Fact or Fiction?
MI5 once used Wormwood Scrubs prison as our headquarters
The programme
The National Protective Security Authority (NPSA), is part of MI5 and is the UK’s National Technical Authority for physical and personnel security. What does that mean? It means we protect the UK’s critical national infrastructure, government and other high risk sensitive sectors from threats most people will never see. This could include safety measures around high-footfall buildings, the disruption of hostile vehicle or drone reconnaissance, or the prevention of incidents involving explosives, weapons, or chemical materials. Put simply, we are the architects of national resilience.
The Protective Security Development Programme (PSDP) is a three-year structured pathway designed to take you from STEM graduate to Protective Security Specialist. You’ll rotate through different teams and disciplines within NPSA, gaining unparalleled access to intelligence-led research and real-life applications alongside extensive practical training. By the end, you’ll have the experience, exposure, skills and deep technical knowledge required to become a Specialist in your own right. It’s the start of a fascinating, rewarding career doing work people will never see, but always depend on.
Your three-year development pathway
As NPSA increasingly works in mixed teams responding to fast-moving threats, you’ll gain exposure to all areas of our operations by completing four-month rotations between different disciplines. In doing so, you’ll understand the wider context of our work and the different challenges we face, while learning alongside senior colleagues keen to support you with their expertise.
Starting salary and benefits
£44,190
Our starting salary is £44,190, rising to £47,773 after one year. You will enjoy 25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, alongside 8 bank holidays and 2.5 additional leave days (set dates through the year). We also offer an excellent pension scheme, an interest-free season ticket loan and lots more. Discover more about our full range of benefits.
Work-life balance
Flexible
For full-time roles, you’ll work 36 hours per week, full-time, Monday to Friday. Throughout most of the programme, you’ll be able to benefit from flexitime and compressed hours, both subject to business need. During the initial three-week induction period, you’ll need to follow fixed full-time hours. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, this is primarily office-based, with limited opportunities for home working.
Location
London
Throughout the programme, you’ll be based in London, working full-time from MI5's secure offices. Travel to UK sites should be expected, with occasional international travel subject to business needs.
What you'll bring
As this is a development programme, you don’t need to be an expert to apply. We’ll teach you everything you need to know about the work we do. You’ll need to be either a final-year student or already graduated with a degree in a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) subject, or a related field such as blast design engineering. Or you could be a STEM apprentice at Level 6 or 7. Either way, you’ll have considerable scientific understanding in your chosen field and knowledge of different research methods.
Importantly, you’ll also have transferrable skills and a natural aptitude you can bring to the role. You’ll be analytical; a problem-solver and a critical thinker who considers different factors before making conclusions. As you’ll be working with all kinds of different teams, you’ll be collaborative and keen to learn, ask questions and share your own insights. And, you’ll have an eye on emerging trends. You’ll be a horizon-scanner; someone who can identify gaps and keep us ahead of ever-changing threats.
Hear from our people
Wondering if a role with NPSA is right for you? We spoke to Naomi, who works in one of our R&D teams tackling chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear threats. She shares what surprised her most about joining, and how technical expertise is used in practice to protect the UK.
Other things you may want to know about the PSDP
No, this role is primarily office-based in London but with some travel to other UK sites and potentially overseas during the three-year programme.
There is no single typical day. The programme is built around four-month rotations, so your work will evolve as you move through different teams and disciplines. Throughout the three years, you’ll work alongside experienced colleagues at every stage, contribute to live activity, and see how intelligence and technical expertise are turned into practical protective security outcomes. As the programme progresses, your work will become more applied, including supporting outreach teams, contributing to site visits, and deepening your technical knowledge. By your final year, you will be embedded in an R&D team, managing your own workload and contributing to complex projects, preparing you for a long-term role as a Protective Security Specialist.
You’ll have considerable scientific understanding in your chosen STEM field and knowledge of different research methods, as well as transferrable skills such as critical thinking, curiosity and time management. As you’ll be working with senior specialists and people across industry and academia, you’ll be collaborative and confident communicating technical information to non-technical audiences. Importantly, you’ll be someone with an eye on emerging trends, who can help keep NPSA and MI5 ahead of growing threats to national security.
As this is a development programme, you’ll be given extensive in-person and virtual training as part of the role and be assigned a mentor to help you settle into NPSA. Approximately 70% of your learning will be on-the-job, with 30% provided via formal training, e-learning, reading, independent study, collaborative research, plus site and event attendance. You’ll also be encouraged to gain qualifications, professional memberships and charterships relevant to your specialism.
Campaigns run periodically, but not on a fixed schedule. You can sign up for job alerts on our website to be notified when you can next apply.
Joining this programme means committing to the three-year pathway. If you decide the role isn’t for you during the programme, you may not be able to explore other options within MI5.
Visit the National Protective Security Authority's website to find out more about their work.
Application process
Our application process is thorough and takes approximately 9 to 12 months, so if you’re currently employed, we recommend staying in your current role until you receive a final offer. Each stage of the process is important, and the checks we carry out are essential to ensure the role, and the organisation, are right for you.
Our other graduate offerings
As the country faces increased threats to national security, a role as an Intelligence Officer gives you the opportunity to have a tangible impact on the security of the UK.
Our Technology Graduate Development Programme offers an exciting opportunity to work in a unique and stimulating environment, where technology plays a crucial and increasingly frontline role.
Our Intelligence and Data Analysts use advanced data analytical techniques that place them at the heart of MI5's investigations.
Our Business Enablers help keep the country safe by providing the vital services that MI5 needs to operate.