Accessibility Specialist Ref. 3731

Salary £60,358, with the opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills‑related payment, under the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (GDDPCF). Flexible Working: We support full time, part time, compressed hours, and other flexible working patterns. We recognise the importance of achieving a positive work‑home balance and will work with colleagues to consider flexible working arrangements where possible, taking individual circumstances and business needs into account. Homeworking opportunities may be available; however, this role is primarily office‑based due to the sensitive nature of the work, and home working is not guaranteed.

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.

Role: As an Accessibility Specialist, you’ll provide expert, practical advice to ensure the organisation’s digital products and services are inclusive, usable and compliant. This includes technologies that directly support mission‑critical activity, where reliability, usability, and trust are essential. The role sits within the Digital Accessibility Team in Experience Design and acts as a dedicated subject‑matter expert for accessibility. Responsibility covers both new and existing digital products, supporting teams to remove barriers and meet accessibility obligations throughout the software development lifecycle. Operating with a high degree of autonomy, you’ll work as an internal consultant across multiple products and delivery teams. Ownership of accessibility within assigned projects includes early risk identification, proportionate mitigation advice, and accountability for the quality and impact of recommendations. Sound professional judgement is essential, particularly when operating in complex or sensitive delivery environments. Managing your workload and knowing what to prioritise are important parts of the role, supported by clear governance and professional standards.

Day‑to‑day work: Close collaboration with designers, engineers, testers, product managers and researchers across the development lifecycle. Activities include manual and automated accessibility testing using assistive technologies, alongside design and code review. You’ll produce clear audit findings, conformance reports, and accessibility statements, and contribute to critiques, reviews, and delivery planning to embed accessibility from the outset.

Scope: The scope of the role is broad and influential, within an assigned product group, contributing to wider programmes and organisational priorities. You’ll work closely with a range of stakeholders, providing expert input and constructively challenging decisions where accessibility risks arise. Through knowledge sharing and capability building, you’ll help improve organisational accessibility maturity. This work supports the delivery of accessible internal digital services in critical areas, directly contributing to the organisation’s wider mission.

About you: We’re looking for an experienced accessibility practitioner with a solid grounding in applied digital accessibility. Experience may come from a dedicated Accessibility Specialist role, or from applying accessibility within a broader role such as UI, UX, design, engineering, or testing. In either case, you bring practical experience of embedding accessibility into real digital products and a passion for inclusive, user‑centred practice. Well‑developed technical and consultancy skills are essential. This includes the ability to scope and deliver accessibility work end to end, manage workload effectively, and engage confidently with stakeholders across design, engineering, testing and product. Experience of working in environments shaped by competing priorities, delivery pressures, or sensitivity is important, alongside the ability to exercise sound judgement when advising on risk, proportionate mitigations and trade‑offs.

Essential skills and knowledge:

• WCAG 2.2 AA and COGA standards
• Automated and manual accessibility testing using assistive technologies
• Create accurate accessibility reports and statements
• Working knowledge of the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations (PSBAR) or the European Accessibility Act (EAA)

Clear communication is a key strength. You can explain accessibility issues, impacts and recommendations in ways that are accessible to non‑specialist audiences, using evidence and user needs to support your advice. You’re comfortable producing clear documentation, including audit findings, conformance reports and accessibility statements, and using these to inform decision making. You value collaboration and professional integrity. You enjoy working as part of a specialist accessibility function, sharing knowledge, supporting others and contributing to organisational learning, while taking full accountability for the quality and impact of your own work.

Training and Development: There is a comprehensive training and development pathway aligned to the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (GDDPCF). This includes tailored training, coaching and mentoring, alongside opportunities to gain qualifications and, where relevant, pursue specialist Agile Delivery pathways. On joining, you’ll receive a structured induction to the team, delivery context and ways of working, helping you understand how accessibility expertise fits within Experience Design and the wider organisation. Ongoing development is aligned with specialist accessibility practice. This includes peer support within the Digital Accessibility Team, opportunities to learn from related disciplines and time to stay current with evolving standards, legislation and best practice. Support is available to maintain and strengthen professional credibility, including engagement with external accessibility communities and, where appropriate, recognised qualifications or accreditation. Development in this role is shaped through applied practice. Experience is built by working across varied and complex services, advising delivery teams and senior stakeholders and addressing challenging accessibility risks and trade‑offs. As the accessibility function continues to grow, there will be opportunities to deepen technical specialism, contribute to shared standards and guidance and help shape how accessibility capability develops across the organisation. While the role does not currently include line‑management responsibility, opportunities exist to support others through knowledge sharing, informal mentoring and collaborative working. Development focuses on sustaining high‑quality, user‑centred practice, strengthening professional judgement and enabling long‑term impact through accessibility that is embedded, proportionate and effective.

Rewards and Benefits: £60,358 starting salary plus other benefits, 25 days’ annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privileged holidays, dedicated development budget, opportunities to be recognised through the employee performance scheme, interest‑free season ticket loan, excellent pension scheme, cycle‑to‑work scheme, facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on‑site coffee bars (at some locations), paid parental and adoption leave.

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: people with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neuro‑divergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including women, ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those from low socio‑economic backgrounds.

Disability Confidence: MI5 is a Disability Confident Leader within the Department for Work and Pensions’ scheme. We aim to allow a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for this position to be offered an interview. The minimum criteria in the application process are:

• Reach the minimum pass mark for the Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), assessing problem‑solving abilities.
• Demonstrate understanding of WCAG 2.2 AA standards.
• Demonstrate ability to conduct accessibility audits using automated and manual testing techniques with assistive tools and technologies, and document findings.
• Demonstrate ability to use audit outputs to create accessibility statements and roadmap outstanding issues.
• Demonstrate ability to communicate key accessibility information to a range of stakeholders and provide training where appropriate.
• Demonstrate understanding of inclusive design and user‑experience principles to identify accessibility barriers and improve services for all users.