Solutions Architect

We are looking for experienced professionals to collaborate on some of the biggest challenges facing the UK.

Operating at the heart of the mission, you’ll use your technical skills to protect the UK, disrupt the activities of hostile states, and exploit opportunities in the digital space.

Almost all of MI6’s operational work is underpinned by technology; from keeping our officers safe overseas, to the secure platforms that connect our global partnerships. The challenges we face are complex, varied, and vast.

You will share our vision and values, and will work on seemingly impossible puzzles, to make the country safer and more prosperous.

This is what we do, every day, at MI6.

Our architects are critical to MI6’s success. They work directly with operational teams on some of the biggest challenges to national security. There is a constant need to develop and maintain capabilities that provide us with mission advantage in a rapidly changing, technology- and data-driven world. Using agile and lean methodologies to innovate, deliver, and upgrade products, our architects tackle unique and fascinating challenges across data analytics, knowledge systems, operational communications, and technical operations capabilities - problems you are unlikely to have encountered before.

Working in multi-disciplinary teams alongside engineers, product owners, and business analysts, our architects provide design authority across the organisation. They lead the systems-engineering approach for specific product areas, balancing tactical delivery with strategic goals to create new capabilities and continually improve existing ones. This involves shaping solutions by tailoring architecture processes to address product risks at scale, developing and communicating technology roadmaps and key design decisions, managing technology risk throughout the product lifecycle, and ensuring coherence across the wider product ecosystem through integration and release oversight.

Many of our architects are deployed directly into mission teams, working closely alongside operational officers to develop deep subject matter expertise in specific geographical areas. This may involve opportunities to travel and work with our overseas intelligence partners.

You will also find opportunities in enterprise roles - building shared capabilities, collaborating with partners on data and technology sharing, and creating the platforms that allow us to rapidly onboard new capabilities. You will generally move between different teams throughout your career in line with your aspirations and organisational priorities.

You will be given the time to explore, prototype, and test emerging technologies, and to develop new skills. You will build a solid background in applying enterprise and domain architecture, influencing stakeholders, and conducting trade-offs across requirements and solution spaces - developing the well-honed soft skills of curiosity, teamwork, and problem-solving essential for leading multi-disciplinary teams.

Open to UK nationals only.

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. You must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

• Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), assessing the appropriateness of your responses to a series of short scenarios. The SJT tests criteria important for all roles in our organisation.
• Application sifts- reviewing your motivation, technical aptitude, skills and experience for the role and the organisation.
• If successful at the sift, you will be invited to a face to face assessment day, which will consist of: a HR focused motivation and competency interview, a technical interview, and a technical presentation that you will have prepared before hand.
• If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment.

Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process, including vetting, so we advise you to continue with any employment unless you receive a confirmed job offer.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV).

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.