What do we do?
Q officers spend their time solving the most difficult technical challenges for MI6.
Our people generate unique ideas and solutions that enable us to gather the intelligence to inform ministerial decisions, stop terrorist attacks, disrupt the activities of hostile states and much more. Whatever we develop, we need the best and most creative technologists to think differently and to take different approaches to solving MI6’s diverse problems.
Keeping agents safe
MI6 agents must be able to contact us to pass intelligence whilst minimising the use of local infrastructure. This requires a huge set of solutions to ensure that one compromise does not reveal our network of agents.
Covert technical operations
MI6 deploys technologists in the UK and overseas to help us identify and disrupt our adversaries or collect vital intelligence through covert means.
Operating anywhere with partners
MI6 teams work together alongside UK government colleagues and international partners (like the Five Eyes community) to get vital intelligence back to Whitehall. To do this and protect our sources, MI6 uses Q’s technology.
Data exploitation and insight generation
MI6 collects and receives a vast array of data in a massive range of formats from agents and partners. Q technologists combine this data and use AI and analytics to maximise the insights we derive from it.
Platforms, architecture and enablers
To deliver the technology for all of these challenges, it is vital that we have strong, resilient and secure tech platforms that enable our teams to rapidly develop solutions.
Make Q your career
Our people join as apprentices, graduates or with experience working elsewhere. We look for people with potential in the following areas:
- Engineering – software, data, DevOps, infrastructure and infrastructure operations, communications.
- Architecture – solution architects, security architects and enterprise architects.
- User experience – service design, interaction design and accessibility specialists.
- Cyber – digital forensics, monitoring and risk management.
- Data – data scientists, analysts and data engineers.
- Advisory and enabling – risk advisors, technical security advisors, researchers and product management.
The culture in engineering makes it a great place to work. I get to work on really exciting projects and have designed apps for the UK Intelligence Community.
Join us at any stage in your career
You can join us at any stage in your career – Q technologists join as apprentices, graduates and with industry experience.
Unparalleled access
Q technologists get fascinating behind-the-scenes views of elements of UK government and industry, from the most sensitive defence and security sites to seeing the cutting edge of UK academia.
Work overseas
Q technologists have opportunities for long- and short-term deployments overseas.
Develop yourself and your career
You’ll spend 20% of your time innovating and learning skills vital to your and our success. Our people receive funding throughout their careers for industry and bespoke learning courses, as well as the opportunities to build experience through secondments with a range of governmental or private sector partners.
Externally recognised progression
There are great opportunities to progress as Q grows. Many of our technology roles, like our software engineering profession capability framework, are structured around the UK Government’s Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework. We use it to help provide guidance, tools and support.
Work–life balance
While home working is not possible due to the sensitive nature of what we do, we'll help you find a working pattern that best suits you, while ensuring vital work is delivered. We offer part-time working, compressed hours and job shares.
Software Engineering Apprenticeship
Are you an aspiring software engineer ready to learn in a unique environment? Join our three-year apprenticeship programme run jointly with MI5 where you’ll earn while you learn. You’ll help us build and maintain some of the world’s most sophisticated electronic equipment and gain practical insights into how we use technology to protect the UK.
Software Engineering Apprenticeship
Tech Talent Network
If you are a tech professional with three years or more industry experience and are interested in joining us, but haven’t seen a role for your skillset yet, then the Tech Talent Network could be perfect for you. As a network member, you’ll receive unique insights into our work and our intelligence partners, MI5 and GCHQ, through exclusive content and job alerts tailored to your area of expertise.
Join our Tech Talent NetworkOur technologies
Checking out the MI6 GitHub page is a great place to begin understanding the tech we use. The nature of our work means variation is vital and we use a much greater spread of technologies than most.
Our diverse stack includes systems on Azure and AWS, as well as bespoke platforms that include Java, Oracle, Mongo, Hadoop and more. We’re a product-centric, agile organisation that uses Jira, with networks and infrastructure on Linux, AWS, Cisco UCS and Hyperflex, to name a few.
Delivering ethical technology
As AI becomes an increasing part of our technology offering, it provides an unrivalled opportunity to extract and amplify insights from data, reveal patterns and derive actionable knowledge at unprecedented speed and scale.
We take seriously the ethical considerations that permeate the evolving landscape of AI, as we do the ethics of all of our work. We are committed to developing and using responsible AI, and implementing it in ways that are safe, secure and beneficial for the public interest.
What you can expect as a Technologist
Watch our video to learn more about the type of work you could be doing with a career in technology and engineering at MI6.
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Helping to protect the UK takes a variety of Science & Technology professionals to tackle our unique challenges and meet our high standards…
Joining us means you’ll challenge your hard and soft skills…
Like the software specialists supporting intelligence gathering operations with innovative solutions and teamwork…
Our call desk analysts providing IT support for intelligence officers in the field, by using creative thinking to identify leads and enabling smooth communication…
The engineers patching our networks to securely transport data across the world, by using their knowledge and adapting to the task…
And our project managers working with other government departments and UK intelligence agencies, to lead unique projects that meet our business needs, while keeping delivery on track…
Our careers aren’t just exciting. They’re diverse. Join us and enjoy applying your familiar skills in unexpected ways.
Science and Technology careers at MI6. They’re not what you expect.
