge across teams will be a big part of the role, as will helping to build a consistent, collaborative engineering culture. You’ll also support other engineers, helping them build confidence and develop their skills
- We know that platform engineering evolves constantly, and the quality of this role depends on keeping pace with it. As a result, there is a regular protected time to horizon scan, research emerging trends, and pursue training or certifications relevant to your career
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
- A 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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