Director General Corporate Services

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are the UK’s Intelligence Services. We work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests and businesses from various threats at home, overseas and online, including cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. Working across our vital missions, you’ll deliver impact at the heart of national security, all within a supportive and inclusive environment that allows everyone to thrive.
MI5 provides corporate services to all three (MI5, MI6 and GCHQ) of the Services and is looking for a Director General Corporate Services (DGCS) to lead the function into a high performing and fast-evolving future. The successful applicant will step into this role at a significant time of change and transformation across MI5, MI6 and GCHQ, as they look to meet the rising challenges presented by our adversaries, while seizing the opportunities and manage the risks of the digital age.
The DGCS will be an active member of the MI5 Management Board and a significant participant in MI6 and GCGQ’s governance structures. These strategic partnerships are essential for the role to lead a Corporate Services that enables the Services to stay ahead of the threats the UK faces., The DGCS will report into the Head of MI5 and will work collaboratively in close partnership across MI5, MI6 and GCHQ Corporate Services is multi –functional, delivering People, Commercial and Finance shared services. With deep professional expertise, Corporate Services provides our partners faster and easier access to the right talent and capability, increased diversity, and helps customers spend their money more efficiently and effectively.
MI5 is looking for a DG who can lead the next evolution of our shared Corporate Services. Formed in early 2021, it has delivered a multi-phase and multi-year transformation, including through the deployment of a suite of new technologies centred on a single shared Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) solution. The key focus and challenges for the next phase of delivery will be deepening the partnerships across MI5, MI6 and GCHQ to drive adoption of the new technologies and fully embed the business change. As well as realising the associated benefits and efficiencies from the transformation, there is a huge opportunity to enhance the user experience and offer additional business insights using data and Management Information (MI).
Thinking to the future, the Director General will lead the strategy for the next generation of Corporate Services; adapting the operating model and exploiting new digital opportunities to ensure our services meet the ambitions of the missions., The successful candidate will:
+ Be passionate about bringing real value and benefit through Corporate Services to the Agencies – and, ultimately, to the British public
+ Step into this role at a significant time of change for the Services
+ Play a critical role in realising the significant benefits from the transformation of Corporate Services, both within Corporate Services and MI5, MI6 and GCHQ
+ Continue the modernisation of Corporate Services and deepen the professionalisation of the Functions
+ Role model collaborative leadership as well as challenge the status quo, At MI5, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are underrepresented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website https://www.mi5.gov.uk/careers/diversity
We’re Disability Confident
MI5 are proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:
+ Meeting the eligibility criteria
+ Meeting the essential criteria for the role at the CV and covering letter sift
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, for information on reasonable adjustments and what we can offer, see our website here.
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
+ Application sift, looking at your evidence against the essential criteria above,
+ A follow up phone call, this will enable us to better understand your motivation for applying and suitability for the role,
+ Participation in a Staff Engagement Session with a small group of MI5 staff.
+ You will be asked to complete some psychometric testing.
+ Panel interview, this will consist of a 5-minute presentation on a pre-given question, followed by questions to test your motivation for applying, and understand your evidence against our competencies,
+ If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to vetting.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Before You Apply
To work at MI5, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more discreetly.
The role is based in London, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application. A loan is available to support people relocating to London.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Right to Withdraw Statement
Please be aware that we withhold the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

It is essential that you have:
+ Extensive experience of leading corporate services and service delivery
+ Extensive experience of senior stakeholder engagement and building sustainable professional partnerships across diverse cultures and legacies
+ Experience of leading the adoption of new systems and processes within organisations
+ A proven track record of enabling cultural change and developing high performing teams
+ Experience of working and leading in a multi-tiered complex matrix environment
+ Demonstrable evidence of driving continuous improvements
+ Rigorous evidence of driving efficiencies and Value for Money outcomes
+ Need to be extremely credible, with a proven track record leading high-performing teams
It is desirable that you have:
+ Experience of working across a global environment

Training and Development
An organisation induction will be provided to new starters to welcome you to MI5 and familiarise you with some of the unique elements of working for an intelligence service. The successful candidate will have access to the L&D offerings from our Academy and the wider civil service. These courses are available to not just support your professional development but also to support your personal development.
You will also benefit from access to the Dedicated Development Budget, which is available to help you enhance your knowledge, skills, and personal qualities in areas that are directly related to your employment with MI5.
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a competitive starting salary plus other benefits including:
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o 25 Days’ annual leave and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
o Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
o Dedicated development budget
o Interest-free season ticket loan
o Excellent pension scheme
o Cycle to work scheme
o Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
o Paid parental and adoption leave