entry level jobs in London

Location: West London
Salary: £41,843 per annum. Following the successful completion of your training, you’ll also be eligible for a Shift Disturbance Allowance of up to £8,085 per year and a Weekend Premium of £4,495 per year.

Flexible working: this is a full-time role with shift patterns involving a rotating pattern of early, late and night shifts, including weekends. Due to the nature of this role, flexible, home or remote working isn’t possible.

Get ready to apply

We’re currently accepting registrations of interest for our Intelligence Operations Analyst role before the application window opens on Thursday 19 November at 10am. This role could attract significant interest, so we may only be open for a very short time. Please plan to apply as soon as the window opens.

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.

About the role

Those who seek to do us harm don’t work 9am to 5pm, so neither do we. As an Intelligence Operations Analyst, you’ll analyse data and intelligence and provide a rapid response to teams working around the clock. Working in shifts alongside an expert team, you’ll assess a range of intelligence including audio files, images, written communications and large data sets. The insights and connections you and your team provide could lead to major turning points in live investigations.

This role is designed to provide a strong foundation for a long-term career in intelligence analysis. Upon joining, you’ll undertake a three-month training period combining classroom learning with practical experience alongside experienced operational analysis teams. You’ll then join the analyst team for an initial three-year placement. Your rotating shift pattern will involve a mix of earlies, lates and nights, including weekends. You’ll receive regular days off throughout your shift cycle, including extended periods away from work, plus dedicated personal development time. Please note, you’ll need to be able to commute to West London and be ready to start work promptly for early shifts.

You might be a final year undergraduate or a recent graduate, returning to work after a break, looking for a career change or simply a new challenge. To apply, you'll have, or be expected to obtain by September 2027, a 2:2 degree or above, in any subject or at least one year's full-time work experience using the core skills needed for analysis. Specific analyst experience isn’t required, but you should be able to demonstrate an ability to analyse information, data, evidence or trends.

Collaborative and comfortable working under pressure, you’ll enjoy solving problems and puzzles and be a confident communicator. Due to the fact the role involves listening to audio files, you’ll be required to complete a hearing test as part of the application process. If you wear hearing aids, you’ll be able to complete the test using them.

Register your interest

Before applications open on Thursday 19 November at 10am, we’re inviting women and people from Black, Asian or other ethnic minority backgrounds to register their interest, as these groups are currently under‑represented in our workforce. As part of the registration of interest, you will be invited to an online insight event, to learn more about the organisation and the programme, before the application window opens.

Virtual Insight Events

• Wednesday 18 November, at 12.30pm or 5pm. The content will be the same across both sessions, so you only need to attend one. Each session will last approximately one hour.

Once the registration of interest has closed, eligible candidates will receive an email with event invitations and joining details.

Please note, registering your interest does not constitute a job application and has no impact on the recruitment process. Anyone who registers their interest and then decides to apply, will need to complete an application form once the application window opens.

When applications open on Thursday 19 November at 10am, we welcome applications from all eligible candidates. All applications are assessed solely on merit. Remember, the window may only be open for a very short time, so plan to apply early.

Before you register

Due to the sensitive nature of our work, there are some eligibility criteria you’ll need to meet (as well as some recommendations we’d make to aid your registration and any future application). You will need to:

• be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read more on our eligibility criteria
• if successful at the end of the recruitment process, undergo Developed Vetting and comply with our no drugs policy. Learn more about the vetting process
• familiarise yourself with our guidance on the use of artificial intelligence tools in applications
• complete your registration, application and all recruitment processes from within the UK

This role is based in West London, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider the financial and practical implications before applying. Remote or home working is not possible due to the secure nature of our work.

We recommend using a different email address (without identifying details) for your contact with us. This will help keep your personal and application correspondence separate, and more secure. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

Select ‘Submit’ to register your interest.