MI5, MI6 and GCHQ (the UK’s intelligence community) work collaboratively to deliver a range of vital financial services to help us protect the nation threats to our national security.

We are looking for undergraduates to enroll in our 12-month work placement scheme. This scheme is aimed at students from any background but studying a Finance and Accountancy and/or Business degree would be preferable.  The location for this placement could be in either GCHQ or MI5’s headquarters in London.

In this scheme, you will gain exposure to a busy finance team that plays a vital role in supporting the intelligence community’s mission. During the 12-month placement, you will be a valued member of the team, learning how the business works and how you can apply your skills and knowledge.

You will contribute to finance-related projects that will have a direct impact on our work while broadening your own development. The nature of the projects you will be working on will be relevant to your academic studies and you could use your placement experience as an example, or a form of evidence of work in your final year at university. There will also be learning opportunities which will help you to understand finance processes and the wider business management in our organisation.

We expect the 12-month placement to be an exciting experience where you can really get involved with some of the innermost workings of our finance departments.

Key Aims:

• Applying your learning to-date within a working environment
• Learning new skills/knowledge to aid your future studies
• Working as part of a team
• Hands-on work experience in an enjoyable and supportive environment

Responsibilities:

In this scheme, you could be involved in some or all the following activities:

• Transaction services – including processing payments to Suppliers and timely processing of employees’ claims
• Management accounting – responsible for monthly accounts preparation
• Attending tailored financial and soft skills learning & development
• Learning more about the UK intelligence agencies and our wider mission
• Working with people from other teams across the Department

The Reward Package:

Salaries:

• 12-month scheme
  • Central London: £26,210 per annum
  • Cheltenham: £23,360 per annum

Job Opportunities:

Students may be considered for permanent employment at one of our UK intelligence agencies upon successful completion of the scheme and achieving a minimum of a 2:2 university degree.

Requirements/Qualifications:

We are looking for motivated people who are happy to work in a constantly changing finance environment, who have enthusiasm, drive, and initiative and are prepared to question processes and express their ideas.

Students will need to be:

• Graduating in 2022/2023 and available to apply for the 12-month placement commencing 6th September 2021.

Application Process:

You will be initially sent a link to complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria. If you do meet the criteria, we will ask you to begin an online application.

To be considered for the role you will need to submit:

• Your application - which must include details of what degree you are studying and when you are due to graduate,
• A 350-word (max) statement that states:
  • Your working location preference (Cheltenham OR London)
  • Why you wish to apply for a placement with us
  • What you will bring to a placement with us.

Successful applicants will be invited to interview which will be taking place between December - February 2020-2021.

Confirmation of any appointment onto the 12-month placement will be subject to the student successfully passing through the Developed Vetting process. The vetting process is estimated to take between 16-18 weeks.

In order to start an application for this role, please click here.

Discretion

Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. 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.  Further information on our eligibility criteria can be found on the How to Apply section on our website.

Eligibility criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must meet our residency criteria. You must be a born or naturalised British citizen and one of your parents must be a British citizen or have substantial ties to the UK. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for 7 out of the last 10 years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You will nonetheless be considered if you have, for example, served overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of Her Majesty's Government, studied abroad, or lived overseas with your parents. You can apply at the age of 17 years and 6 months, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday.

Equal Opportunities

The UK Intelligence Agencies / MI5 / MI6 / GCHQ are Equal Opportunities employers, committed to reflecting the society we protect.  Our recruitment process is fair, transparent and based on merit. We particularly welcome applications from diverse and under-represented groups.

Offer of Interview

As a Disability Confident Leader employer, we will ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview. This is known as Offer an Interview.

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.