Are you looking to launch your career as an NCA officer? From apprenticeships to internships and student placements, there are plenty of entry-level opportunities to join our team.
Entry Level Roles
Business Support
Many of our junior roles (G6) in business support or other enabling functions require only limited previous experience and for some, our recruitment campaign will focus on an apprenticeship.
These roles provide valuable experience and can prove the launchpad for your career as an NCA officer. We're committed to career development and many officers who join in junior support roles subsequently move into investigations, intelligence or other roles.
Officer Development Programme (ODP)
If you have ambitions to train as an Intelligence Officer, Intelligence Analyst or Investigator, then our direct-entry Officer Development Programme offers a unique opportunity for all looking for a rewarding career in law enforcement.
Civil Service Apprenticeships at the NCA
Apprentices on the Civil Service Fast Track Apprentices scheme can choose to do a placement at the NCA as part of the course.
Fast Track offers a two-year Level 4 apprenticeship in one of several areas:
- Business
- Digital and technology
- Project delivery
- Finance
- Commercial study
Internships and student placements
We offer a number of internships and student placements, all of which are paid.
Not only do internships offer valuable insight and experience of our work, but a high proportion of people who join us as interns are subsequently offered full-time positions as NCA officers.
University Year in Industry Placement within the National Cyber Crime Unit
We are looking for people from a range of backgrounds and degree disciplines to spend a year working with the National Cyber Crime Unit (NCCU). To apply, you should be approaching your year in industry or have finished your studies within the past 12 months.
No previous cyber experience is necessary, but you should be curious to find out more as we want to work with like-minded individuals who are inquisitive, helping to drive work forward. We ask that you are interested, passionate and willing to learn.
We offer placements across the following teams within NCCU:
Prevent
The Prevent team designs and executes novel and innovative techniques to deter, divert and disrupt individuals from becoming involved in and committing cyber crime. The aim of most techniques is for a non-traditional outcome (i.e. not to arrest) and this allows for more creative and wide-ranging approaches to be used. An awareness of the Cyber Security landscape and emerging technologies will be beneficial, as well as experience of planning projects and working to deadlines.
Tactical Partnerships
The Tactical Partnerships team enhances the NCCU's engagement with the private sector, enabling external partners to contribute to NCCU's objectives to disrupt serious and organised cyber criminals. We build and maintain relationships with key industry partners to increase awareness of and confidence in the reporting process and law enforcement response.
Cyber Skills and Development
The Cyber Skills and Development Team focuses on delivering a learning and development service for officers across NCCU and the wider Agency. Up-skilling officers and building cyber expertise is an on-going priority for this team.
Strategy & Performance
The Strategy and Performance teams lead the NCCU’s strategic engagement with HMG, Team Cyber UK (incl. NCSC) and other Partners in support of the response to cyber crime. The team lead on corporate briefings and supports senior leaders across the agency as they represent the NCA on cybercrime issues. The ability to analyse data, information and statistics and write reports will be beneficial, as will any background in political science, criminology or equivalent. You will be helping to raise awareness and understanding of the threat of cyber crime.
Cyber Engineering
The remit of Cyber Engineering is to research and develop tools to further NCCU’s operational and intelligence work and create bespoke solutions during “Crime in action” scenarios. Cyber Engineering works across the NCA and with a range of partners to develop this niche catalogue of capabilities.
For more information on the year in industry placement, visit: NCCU Year in Industry Placement
CyberFirst
The National Cyber Crime Unit have partnered with CyberFirst for many years providing students with year in Industry and 3-year graduate opportunities. For more information on the programme, please visit https://www.ncsc.gov.uk/cyberfirst/overview
Police Now
Graduates spend 2 years on the policing frontline as neighbourhood police officers. We offer three-week internships for Police Now officers commencing in April each year. As an intern, you will complete a range of bespoke placements across the NCA and find out more about our operations.
Major Crime Investigative Support: (Wyboston)
Our Major Crime Investigative Support Unit provides specialist expertise to police forces dealing with complex crimes such as serial sexual offences and no body murder. Third-year university students can complete a one-year work placement as part of their degree course.
We hope that joining the agency is just the start of a long and successful career with us. Please see our vacancies page for details of all current opportunities.
