Careers at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ
Platform Engineer
How your CV stacks up
Upload your CV to see how well it fits this job role
?%
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 on 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.
The role
As a Platform Engineer, you'll design, develop and operate platforms that give developers the tools they need to build critical technology that helps keep the country safe. Joining MI5 offers the opportunity to contribute to a growing technology capability while being part of an expanding engineering workforce, helping to enhance platforms and products delivered across the organisation.
Day to day, the role involves:
- Building developer tooling, managed services, and automation, along with self-service solutions.
- Using infrastructure-as-code to ensure consistency and reliability across cloud and on premises environments, enabling teams to move quickly with confidence.
- Working closely with our product teams, understanding pain points, prioritising what matters most, and shaping solutions that meaningfully improve the developer experience.
- Troubleshooting platform problems and improving reliability, usability, and observability, while feeding those insights back into better design.
- Sharing knowledge across teams and helping to build a consistent, collaborative engineering culture.
- Supporting other engineers, helping them build confidence and develop their skills.
When issues arise, you’ll get stuck in, troubleshooting platform problems and improving reliability, usability, and observability, while feeding those insights back into better design. Sharing knowledge across teams will be a big part of the role, as will helping to build a consistent, collaborative engineering culture. You’ll also support other engineers, helping them build confidence and develop their skills.
We know that platform engineering evolves constantly, and the quality of this role depends on keeping pace with it. As a result, there is a regular protected time to horizon scan, research emerging trends, and pursue training or certifications relevant to your career.
Reasons to use Rodeo
Start with a chat, not a search bar
Grad scheme, placement, apprenticeship? Not sure what you want yet — that's fine. Your agent talks it through with you and turns "I have no idea" into a shortlist.
It searches the market for you
Every day your agent scans the market matching roles against what actually matters to you, not just keywords on a CV.
Only hits
No noise. No "maybe this fits." Just roles with a clear explanation of why they're right — and where to focus when applying.
Salary
£66,332, with an opportunity to qualify for additional allowances and a skills-related payment under the Government Digital and Data Capability Framework (GDDPCF), formally the (DDaT) Digital, Data and Technology Capability Framework.
Flexible working
We offer a range of flexible working options to support a healthy work-life balance, including part time arrangements and compressed hours, and flexibility around start and finish times through flexitime. This role is office-based and does not offer home working.
About you
A natural problem solver, you enjoy tackling complex challenges and turning them into practical solutions. Experience may come from working as a Platform or DevOps Engineer across a range of technologies and customer environments, or from a Software Engineering background with demonstrable experience in solving platform and infrastructure-related challenges in current or recent roles.
An understanding of the software development lifecycle in an enterprise or commercial environment is essential, alongside familiarity with design patterns and secure coding practices.
Working closely with engineers and technologists, this role focuses on understanding challenges and shaping effective platform solutions. Confidence communicating with both technical and non-technical audiences is important, particularly when explaining ideas clearly, aligning on priorities, and building trust across teams.
You’ll be comfortable working independently with a high level of autonomy, making pragmatic decisions and seeing work through from problem to solution. Being proactive in seeking support from senior engineers and leaders when needed, along with a willingness to learn and grow, is also important.
Proficiency in at least one modern programming language, such as Node.js, Python, or Java, is expected along with experience in core engineering practices including TDD, CI/CD pipelines, cloud services, and agile methodologies. Familiarity with infrastructure-as-code tools such as Terraform is also important.
Training and development
We’re committed to developing our engineers, with a clear career structure designed to enable progression and continuous growth. From day one, you’ll be encouraged and supported to shape your development in ways that reflect personal strengths and interests.
Get help with your application
Your very own career expert that helps elevate your application to the next level.
A dedicated development budget and personal development days are provided, alongside access to a wide range of courses, online platforms, qualifications, and certifications to support your development, covering both technical and soft skills. There are also opportunities to benefit from coaching and mentoring within or outside of your team.
Learning is both individual and collective. Up to 20% of working time is available for innovation and personal development, creating a space to explore new ideas, deepen technical expertise, and stay close to emerging technologies.
Building on this, there’s a comprehensive training and development pathway on offer, which uses the Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework (GDDPCF). It includes tailored training, coaching and mentoring, alongside opportunities to gain qualifications and pursue specialist Agile Delivery pathways, if this interests you.
Rewards and benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £66,332, plus other benefits, including:
- 25 days’ of annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
- Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
- A dedicated development budget
- An interest-free season ticket loan
- An excellent pension scheme
- A cycle to work scheme
- Facilities such as a subsidised 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 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 underrepresented in our workforce such as women, those 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 website.
“It took my CV and asked me questions relevant to understanding what kind of jobs to suggest for me. Suggestions were almost perfect. Jobs were exactly what I’ve been looking for.”
Jessica, London
Skills
Location