Details
Reference number
427571
Salary
£29,001 - £33,658
Salary is dependent on experience and skills.
This role may benefit from our new skill-set allowance. If you possess a specialist skill-set required at Dstl, you may benefit from additional monetary allowance in addition to your salary – a handy bonus for your craft (£1,000-£4,500 per annum). This allowance is payable just 3-months from joining.
A Civil Service Pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
GBP
Job grade
Higher Executive Officer
Dstl Level 4
Contract type
Permanent
Business area
Digital Advantage - Cyber
Type of role
Digital
Information Technology
Science
Working pattern
Flexible working, Full-time, Job share, Part-time, Compressed hours
Number of jobs available
1
Contents
* Location
* About the job
* Benefits
* Things you need to know
* Apply and further information
Location
Dstl Porton Down, Salisbury, Wiltshire, SP4 0JQ
At Dstl, our vision is to have a modern way of working efficiently, accommodating and enabling our people to create, collaborate and deliver. To do this successfully in this job will require attendance at a Dstl location; Government Departments including wider MoD or Delivery and Mission Partner's premises for 60% of your working time.
About the job
Job summary
Do you have a passion for data, cyber and keeping people safe?
If so, Dstl has the role for you. Dstl is growing within cyber. You will become part of a hardworking team central to keeping the UK safe providing critical data support.
As a persistent individual, problem solver and questionable of norms – you will fit in
You will:
* Use a range of tools and techniques, depending on the type of data and the data bearer; which might include high-level network captures (Ethernet, Wi-Fi), on-board data bearers (UART, I2C), or data at rest on a system (data logs, configuration files).
* Use industry standard tools for analysis. If required, you will also need to write your own tools for protocol and data analysis as well as extend existing tools.
* Need to be a persistent and inquisitive puzzle solver, able to pick apart the intricacies of communication components, while also maintaining a systems level understanding of the whole device.
Dstl will give you the chance to work on unique capabilities, develop your technical knowledge and work with friendly colleagues to protect the UK through supporting current and future cyber operations.
Find out more within the candidate pack on Civil Service Jobs.
Dstl recognises the importance of diversity and inclusion as people from diverse backgrounds bring fresh ideas. We are committed to building an inclusive working environment in which each employee fulfils their potential and maximises their contribution.
Job description
In this role you will:
* Use a range of tools and techniques, depending on the type of data and the data bearer; which might include high-level network captures (Ethernet, Wi-Fi), on-board data bearers (UART, I2C), or data at rest on a system (data logs, configuration files).
* Use industry standard tools for analysis. If required, you will also need to write your own tools for protocol and data analysis as well as extend existing tools.
* Need to be a persistent and inquisitive puzzle solver, able to pick apart the intricacies of communication components, while also maintaining a systems level understanding of the whole device.
Safety at Dstl
Accountable for ensuring safe and secure work;
* Must appreciate and be responsible for the health and safety of self and others; both understand and meet defined accountabilities as written in Dstl policy,
* Must demonstrate the expected HS (& EP) behaviours as defined by the Civil Service and Dstl and lead by example,
* Must ensure understanding and maintenance of appropriate training, experience and knowledge (i.e. competent / SQEP) for self and direct reports,
* Develop a working environment that is supportive of and champions the Dstl approach to security, health, wellbeing, safety and environmental (HSEP) management,
* Be aware of the downstream impact of their actions and the actions of their direct reports on those outside of their immediate control.
* Implement Dstl's policies and ensure compliance with the Management System
Person specification
Qualifications
* Relevant STEM-based degree or those with equivalent skills qualifications or experience are also actively encouraged to apply.
Technical Skills
Essential
* Experience with at least one high level programming language, such as C/C++ or Python.
* Knowledge of computer networking with an interest in analysing communication protocols.
At least one of:
* Awareness of compression, obfuscation and/or encryption techniques.
* Knowledge of data encoding techniques; e.g. raw binary formats, base64, Unicode.
* Experience using tools for packet, data and/or binary analysis e.g. Wireshark, 010 editor, Ghidra.
Essential
Experience
To be considered for this role we expect you to have:
* Worked on complex and non-routine problems, drawing together disparate information and making meaningful technical assessments, ideally in an engineering or technology environment.
* A clear aptitude of figuring out how different technologies work – particularly how a device communicates, how it stores data, how components within it communicate with each other etc.
* A persistence and tenacity to cohere people and information that assures technical products to a high level.
Important Information
Our work in defence, security and intelligence requires our employees to be UK Nationals who are able to gain a high level of security clearance to undertake the projects we are involved in to protect us from security threats. For this reason, only UK Nationals will be able to apply for this role. If you are an international or dual-national candidate, and you think you have the skills we need, please consider applying to any of our government, security or defence partners.
This role will require full UK security clearance and you should have resided in the UK for the past 5 years. For some roles Developed Vetting will also be required, in this case you should have resided in the UK for the past 10 years.
If you are a current Dstl employee you must ensure your line manager is aware of your application and the potential situation regarding release dates, if successful and a start date is not agreed it could result in the job offer being withdrawn
Behaviours
We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:
* Delivering at Pace
* Communicating and Influencing
* Working Together
* Changing and Improving
Benefits
Alongside your salary of £29,001, Defence Science and Technology Laboratory contributes £8,401 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
Benefits
Dstl's full range of great benefits can be found in the information pack which includes:
* Financial: An excellent pension scheme starting from 28.97% employer contribution (find out more here). In Year Rewarding Achievement bonuses and thank you vouchers. Rental deposit scheme and cycle to work scheme. Option to join Vivup Benefits Payment scheme
* Flexible working: Options include alternative working patterns such as; compressed hours, job shares and annualised hours (agreed number of hours per annum paid monthly i.e. working term-time only).
* Working hours: Flexibility around your working day (e.g. start time, finish time). Ability to bank hours in a 12 month reference period including the ability to accrue and use 3 days per calendar month.
* Annual leave: 25 days pro rata (rising to 30 after 5 years) plus 8 public holidays with the ability to buy/sell 5 additional days per annum.
* Family: Maternity, adoption or shared parental leave of up to 26 weeks with full pay, an additional 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid
* Learning and Development: Dstl encourages and supports charterships, accreditations and provides employees access to fully funded apprenticeships up to level 7 (Masters Degree). Dstl will pay for 2 memberships with relevant bodies/institutions. Employees also have access to Civil Service Learning.
* Facilities: Onsite parking, EV Charging points, restaurants, cafés and gyms.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles, and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.
We want you to have your best chance of success in our recruitment process, so If at any stage of the application process you would like help or assistance please contact the Dstl Recruitment Team and we will do all we can to support you.
Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use
Sifting will take place from the 15th October 2025 with interviews to be arranged from the 3rd November 2025.The closing date for applications is Wednesday 15th October.
Please note if successful for an interview, a 10 minute presentation will be required on "A technical project I'm proud of".
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 .
See our vetting charter .
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
Open to UK nationals only.
This job is not open to candidates who hold a dual nationality.
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy .
Apply and further information
This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans initiative.
Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.
Contact point for applicants
Job contact :
* Name :
* Email :
Recruitment team
* Email :
Further information
Should you wish to raise a formal complaint about the Dstl recruitment process you should email stating the nature of the issue. We will respond within 5 working days.