Applications for this job open on 14 Sep 2026
Flexible working: Due to the nature of surveillance work, this role operates on a shift pattern rather than a standard working week, with hours organised in advance on a five-week rota, including two weekends in five. There will also be a requirement to travel to other locations as needed, and on rare occasions, at short notice.
There may be options for more flexible working once you've completed the 20-week training programme, and we'll discuss this with you as part of the recruitment process.
Mobile Surveillance Officer at MI5
This is a rare opportunity to bring your energy, instincts and people skills to a role unlike any other, working at the heart of MI5’s national security mission. As a Mobile Surveillance Officer, you’ll blend into the environment, observe people and places, and report back to MI5’s Intelligence Officers. Surveillance is a key investigative resource we use to protect against threats to the UK, and your key objective will be to follow subjects who’ve been identified as potential threats to national security.
This is a uniquely impactful, one-of-a-kind role, so we don’t expect you to have all the skills when you join. In fact, our Mobile Surveillance Officers come from all sorts of backgrounds including nursing, teaching and customer service. Some are recent graduates, and some have spent years working in another industry.
To begin with, you’ll attend an intensive 20-week training programme, where you’ll learn how to turn your existing skills to surveillance. We’ll teach you how to safely observe and blend into your surroundings – and keeping you safe will be our priority. Plus, you'll get the chance to bond with your fellow officers, which will matter once you're out in the field, travelling and carrying out surveillance on foot or in a car, often at short notice, as part of a close team tracking subjects across changing environments.
About you
You don’t need any qualifications to join us, but you will need a full UK manual driving licence and should have no more than three points on your licence. You’ll also use maps in your role, so you should be willing to learn how to navigate yourself between two points using an ‘A-Z’ map.
Since you’ll be working closely with a partner, you’ll need to have a strong sense of teamwork and people skills that you might have learned from working in a team, playing sports, travelling, or coaching. Being there for your fellow officers will be important, just as they’ll be there to support you. So, you’ll be energised by working with others and able to build good, lasting relationships.
You’ll also be observant, someone who’s able to accurately remember details of what you’ve seen and heard. And a skilled multi-tasker – able to learn how to watch, plan and think ahead, drive and communicate with your team, all while making risk assessments and decisions on the go.
Due to the nature of the work, there are also some physical requirements around tattoos, height, fitness, hearing and vision. You can find a full list of these requirements on our website. These will all be tested as part of the recruitment process.
Register your interest
The application window for the Mobile Surveillance Officer role will open on Friday 2 October 2026 at 10am. If you’re a woman, or you’re from an ethnic minority background, we’d be particularly keen to invite you to register your interest for our upcoming events. Please note that we’re confining registrations of interest to these groups only, due to their current under-representation in our workforce.
We'll be running an Insight Event on Wednesday 30 September, at 12.30pm and 5pm to introduce our Mobile Surveillance Officer role. This is a chance to hear from the team, learn more about the role, and ask questions before applications open. You can choose whichever time suits you, as the content will be identical in both sessions.
When you register, you'll be invited to both Events, and you're welcome to attend either session – but please only attend one.
When do applications open?
The application window for this role opens on Friday 2 October 2026 at 10am. If you’re a woman, or you’re from an ethnic minority background, we’d be particularly keen to invite you to register your interest for our upcoming events. Please note that we’re confining registrations of interest to these groups only, due to their current under-representation in our workforce.
Any individuals who register their interest and later decide to apply for our Mobile Surveillance Officer role will need to complete an application form when applications open. At that stage, we’ll welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of ethnic background, gender, disability, or any other characteristic(s). All applications will be assessed solely on merit.
Our commitment to diversity and inclusion
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 culture, working environment and commitment to diversity.
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. You can apply at the age of 17 years; if successful, you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. There is no upper age limit. See our website for full eligibility details.
