Overview

DCDC’sThe Defence Futures and Force Design (F&FD) postgraduate internship programme provides experience of working in government on Defencedefence and security related strategic issues.

The programme helps DCDC tohelps F&FD strengthen diversity of thinking, which is essential to our work, supporting research and analysis on a wide range of defence and security policy areas.

Details

The internship programme is now closedopen for applications.

Interns will joinjoin F&FD DCDC atat the end of July 2024,2026, usually for around six to eight weeks.weeks, Internsas part of the Insights, Analysis, Research and Challenge (IARC) Team. Interns will contribute to DCDCto F&FD work in a wide range of areas, including:

• Providing research, data-gathering, data analysis and writing support on strategy papers foracross the Doctrine,Strategic ConceptsConcepts, andStrategic FuturesForesight, TeamsStrategic toCapability assistand inWarfare theDevelopment developmentTeams, ofhelping to develop thinking and providingprovide critical challenge to widen perspectives of future challenges.

• Supporting DCDC’sSupporting Analysis,the ResearchIARC and Challenge (ARC) Team in their work providing the empirical evidence to support DCDC output.support F&FD output. This may include involvement in a range of research and analysis and experimentation activities, suchincluding: as: red teaming, wargaming, data analysis, information graphics, synthesising operational lessons;lessons, identifying trends;trends, developing thought-provoking insight;insight, and constructively challenging thinking.

Detailed briefings on specific tasks, including length, scope, and depth, will be provided at the beginning of the internship. Task dependent, interns willmay also benefit from having their work published internallyon acrossthe Defence.internal Defence intranet.

Interns will be employed as civil servants and will work 37 hours per week. Pay will be at least National Living Wage.

In line with DCDC’swith F&FD ways of working, the internship will operate a hybrid working pattern with some time spent in the office and some time spent working remotely (from home).Therehome). There will be in-office working at the start of the internship and at other times by mutual agreement between each individual intern and their assigned desk officer and/or mentor.

AccommodationIf available, accommodation will be provided on-site at MOD Shrivenham at no cost to the intern during periods that interns are expected in the office. Please note that travel costs will not be reimbursed.

DCDCF&FD is based at MOD Shrivenham,Shrivenham and MOD Main Building in London, and is an organisation comprised of civil servants and military personnel from the UK and partner nations.

Application Requirementsrequirements and Processprocess

Applicants must either hold a Masters-level qualification or higher or be working on one.one at the time of application. There are no restrictions regarding study area, though an interest in Defence and/or international affairs is essential, and this should be reflected in your application.

All successful candidates will be security checked before joining. Interns are employed as civil servants, on a fixed-term, non-standard appointment.

Please Therenote, arethis importanta nationalityreserved andpost residencyfor restrictions:UK younationals only. You must have the right to work in the UK, be a current UK resident, and have a UK bank account and National Insurance number at the time of interview.

How to apply

The internship programme is now closed for applications.

To apply, please submit your CV and a covering letter explaining what you would bring to DCDC-ARC@mod.gov.uka F&FD internship and how it would benefit you, to MSHQ-FFD-StratFor-IARC@mod.gov.uk by 12:00,09:00 01on 2 March 2024.2026.

At the top of your CV, please clearly state your nationality and residency.

Please maketitle sureyour toe-mail ‘Internship Application – your name’ and attach a PDF of each document to your email saved in the following filename format:

Surname, First Name – CV

Surname, First Name – Cover Letter

Applications received after this deadline, or not submitted in the requested format, will not be considered.

Please note:

After a paper sift, shortlisted candidates will be informed on 1823 March 20242026 and interviewed virtually between 20–2626 MarchMarch–1 2024.April 2026. Interview slots will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. To ensure these deadlines are met, candidates are encouraged to addadd MSHQ-FFD-StratFor-IARC@mod.gov.uk as DCDC-ARC@mod.gov.uk as an email contact.

Successful candidates will be informed byon 282 MarchApril 2024.2026, however a formal offer will not be made until relevant clearances are successfully completed, including a physical check of identification documents between 15 and 17 April 2026.

To submit your application, or if you have any questions regarding the programme, please contact us at DCDC-ARC@mod.gov.uk.MSHQ-FFD-StratFor-IARC@mod.gov.uk.