Flexible Linguist – Various Languages Ref. 3691

Job Description

Hours: Part-time, on a flexible contractual basis. Typically standard office hours, with some flexibility based on business needs. Due to the sensitive nature of the role, remote, hybrid or homeworking is not possible.

About Us

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ are the UK’s Intelligence Services. We work together to safeguard Britain’s people, interests and businesses from a range of threats at home, overseas and online, including cyberattacks, 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 enables everyone to thrive.

The Role

Do you speak or feel comfortable communicating in any of the following languages? If you speak a regional dialect of the language, we would still encourage you to apply. We also appreciate there may be multiple spellings of the languages listed below.

• Fula (Fulfulde/Fulani/ Fulah)
• Kanuri
• Hausa
• Tamazight (Tamasheq/Tamajaq/Tamahaq)
• Oromo
• Amharic
• Luganda
• Mandarin
• Cantonese
• Chechen
• Latvian
• Ukrainian
• Bulgarian
• Vietnamese

As a Part-Time Linguist, you’ll apply your language skills and cultural expertise to a variety of projects to help protect the UK. The role involves translating and transcribing language materials and using your linguistic knowledge and cultural insight to support wider intelligence work. There may also be opportunities to contribute to the development of language tools and resources, as well as to participate in language teaching and training. For candidates with the appropriate skills and interest, and depending on the language, there may be opportunities to provide interpreting support that strengthens our analytical capabilities.

You’ll be part of a friendly, supportive and thriving community of linguists who share a passion for language. Much of the work is project-based and completed independently, though there will be opportunities to collaborate, share knowledge and engage with colleagues when required. Your expertise will be valued, and your work will directly support the UK’s national security.

This is a part-time role with flexible working arrangements, but it requires on-site work during standard office hours. Occasional travel to other locations may also be required.

About You

This role does not require formal professional qualifications, but it does call for a high level of proficiency in your language – at least C1 level in CEFR terms – with excellent writing, speaking, listening and reading skills, alongside fluent English. You may have developed your language ability through academic study, community use, a heritage background or lived experience – all of these pathways are welcome. What matters most is your passion for the language and your commitment to producing accurate, high-quality translations and transcriptions.

You’ll also bring a high level of attention to detail, be comfortable working independently on language tasks and feel confident using IT systems, with the curiosity and adaptability to learn new tools and workflows as needed. If you combine advanced language skills with experience in other areas, particularly teaching or training, this role may be especially well suited to you.

Training and Development

When you join, an induction will introduce you to your colleagues and provide an overview of the role, our workflows, and the organisation. This induction also explains how language tasks are allocated, the systems used, and the wider context your work supports.

An on-site line manager is assigned to provide ongoing support and guidance as you settle in, acting as the main point of contact for tasking, development needs and day-to-day queries. You will be part of a wider community of linguists, creating opportunities to share insights and learn from others across the team.

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive an hourly rate of £35.00 per hour, along with reimbursement for reasonable travel expenses to your designated office location.

The role is based on-site in either London or Greater Manchester. Reasonable public transport costs can be claimed as an expense, and the most cost-effective travel routes and ticketing options must be used.

Unfortunately, we’re not able to provide relocation costs for this role.

Equal Opportunities

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: individuals 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 groups that are under-represented in our workforce, such as women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, individuals with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and approach to diversity on our website:

Diversity & Inclusion | GCHQ Careers

We’re Disability Confident

We are proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident scheme. This scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and to take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview, where it is practical for us to do so. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’.

To secure an interview for this role, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

• Meeting the motivation question assessed at application sift
• Meeting the pass mark in the language test

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit:

1. Application sift, looking at your motivation for the role and the organisation
2. Language test, assessing your translation and transcription skills into English
3. Assessment Centre, including competency-based interview
4. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to security vetting

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage to progress to the next. The full process, including vetting, may take 6 to 9 months. Because work volumes may vary considerably and unpredictably, the Flexible Linguist role is intended to complement your existing employment. You may decide to continue in your current role both during the recruitment process and after receiving your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work for the intelligence community, you must be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria.

This role requires a certain level of security clearance, known as SC+ (Enhanced Security Check). Everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes vetting, which can take some time. Find out more about the vetting process.

Please note that we have a strict drugs policy. Once you start your application, you must not take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in-person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation. Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hard copy receipts for reimbursement.

Before you apply, we recommend setting up a separate email address for your application to ensure your personal and application-related correspondence remain separate. Avoid including identifying details (such as your name or date of birth) in your email address.

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 before applying. Submitting an application from outside the UK will affect our ability to progress it. You should not discuss your application with anyone other than your partner or a close family member.

Right to Withdraw Statement:

Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role once a certain number of applications have been received. We therefore encourage you to submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.