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Intelligence analysts use data to detect and prevent crime and protect UK security and the economy.
You could work: evenings / weekends / bank holidays; at short notice
There will be
2.4% more Intelligence analyst jobs in 2027.
In your local area
In this role, you'll:
You could work in an office or in a court.
Your working environment may be physically and emotionally demanding and you may spend nights away from home.
You can get into this job through:
Intelligence services recruit graduates from a wide range of subjects. You could gain particularly relevant skills from a degree in a subject that includes data analysis, for example:
Being able to speak different languages may also be useful for more specialist roles.
You'll usually need:
The following higher apprenticeships may be relevant to this role:
You could also gain some of the skills and knowledge required through degree apprenticeships like:
You'll usually need:
You may be able to start in a related job in the security services then apply to join an intelligence officer training programme. Related jobs include researcher or language specialist.
You could also apply to become a police intelligence officer, if you work for the police. Each police force sets its own application entry requirements.
You could apply for MI5's Intelligence and Data Analyst Development Programme if you have a degree or relevant work experience.
You may also be able to apply through the Civil Service Fast Stream or to the National Crime Agency.
Applications can take up to 9 months. As part of the process, you'll need to be prepared to answer questions about your personal life, relationships, family and finances.
You'll need to:
Look out for information on student placements and summer internship schemes. These are a great way to find out more about the role and the recruitment process.
You can find out more about a career in intelligence from:GCHQ; Secret Intelligence Service MI6; Security Service MI5; National Crime Agency;
With experience, you could work as a senior analyst. You would give specialist advice, assess trends and support managers to make decisions on organisational priorities.
To get to senior analyst roles, you would usually follow an established career path created by the organisation you work for.
You could also move to a related area of work within your organisation, for example applying to become a police officer.
You can find out more about a career in intelligence from the security agencies: