GCHQ
Trainee Procurement Officer (Government Equivalent: Trainee Commercial Officer)
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Trainee Procurement Officer (Government Equivalent: Trainee Commercial Officer)
Cheltenham, London, Manchester
Closing Date - 23:00 on Monday 10th August 2026
Corporate Services
£40,428 (London), £37,723 (Cheltenham or Manchester)
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Description
Flexible working: we recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance, which is why we offer flexible working options including flexitime, part-time, full-time, job share and compressed hours. Please note this role requires a minimum of three days per week in the office, with flexibility to work from home one to two days per week, though this is not guaranteed and will be subject to business need. There may also be a requirement to travel to other locations as needed.
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 about 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 Trainee Procurement Officer, you’ll start your career in procurement, helping to deliver the goods, services and infrastructure that enable critical national security work.
You’ll join a structured two-year development programme, gaining a strong foundation in how procurement operates within a complex organisation. Working as part of a team, you’ll contribute across the full procurement lifecycle – from understanding business needs and engaging with suppliers, through to running sourcing activities, awarding contracts and supporting contract management.
From early in the role, you’ll contribute to live projects, gaining experience in areas such as tendering, supplier relationship management and contract performance. As your confidence grows, you’ll begin to take ownership of your own work, building practical experience across a wide range of projects and procurement activities.
You’ll work with stakeholders across the organisation and suppliers across industry, learning how to balance cost, risk and value to achieve the right outcomes. The variety of work means you’ll gain exposure to different commercial challenges, helping you develop a broad and transferable skill set.
As you progress, you’ll take on increasing responsibility, moving from supporting delivery to contributing directly to commercial decisions and managing your own areas of work as you develop into a Procurement Manager.
About You
You don’t need prior experience in procurement, but you’ll have an interest in how organisations buy and manage goods and services. This will be supported by a minimum of 2 A levels or BTEC equivalent or minimum of 12 months in a commercial role. Whether you’re early in your career or exploring a new direction, you’ll bring a willingness to learn and a structured approach to your work.
You’re organised and able to manage your workload, with the confidence to communicate clearly and work with others to deliver shared goals. You may have experience in a team-based or customer-focused environment and will be comfortable working to deadlines and contributing to tasks that support wider projects.
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You’re adaptable and comfortable taking on new challenges, even when things are unfamiliar. Most importantly, you’re motivated to build your skills and develop a long-term career in procurement, with the commitment to grow into a role where you take ownership of your work and contribute to commercial decisions.
Training and development
You’ll join a structured two-year development programme designed to support your progression into a Commercial Practitioner role. From the outset, you’ll build your skills through a blend of formal training and hands-on experience, working alongside experienced colleagues on real projects.
You’ll be supported by a network of colleagues, including your manager, mentor and programme team, with regular check-ins to guide your development. As part of the programme, you’ll work towards the Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply (CIPS) Level 4 qualification, with dedicated support and time to help you succeed.
You’ll develop alongside a cohort of trainees, building your experience across different areas of procurement and applying your learning in practice. The programme has a clear structure and outcome, with progression linked to your development as you build the skills and judgement needed to move into a more independent role.
Please note, this role has two planned intake points in 2027 and 2028. As a result, the recruitment process may take longer than usual.
Rewards And Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £40,428 (London) or £37,723 (Cheltenham/Manchester) 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 (MI5 only)
- an interest-free season ticket loan
- an excellent pension scheme
- a cycle to work scheme
- facilities such as a 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 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 website.
We’re Disability Confident
About
MI5 is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions' Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as the Offer of an Interview.) To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
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- You'll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation
- Achieve the minimum pass mark for motivational questions - assessed at application sift
- Demonstrate the ability to manage your workload, communicate clearly and work with others to deliver shared goals - assessed at application sift
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 reasonable adjustments we can offer.
What To Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
- An initial online application form including pre-screening questions to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria
- Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios
- Full online application form
- An interview, which will include competency questions and further exploration of your motivation to work for the intelligence services
- If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment and then proceed to the vetting stage
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 continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer. This role has two planned intake points in 2027 and 2028. As a result, the recruitment process may take longer than usual.
Before you apply
To work at MI5, 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.
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 to manage your application with us more securely.
The role is based in London, Cheltenham or Manchester so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.
We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in-person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.
Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for
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