Careers at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ

About the Company

IN THE INTERESTS OF DISCRETION AND SECURITY, WE ADVISE AGAINST FOLLOWING OR LINKING YOURSELF PERSONALLY TO THIS PAGE. We’re the UK Intelligence Community, and our mission is to protect the country’s people, businesses, and interests from a wide range of threats, including terrorism and threats from other states. MI5 protects the UK and its interests by collecting intelligence, investigating, and working with partners to disrupt national security threats. MI6 (also known as the Secret Intelligence Service or SIS) work across the globe to protect the security and economic wellbeing of the UK from overseas threats. GCHQ is the UK’s intelligence and cyber agency, whose mission is to help keep the country safe in the real world and online. We recruit people with a wide range of backgrounds, perspectives, and with all levels of experience to help achieve our mission. From apprenticeships, internships and graduate programmes to opportunities for those looking to change careers or take their expertise somewhere new, you’ll do extraordinary work where making a difference matters. We recruit for a variety of roles, from intelligence officers and language specialists to lawyers and security officers, software engineers and data analysts. Plus, in our welcoming, open culture, you’ll discover far more than just truly rewarding work. We put a real focus on your wellbeing and work-life balance, offering continued training and development opportunities, support, and flexible working (where operations allow) to help you manage your personal commitments alongside your role at the heart of British intelligence. To discover more about us and the roles available, visit our websites: www.mi5.gov.uk/careers www.sis.gov.uk/careers www.gchq-careers.co.uk

Listed Jobs

Company Name

Careers at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ

Job Title

Senior Software Engineer

Job Description

**Job title** Senior Software Engineer **Role Summary** Design, develop and maintain mission‑critical software systems. Lead architectural decisions, enforce best‑practice coding standards, and mentor peers to deliver high‑quality solutions that support national security missions. Operate at a deep technical level across multiple languages and cloud platforms while collaborating with cross‑functional teams and stakeholders. **Expectations** - Deliver reliable, scalable software for high‑impact security applications. - Continuously improve code quality through rigorous code reviews, branch management, and deployment strategies. - Mentor junior engineers and contribute to a culture of learning and innovation. - Communicate technical concepts effectively to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders. **Key Responsibilities** - Architect and design new and existing systems using JavaScript, Java, C++, Node.js, Python, Rust, Go, and .NET. - Write, review, and maintain production‑grade code; establish code review, branching, and deployment pipelines. - Lead or participate in Agile sprint planning, stand‑ups, backlog grooming, and retrospective meetings. - Mentor and coach junior engineers, fostering knowledge transfer and professional growth. - Collaborate with product managers, security analysts, and other engineering groups to translate business requirements into technical solutions. - Evaluate and adopt emerging technologies, tools, and best practices that improve efficiency and product quality. - Ensure compliance with security, resilience, and performance standards required for national‑security software. **Required Skills** - Proficient in modern programming languages: JavaScript, Java, C++, Node.js, Python, Rust, Go, .NET. - Experience with cloud platforms: AWS, Azure, GCP. - Strong background in Agile methodologies and team leadership. - Expertise in software architecture, design patterns, and system integration. - Excellent code‑review skills and familiarity with branching & CI/CD workflows. - Ability to communicate complex technical ideas clearly to non‑technical audiences. - Mentoring / coaching experience and strong team‑building capabilities. **Required Education & Certifications** - Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or related field, or equivalent professional experience. ---

Samlesbury, United kingdom

On site

Senior

07-11-2025