Closing soon
Closing soon

Location: London, Cheltenham

Salary: £39,152 (London), £36,408 (Cheltenham), with the possibility of additional language allowances once in the role subject to successful completion of your probation.

MI5 and GCHQ are part of 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.

As a Language Specialist, you’ll bring your talent to our diverse language community and help find intelligence that keeps the UK safe. You won’t just be a translator. With your knowledge of Chechen, Tajik, Somali, Dari or Pashto, you’ll piece together bits of a wider puzzle and be valued for the insights you bring. You might be analysing a range of foreign language materials, identifying details others would miss, or supporting analysts and investigations with your cultural knowledge. It’s about more than words – you’ll help unlock the bigger picture.

Plus, you’ll receive training on our tools and systems as well as further development opportunities to help grow a truly fulfilling career at the heart of our agencies. And you’ll do it as part of a friendly, welcoming language community that shares your passion.

The application window for these roles will open on Monday, 28th April. You might be a graduate passionate about language or someone looking to change career. There’s no single ‘type’ of person we recruit. We need people from all kinds of backgrounds to share different ways of thinking, so you’ll be encouraged to bring your whole self to work. If you’re interested in joining us as a Language Specialist and want to learn more about the role and what it’s like to work for the agencies, we’ll be hosting virtual events to provide you with all the information you need.

These events will take place during the week commencing 21st April and will last one hour.  

Please note: Registering your interest does not constitute a job application, nor will such registration have any bearing upon the recruitment process itself.  Individuals who register their interest and later decide to apply for the Language Specialist role will need to complete an application form once the application window opens on Monday 28th April.  

All applications will be assessed solely on merit.

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 websites.

Click on the submit button to register your interest.