Job description

Flexible Working:due to the nature of the 11- week programme, we are unable to offer flexible working. Full time attendance is 36 to 37 hours per week with some specific hourly attendance required e.g. for training courses. You will be notified of these occasions well in advance.

About Us
GCHQ and MI5 are part of the UK’s Intelligence Services. We work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests, and businesses from various threats at home, overseas, and online, including cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. Working across our vital missions, you’ll deliver impact at the heart of national security, all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive.

The Role
In this exciting 11-week paid placement, your language skills and cultural knowledge will make a real impact on our operations. Day to day, develop your understanding of language as you analyse, transcribe, and translate audio and written materials. Some of these materials may be technical or specialised in nature, giving you a chance to master new skills in a unique field, but it doesn’t stop there.

Here, your influence extends beyond language. Your cultural understanding will be invaluable as you collaborate with customers and partners, providing context for your team. You may even have the chance to draft Intelligence reports and conduct research using a variety of tools. With specialist tools at your disposal, you’ll uncover valuable insights to present to your team. Your work will be unique, varied, and far from average. Surrounded by colleagues, who share your passion for languages, this role offers you the chance to make a real impact.

We have limited spaces in London, Cheltenham, Manchester and Scarborough, so we’d encourage you to be open and flexible with your application.

About You
We welcome applications if you have, or expect to obtain, a 2:2 degree or above in Russian. You’ll either be in the final year of your degree or have graduated in Summer 2022 or later. Whatever your background, you should be adaptable, motivated and collaborative, always keen to use your language skills and learn new things. You don’t need a technical background for this role, but you must be willing to pick up new skills–especially those that are technical and complement your language abilities.

Training and Development
From day one, we’ll be here to support you. Whether you join GCHQ or MI5, you’ll receive a comprehensive training and development package in both language and analysis, including classroom-based learning and hands-on training, which will enable you to grow your skills and perform to the best of your abilities. Throughout your internship and career at GCHQ and MI5, trained professionals will support you.

We’re committed to developing our staff, but we know this will look different for everyone. That’s why there’ll be lots of tailored training, coaching and mentoring as we work with you to build the skills you need, enabling you to excel throughout your internship and chosen career. At MI5 and GCHQ, you’ll find an inclusive and supportive working environment that’s designed to encourage open minds and attitudes. We value and nurture talent and are committed to helping you fulfil your potential.

At GCHQ, you have the opportunity to apply for a permanent position with us once you’ve completed the programme. If you succeed in your tests and competency interview, you’ll join our vibrant community as a language specialist.

If you do decide to join us as a language specialist, you have the opportunity to apply for our Language Career Development Scheme within the first five years of working at GCHQ. This scheme is designed to help you broaden and develop your language skills. In addition to this, you also have the chance to become a member of the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIoL), and gain recognised professional linguist qualifications.

At MI5, you’ll have a personal mentor who will introduce you to the organisation, and a language mentor who will enhance your language skills. This mentor will customise practice materials specifically for your needs to help you succeed in the language test after applying for a permanent position. Plus, as one of the government’s leading employers of linguists, when you join us, you’ll join a vibrant network of language enthusiasts who share your passion for languages.

Like GCHQ, you have the opportunity to apply for a permanent MI5 position at the end of your placement. As a permanent member of our team, you’ll receive regular language lessons to maintain and develop your skills and become part of a thriving linguist community.

Please note, the MI5 roles are based in London, while the GCHQ roles are based in Cheltenham, Manchester and Scarborough.

Rewards and Benefits
At GCHQ you’ll receive a starting salary of £6,505. Applicants who pass the end-of-programme graduate-entry language tests and assessment centre, and who are made and accept an offer of employment with us, will receive a starting salary of £36,408.

At MI5 you’ll receive a starting salary of £7,255. Applicants who pass the end-of-programme graduate-entry language tests and assessment centre, and who are made and accept an offer of employment with us, will receive a starting salary of £39,152.

On the 11–week Internship, you’ll receive a salary of £6,505 - £7,255, dependent on the organisation, plus other benefits including:

• 5.5 days of annual leave during the internship.
• Access to a subsidised gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars in the Cheltenham office.

Equal Opportunities
At GCHQ and MI5, 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 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 websites:

https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/working-at-mi5/diversity

We’re Disability Confident
GCHQ and MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people.

As a Disability Confident Leader, 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:

• Demonstrate a motivation for applying to work for MI5 or GCHQ as a language specialist.
• A demonstrable high level of Russian by achieving a pass in our language tests.
• Demonstrate a proactive approach to problem solving, being self-motivated, and able to engage with others.

Upon successful completion of these stages, you will be invited to an interview. This is your offer of interview.

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.

https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs/application-process

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

• Initial application and eligibility sift.
• In-person language tests in London, Cheltenham, or Manchester.
• In-person interview in London, Cheltenham

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 to continue any current employment until you’ve received your final internship offer.

Before You Apply
To work at GCHQ and MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria:

https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html

https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/applying-for-jobs

Please note we have a strict drugs policy. 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 manage your application with us more securely.

The role at MI5 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, as we do not offer relocation costs.

Please note the role at GCHQ is based in Cheltenham, Manchester, or Scarborough, 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.

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.