At a Glance
- Tasks: Join us as a Technical Operations Electronics Engineer, testing and optimizing tech to keep the UK safe.
- Company: MI5 protects the UK from serious threats, working with partners to ensure national security.
- Benefits: Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible hours post-training, and perks like gym access and a personal learning budget.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a supportive environment while developing unique engineering skills.
- Qualifications: You need an ONC in Electronic Engineering and experience in troubleshooting; HNC support available.
- Other info: Full UK driving license required; travel across the UK is part of the job.
The predicted salary is between 42798 - 46268 £ per year.
Technical Operations Electronics Engineer
Location – Central London
Salary: £42,798, rising to £46,268 after one year. The role also attracts technical framework and disruption allowances that you’ll have the opportunity to apply for once your training is complete. By your second year as a fully trained specialist, you may be able to earn £53,524, excluding overtime or on call payments.
Flexible Working: This role is fully office based due to the nature of the work involved. Once fully qualified, some flexibility/compressed hours could be considered depending on training and business requirements.
About Us
MI5 keeps the country safe from serious threats like terrorism and attempts by states to harm the UK, its people and way of life. We carry out investigations by obtaining, analysing and assessing intelligence, and then work with a range of partners, including MI6 and GCHQ to disrupt these threats. Through our protective security arm, we provide advice and guidance to government, businesses and other organisations about how to keep themselves safe. A role in MI5 means you’ll do unique and challenging work in a supportive and encouraging environment, making a real difference to UK national security.
The Role
As a Technical Operations Electronics Engineer, you’ll play a vital role in testing, installing, maintaining and optimising our technical equipment to collect vital intelligence to keep the country safe. Working in a committed team, you’ll use your expert engineering skills to deliver specialist engineering tasks to a high standard. The majority of this work will be at system level and is a blend of radio frequency, electronics, some network engineering mixed with DIY skills. This is a practical role where you’ll be applying your skills at a range of sites installing and testing equipment to support our technical operations. Continuous learning is central to our work, such as keeping up to date with new technologies to benefit your development, but also to enable us to deliver the best possible operational support. You will be encouraged to do this by working closely with other teams on project work, contributing to future technical capabilities, and working with colleagues across the UK Intelligence Community. This is a role where the sharing of knowledge and expertise is vital in this highly unique and specialised area of work. With our ever-changing intelligence needs there is never a dull day. You’ll need to adapt and respond quickly to short-notice demands, flexibility is key as you’ll be expected to work out of hours and across the UK. As such, having a full UK driving license is essential for this role, as you\’ll be required to travel to different locations.
About You
You’ll have an ONC or equivalent in Electronic Engineering with a background working as a development, systems, or test engineer, and will be able to demonstrate experience of troubleshooting across lab and field environments. You’ll also be willing to work towards completing (or already hold) a HNC in Electronic Engineering, with support from the office. In this role, you’ll occasionally work on projects where external issues and time constraints are factors. You’ll have excellent problem-solving skills and an ability to work in challenging environments, such as at heights, in confined spaces, in extremes of weather and at all times of day. Ideally, you\’ll also have direct experience using hand and power tools. While you’re comfortable working independently with minimal supervision, you’ll also enjoy working as part of a team, actively contributing your ideas, and communicating effectively with peers and seniors alike. You will need to hold a full UK driving licence as travel to locations and at various times of the day is a requirement. You’ll be expected to undertake a medical examination for suitability for this role.
Training and Development
You’ll have a fully defined development pathway that is a blend of in-depth internal training, external training and on-the-job learning, that will take roughly 12 to 18 months. Following on from this, you’ll have access to in-house support, as well as external courses to continue your development. Additionally, a dedicated member of staff will be on-hand to mentor you throughout your training period – as well as to provide advice and share their knowledge and experiences as you settle into your role. Our bespoke training will give you the skills needed to apply your existing experience to our specialist ways of working. Technology moves at pace and it’s important we keep on top of emerging technologies. This means we are committed to the ongoing professional development of all our people. From dedicated training, to ensuring you’re updated and aware of evolving industry standards, we will support your professional growth. This role has the potential to lead to other opportunities across MI5 and our partner organisations in the future. If you’re interested in building a varied career as well as unique skills, then we’ll support you to make that happen.
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £42,798, rising to £46,268 after a 12-month probationary period. Other benefits include:
- 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
- Interest-free season ticket loan
- Personal Learning Budget
- Excellent pension scheme
- Cycle to work scheme
- Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars
- Paid parental and adoption leave
- Paid overtime
Equal Opportunities
At 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 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: https://www.MI5.gov.uk/careers/diversity
We’re Disability Confident
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. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the
Technical Operations Electronics Engineer employer: Careers at MI5, SIS and GCHQ
Contact Detail:
Careers at MI5, SIS and GCHQ Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Technical Operations Electronics Engineer
✨Tip Number 1
Familiarize yourself with the specific technical skills mentioned in the job description, such as radio frequency and electronics. Brush up on your knowledge of these areas and be prepared to discuss how you've applied them in past roles.
✨Tip Number 2
Highlight any experience you have with troubleshooting in both lab and field environments. Be ready to share specific examples of challenges you've faced and how you overcame them, as this will demonstrate your problem-solving abilities.
✨Tip Number 3
Since flexibility is key for this role, think about instances where you've had to adapt quickly to changing circumstances. Prepare to discuss how you handle unexpected demands and your willingness to work out of hours or travel.
✨Tip Number 4
Emphasize your teamwork skills and your ability to communicate effectively with peers and seniors. Consider preparing a few anecdotes that showcase your collaborative spirit and how you've contributed to team projects in the past.
We think you need these skills to ace Technical Operations Electronics Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV highlights relevant experience in electronic engineering, troubleshooting, and any hands-on work with technical equipment. Use specific examples that demonstrate your problem-solving skills and ability to work in challenging environments.
Craft a Strong Cover Letter: In your cover letter, express your enthusiasm for the role at MI5 and how your background aligns with their mission. Mention your willingness to learn and adapt, as well as your commitment to continuous professional development.
Highlight Relevant Qualifications: Clearly state your ONC or equivalent in Electronic Engineering and any progress towards a HNC. If you have experience with hand and power tools, make sure to include that as well, as it is essential for the role.
Showcase Teamwork and Communication Skills: Emphasize your ability to work both independently and as part of a team. Provide examples of how you've effectively communicated with peers and seniors in previous roles, as collaboration is key in this position.
How to prepare for a job interview at Careers at MI5, SIS and GCHQ
✨Showcase Your Technical Skills
Be prepared to discuss your experience with electronic engineering, particularly in troubleshooting and testing. Highlight specific projects where you've successfully applied your skills in lab and field environments.
✨Demonstrate Problem-Solving Abilities
Prepare examples that illustrate your problem-solving skills, especially in challenging situations. Discuss how you adapt to unexpected issues and your approach to finding effective solutions.
✨Emphasize Team Collaboration
Since this role involves working closely with a team, be ready to share experiences where you contributed ideas and communicated effectively with peers. Show that you value collaboration and can work well in a team setting.
✨Express Willingness to Learn
Highlight your commitment to continuous learning and professional development. Mention any relevant training or certifications you are pursuing or plan to pursue, and express enthusiasm for the bespoke training offered by MI5.