Check your eligibility
Before you start your application, check that you meet the minimum entry requirements.
Protecting against technical espionage.
Shaping the next generation of security.
Realising the power of your skills.
It all matters.
At FCDO Services, we protect the UK’s interests at home and overseas, providing a wide range of secure services. On this scheme you could be designing and installing protective systems in a new embassy. Inspecting, maintaining and repairing essential communications and other technical equipment. Or protecting our organisations’ information and premises against technical espionage and compromise. Your skills could go anywhere. Here they’ll go everywhere.
What's in it for you?
About the role
12 to 15 month programme leading to a potential full-time role
Starting salary package £26,887 (including location allowance)
Potential for overtime and other allowances when working overseas and at off-site locations in the UK
Competitive Civil Service pension scheme, 25 days’ annual leave plus Bank Holidays
Regular overseas travel
You’ll work with multiple engineering teams, learning how they design, install, maintain and repair the technical systems that keep our government-level customers secure. Working on CCTV systems, intruder detection systems or a digital radio installation in UK government premises overseas. Preventing and detecting eavesdropping attacks in the UK and other countries. Helping design the next generation of security products. The work is incredibly varied – and each project and team placement will build your skills.
Upon successful completion of the Programme, which includes assessments to ensure suitability and to match your skill set to each operational placement, there’s a strong chance we’ll offer you a permanent position. You could find yourself in our Security Systems area, based in the UK but travelling overseas on a project-by-project basis to install a range of protective systems. Or you might join one of our Regional Technical Support Services Teams, living and working overseas for up to four years, travelling throughout your region providing technical support to our customers. Or you might be assigned to the National Authority for Counter-Eavesdropping where you’ll help to prevent and detect technical eavesdropping attacks in the UK and overseas.
Join us and you’ll be a valued part of the team, building your specialist skills, while having far-reaching impact and widening your options – all with the benefits of a career in the Civil Service.
The Trainee Technical Security Engineer Programme is open to everyone, but you must:
- Have achieved a minimum Level 3 Technical Qualification in any discipline that includes an element of electronics (candidates completing qualification in the next 2 months will be accepted)
- Be IT literate and proficient in the Microsoft Office suite – Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Show us you’re genuinely interested in engineering and technology
- Have experience of using basic engineering hand tools
- Have effective written and oral communication skills
- Be interested in overseas travel
- Be reliable, responsive, easy to work with and able to build relationships
- British citizenship, having lived in the UK for the last three years before your start date and for at least five of the last ten years (if you have been stationed overseas on HMG duty this isn’t applicable)
- Be at least 18 years old by 1 July 2024 so you can obtain Developed Vetting (DV) clearance before your start date
Modules typically expected to be covered in Level 3 qualification in Electrical and Electronic Engineering:
- Health & Safety in the Engineering Workplace
- Communication for Engineering Technicians
- Engineering Project
- Mathematics for Engineering Technicians
- Electrical and Electronic Principles
Meet the team
Technical Installer and
Former Apprentice
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UK NACE
Colleague
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Engineering
Colleague
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Overseas
Colleague
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Application next steps
For applicants with a disability as defined in the Equality Act 2010 we would like to make your experience as positive and comfortable as possible. We believe that you are the best person to tell us what you need so please let us know as soon as possible of any reasonable adjustments we can make and any barriers that you face in the working environment.
Click through each step by selecting the icons below. Remember, If you need us to make any adjustments at any stage, you can find out more about that here.
Complete your application form
Confirm your current qualifications along with modules completed, and complete a letter of application, then demonstrate how you meet the essential criteria for the programme.
Application sift
You don’t need to do anything at this stage. We’ll assess your application against the essential criteria for the programme. We progress applications based on merit and who best fits the criteria.
Complete our assessments
You’ll complete assessments aligned to our schemes and these may include psychometric testing and a group exercise.
Strength based interview
We’ll then invite you to attend a strengths-based interview. We’ll ask specific questions to understand your basic knowledge of the subject area for the programme you’ve chosen, as well as your passion for this.
Conditional offer and vetting
You’ll then go through our pre-employment enquiries, including referencing and medical assessment. Due to the secure nature of our work, we’ll need to vet you. This means you’ll be background checked for national security purposes.
