Intelligence Officers

Using our skills to help secure the UK’s interests overseas

What does an Intelligence Officer do?

Intelligence Officers (IOs) work in the UK and overseas to recruit, talk to and task people who can help us find out secret information, and we call these people agents. We work with agents and run technical operations to acquire the secret intelligence needed by the UK Government.

A career as an Intelligence Officer

An IO career in MI6 offers a wide range of fascinating operational roles, both overseas and in the UK. We are looking for talented individuals to join us with the potential to become the IOs of the future. We do not expect you to have IO skills yet – we’ll train you in those – but we are looking for potential. You’ll need to bring great interpersonal skills, an interest in foreign cultures and technology, a keenness to learn and a desire to keep our country and allies safe, secure and prosperous. 

“It’s unlike any other job I’ve done. I’m working at the heart of government on issues critical to British national security and making a real impact on government policy. That’s very rewarding.”

Kate, Intelligence Officer

Our internship programme

A key objective of our Culture, Diversity and Inclusion strategy is to ensure we’re attracting and recruiting diverse talent. The Summer Internship Programme – run together with MI5 and GCHQ – is specifically designed to attract those from ethnic minorities and lower socio-economic groups who wouldn’t normally consider a career with MI6.

Summer Intelligence Internship

How you'll find the IO role for you

IO roles fall under four business areas. The IO training pathway will introduce you to each and your first role will be matched to your strengths.  As your career develops, you may choose to specialise or move between roles to broaden your understanding of intelligence operations. See more below.

Intelligence Officer roles

Operational Managers

Operational Managers plan and manage intelligence operations, drawing on available capabilities from within MI6 and intelligence partners, managing the risks and ensuring we act compliantly.  

Intelligence Officer roles

Targets

Targeters use a range of desk-based tools to collect, analyse and interpret data to identify potential subjects for human intelligence operations and to validate the intelligence we collect. 

Intelligence Officer roles

Reports Officers

Reports Officers work with all Government departments to understand what intelligence they need. Reports Officers task agents to collect this information. They are responsible for assessing and validating the intelligence prior to releasing it to customers, and for finding impactful ways of sharing intelligence reports with customers, often senior policy makers in Government. 

Intelligence Officer roles

Case Officers

Case Officers build relationships with individuals to recruit them as agents and then ‘run’ them to provide secret intelligence. 

Frequently asked questions

We expect you might have some questions about an IO role – hopefully we’ve captured some of them within our frequently asked questions. If not, there will be plenty of opportunities to ask once you apply.

Are you right for the role?

Eligibility

Nationality

You need to be a British Citizen (if you hold dual nationality then one component will need to be British).

Skills and experience

To apply to become a IO you will need a minimum of a 2:2 degree or higher in any subject, and if you’re an undergraduate, you’ll be expecting your final degree result within 12 months of your application date.

Security etting

You will need to be willing to undergo security clearance. For more info on this, please see our Vetting page.

Visit our Vetting page

Find out more about eligibility