Flexible Working: Full-time or part-time positions are available, with flexible working options. Working from home is available up to one day per week – this will depend on work requirements, as your access to mission-sensitive systems will be restricted to the office. Compressed hours are also an option, providing flexibility to help maintain a healthy work-life balance.
About Us
MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are 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
As Senior Internal Auditor (Technology), you’ll join a skilled team and provide clear, honest insights to help make sure vital systems and services across the UK intelligence community are working as they should.
This isn’t your typical audit role. You’ll be working across MI5, MI6 and GCHQ providing assurance and advice on the compliance, resilience, and efficiency of operational and mission-critical technology. These systems are cutting edge – often designed to stay ahead of evolving threats – so you’ll grow your expertise in areas like AI, cloud infrastructure, cybersecurity, and specialist operational platforms.
Day to day, you’ll work on a variety of projects, either as part of a small team or independently. Together, you’ll provide customers with high-quality assurance, advisory, and investigatory services, along with strengthening and enhancing our internal risk management and governance.
This role can be based in London, Cheltenham or Manchester. If you’re interested, there will also be opportunities to travel within the UK and overseas.
About You
You’ve got a passion for technology and its potential. You enjoy learning and keeping up with emerging trends, and you’re excited by the idea of working with systems you won’t find elsewhere.
You hold a Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) qualification or equivalent and have a solid background in internal audit and risk management across the public and/or private sector. This includes delivering complex, medium and high-risk technology audits. You’ll have comprehensive knowledge of technology risks and controls, particularly in cyber security, operational resilience, cloud, and AI technologies. In fact, your varied background means you’ll likely have expertise in other areas too. These may include IT General Controls (ITGC), change management, technology infrastructure, cloud computing, service management, and AI. You may also have audit experience in data governance, data privacy and data security.
You’re skilled in audit testing methodologies, report writing, data and root cause analysis, and you’re confident reviewing and improving control processes. With experience leading small teams, managing competing priorities, and delivering high-quality audit work, you thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments.
This role calls for sound judgment and the ability to work with limited structure, making informed decisions amidst ambiguity. With a proactive mindset, strong analytical abilities, and excellent communication skills, you’re able to engage confidently with stakeholders at all levels and influence change where needed.
Training and Development
From the day you join us, you’ll be fully supported. You’ll be paired with a buddy to help you settle in, and your line manager will be there to offer ongoing guidance throughout your posting. You’ll also have access to a wide range of internal communities, support networks, and mentors to help you navigate your journey. In line with our commitment to nurturing talent and developing future leaders, we’ll support you in gaining the professional qualifications you need to grow and progress in your career.
Rewards and Benefits
- 25 days’ annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years of service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays.
- Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
- Interest-free season ticket loan (travel).
- Excellent pension scheme.
- Cycle to work scheme.
- Facilities such as a subsidised gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars at some locations.
- Paid parental and adoption leave.
Equal Opportunities
At MI5, MI6, and GCHQ, 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: individuals 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 underrepresented in our workforce, such as women, individuals 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.mi5.gov.uk/careers/diversity
https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html
https://www.sis.gov.uk/explore-careers.html
We’re Disability Confident
- Eligibility questions– you will be asked a series of questions relating to the role and working for this organisation. If you meet the criteria here, you will be directed to the initial application form.
- If you pass our initial application form, you will then be invited to an 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 the reasonable adjustments we can offer.
What to Expect
- The first thing we will ask you to do is complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria. If you do meet these criteria, we will then ask you to fill out a full application form where you will need to create a login and provide your full name, email address and a memorable password.
- Our recruitment team will conduct a sift of your application. Successful applicants will be invited to an interview, where you will have the opportunity to demonstrate key behaviours relevant to the role.
- If you are successful at this stage, we will then start the vetting process, which includes a Security Interview. This interview is an important part of the selection process. It’s an interview to explore your life and experiences, and it’s not a competency or capability-based interview.
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 have received your final job offer.
Before You Apply
To work at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so 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.
For the roles based in London, you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. An interest-free loan is available to assist with relocating into privately rented accommodation to take up the offer of employment.
For the roles based in Cheltenham and Manchester, you’ll need to live within commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.
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 more securely.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
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.
