Somali Language Specialist

**Details**:
**Reference number**:

- 403880

**Salary**:

- £36,408 - £39,152

Flexible Working: Full time, part-time, and compressed hours are possible. Please note, the MI5 role is office-based only. At GCHQ, home working is available up to one day per week, but beyond that, it is an office-based role. Remote working, from another location is not initially available but may be possible after 18-24 months, at which point you may have the opportunity to work from any of our GCHQ offices in Cheltenham, London, or Manchester.

GBP

**Job grade**:

- Other

**Contract type**:

- Permanent

**Type of role**:

- Other

**Working pattern**:

- Flexible working, Full-time, Part-time, Compressed hours

**Number of jobs available**:

- 1

**Contents**:

- Location
- About the job
- Benefits
- Things you need to know

**Location**:

- Cheltenham, London

**About the job**:
**Job summary**:
Your knowledge of Somali could unlock a career in intelligence. By joining MI5 or GCHQ, you can play your part in protecting the UK.

**About Us**

MI5 and GCHQ are part of 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.

**Job description**:
If you have a passion for languages, working as a language specialist for the UK intelligence agencies presents a truly unique opportunity. You’ll be working at the heart of our mission, supporting high-value activities that will keep the country safe. We’re looking for Somali linguists for a role that goes well beyond translation and transcription - this role is about more than words. Your knowledge of the Somali language, as well as your in-depth understanding of Somali culture, ideology, and politics, will be a significant asset in helping to safeguard the UK.

As a linguist specialising in Somali, the role involves analysing material in this language, providing insights to support analysts, investigators, and operational teams. You’ll work autonomously, prioritising tasks and communicating with key stakeholders. With an adept knowledge of the Somali language and surrounding culture, you’ll identify nuances and seek out key information from spoken and written materials, contextualise it, and make the information accessible and understandable to others.

Collaboration within mission and language teams across different organisations is essential, using language technology to piece together intelligence and support informed decisions. Identifying relevant material and fitting it into the intelligence narrative are key aspects of this role, all within a supportive environment.

You’ll engage in a mix of individual work and group projects, with plenty of cross-team collaboration. You may mentor other linguists, form working groups, or enhance your analytical, reporting or technical skills. This role offers significant opportunities for learning, development, and knowledge-sharing.

Please note, all MI5 contracts include a mobility clause. This means you could be liable to serve away from your usual place of work for periods of detached duty or training.

**Training and Development**

When you join, you’ll receive a thorough induction on our tools, methods and ways of working. We understand that starting a new role can be challenging, so we don’t expect you to be fully prepared from day one. We’ll provide comprehensive training to ensure you have all the skills and knowledge needed to excel in your role. Initial training will be provided on tools, the job, the context, and everything you need to know beyond the language.

At MI5, you’ll have access to maintenance language classes to keep your language skills and knowledge up to date. You can also attend immersion sessions led by Language Specialists from the UK’s Intelligence Services. Additionally, we provide various internal training courses, support in acquiring, and funding for language-related qualifications.

At GCHQ, alongside the maintenance training, we’ll provide support and help you keep your language skills up to date. You’ll be encouraged to pursue areas of interest to you, whether it’s management, enhancing your deep language skills, or improving your analytical and reporting capabilities. We’ll work with you to support your goals. Qualifications, including CertTrans and DipTrans exams, are available with GCHQ funding.

So, whether you’re at MI5 or GCHQ, you’ll have all the support you need to explore new opportunities, further your knowledge and build a rewarding career.

**Person specification**:
You don’t need experience or qualifications to be a Somali Language Specialist with us. However, you must have writing, speaking, reading, and listening language skills, excellent written Eng