Business Support Officer

August 8, 2024

MI6 - Secret Intelligence Service

London

FULL TIME & PART TIME

Working patterns: Full-time, part-time, and flexible working (such as compressed hours) possible
We’re MI6, also known as Secret Intelligence Service. Our mission is to protect the security and economic wellbeing of the UK from overseas threats such as regional instability, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. Working across the globe and in close partnership with MI5 and GCHQ, we help the Government to counter these threats through the provision of secret intelligence. A role in MI6 will see you providing vital support to this work, within a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
As a Business Support Officer (BSO), you’ll be placed within your first two roles in a specific department dependent on business needs. You’ll spend a minimum of 12 months in each post, giving you a unique insight to different areas of our organisation. You could be working in a team supporting intelligence gathering, or joining a corporate team ensuring the efficiency of our organisation. No matter the department, you’ll play a key role in enabling what we do and develop your skills working alongside a range of colleagues in a friendly, welcoming environment. You’ll be fully supported through a structured learning and development programme, completing training courses, shadowing and being mentored by a buddy.
Whichever area you’re assigned to, your perspective will be valued and you’ll be encouraged to share ideas and shape the way we work. You’ll communicate with others and plan and prioritise your workload effectively. Organised and adaptable, you’ll be willing to take on any of our varied roles and take a professional approach to all you do. And when your two postings are finished, you’ll have the freedom to take your career in the direction you want, whether that’s applying for a promotion, experiencing other roles, or even going overseas.
This is a great opportunity for someone looking to bring existing admin experience somewhere new, or for those looking to change careers altogether. You don’t need any experience to join as a BSO, but you will have at least 5 GCSEs Grades 9-4 (A to C) including maths and English at C/4 or above. Importantly, you’ll enjoy working as part of a team and be motivated to help others - and of course, you’ll understand the importance of discretion.
You’ll attend a short induction course upon joining, and also have plenty of opportunities to develop your career with us. It could be through courses run by our own academy or knowledge sharing as part of our BSO peer network; you’ll never stop learning. You’ll also enjoy a great work-life balance with flexible working options including part-time and compressed hours, as well as 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 after 5 years), paid parental and adoption leave, and access to our on-site facilities including a gym, restaurant and coffee bars.
Plus, in our open and inclusive culture, you’ll discover a range of sports, social and interest groups to join, as well as a range of affinity networks such as ethnic minority, LGBTQIA+, disability and neurodiversity groups. There’s no ‘type’ of person we look for; different insights, perspectives and experiences are welcomed – and you’ll always be encouraged to be yourself.
To find out more and apply for the Business Support Officer role, please visit our website.
At MI6 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
To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You can apply at the age of 17 years, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Full eligibility details can be found on our
Job Types: Full-time, Part-time
Pay: £33,746.00 per year
Benefits: