Black Heritage in Cyber & Security Discovery Programme 2025 Knutsford
Open to all students, the Discovery Diversity Programme is an opportunity to learn about the career paths on offer to underrepresented groups at Barclays, and be considered for our 2026 internship. We want to introduce a more diverse range of people to the industry, help you learn about the opportunities we offer and encourage you to picture yourself in the world of financial services.
Why Barclays Discovery Programme?
- Join seminars and workshops, where you’ll learn about financial services, Technology as a business area, the recruitment process and Barclays as an employer.
- Participate in specific breakout sessions within Technology, where you'll gain insights of what you can expect from the Summer Internship in 2026.
- Build your understanding of the assessment process and next steps.
- Connect with people from across our business, including current graduates who have already made the journey that you are starting out on.
- Attend dedicated networking sessions with senior leaders and graduates aligned to your chosen business area
- Explore the various Barclays DE&I networks.
Cyber & Security at Barclays
Every day in Cyber & Security presents new challenges. This is an exciting place to be: hackers constantly attempt to find new ways to threaten our security, and we never rest in learning new ways to prevent them. And those threats don’t just come from viruses and fraudsters.
Our work touches on terrorism, world events, and upheaval in the external economic climate. As the world around us changes, we have to be prepared and ready to respond. All of which will make your work with us endlessly interesting and deeply significant.
The Cyber & Security teams within our Chief Security Office range from Cyber & Physical Security to Resilience, Crisis Management, Security Operations and Intelligence and more. Everyone is focused on defending the bank.
That might mean playing a proactive role, such as researching potential threats from hackers. Or it might mean a reactive role, such as responding to incidents that might challenge our security.
Who can apply?
You'll need to be 2 years out from graduation and can be studying any degree discipline.
Beyond that, you'll need to be curious to understand how a global bank adapts in a constantly evolving environment.
Whilst this programme is aimed primarily at Black Heritage students we welcome applications from all eligible students (graduating in 2027). Black heritage means those who might identify as Black, African, Caribbean, Black British or Mixed/Multiple ethnic groups: White and Black Caribbean, White and Black African.
We are recruiting on a rolling basis, so we recommend that students apply early.
Barclays does not provide sponsorship for the 2-day insight programme, and Barclays will also require applicants for this position to have legal right to work in the UK for the duration of the 2026 Summer Internship Programme.
Working in Knutsford
Whilst our Discovery Programme is virtual, if successful in securing a place on our 2026 internship programme, you'll be based in Knutsford.
Set in a stunning 64-acre site, Barclays Radbroke campus in Knutsford, Cheshire, is a tech hub like no other. The campus has tennis courts, gardens and even bee hives, as well as the latest in technology systems, equipment, and development.
Behind our world-leading innovations is a 3,500-strong team: some of the world’s best minds who are re-defining the future of finance, each and every day. It’s an incredibly diverse community with talents in all kinds of areas, from academics to project masterminds to people who build robots.
Whilst our campus facilities will make you want to come to the office to work every day, flexible working is celebrated and we are currently operating in a hybrid working environment; many colleagues spend part of their working hours at home and part in the office, depending on the nature of the role they are in. And when you do come into the office to work, we offer a free coach service from both Knutsford and Northwich station multiple times a day if you'd prefer to travel by train.
It is the policy of Barclays to ensure equal employment opportunity without discrimination or harassment on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, national origin, alienage or citizenship status, age, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, marital or domestic/civil partnership status, disability, protected veteran status, genetic information, or any other basis protected by law.
Purpose of the role
To support the day-to-day operations of the Chief Security Office, providing insights and expertise that help support the vision and mission of the business area.
Accountabilities
- Collaboration with experts across teams to help reduce risk, protect our customer and clients, and provide a world class service for our business.
- Identification of opportunities for us to improve and maximise agility and develop an agile and intelligence led approach to security delivery.
- Collaboration with cross-functional teams to support business projects and initiatives.
- Identification of opportunities for us to improve, and clearly articulating to drive positive change across the function.
Analyst Expectations
- To perform prescribed activities in a timely manner and to a high standard consistently driving continuous improvement.
- Requires in-depth technical knowledge and experience in their assigned area of expertise
- Thorough understanding of the underlying principles and concepts within the area of expertise
- They lead and supervise a team, guiding and supporting professional development, allocating work requirements and coordinating team resources.
- If the position has leadership responsibilities, People Leaders are expected to demonstrate a clear set of leadership behaviours to create an environment for colleagues to thrive and deliver to a consistently excellent standard. The four LEAD behaviours are: L – Listen and be authentic, E – Energise and inspire, A – Align across the enterprise, D – Develop others.
- OR for an individual contributor, they develop technical expertise in work area, acting as an advisor where appropriate.
- Will have an impact on the work of related teams within the area.
- Partner with other functions and business areas.
- Takes responsibility for end results of a team’s operational processing and activities.
- Escalate breaches of policies / procedure appropriately.
- Take responsibility for embedding new policies/ procedures adopted due to risk mitigation.
- Advise and influence decision making within own area of expertise.
- Take ownership for managing risk and strengthening controls in relation to the work you own or contribute to. Deliver your work and areas of responsibility in line with relevant rules, regulation and codes of conduct.
- Maintain and continually build an understanding of how own sub-function integrates with function, alongside knowledge of the organisations products, services and processes within the function.
- Demonstrate understanding of how areas coordinate and contribute to the achievement of the objectives of the organisation sub-function.
- Make evaluative judgements based on the analysis of factual information, paying attention to detail.
- Resolve problems by identifying and selecting solutions through the application of acquired technical experience and will be guided by precedents.
- Guide and persuade team members and communicate complex / sensitive information.
- Act as contact point for stakeholders outside of the immediate function, while building a network of contacts outside team and external to the organisation.
All colleagues will be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Values of Respect, Integrity, Service, Excellence and Stewardship – our moral compass, helping us do what we believe is right. They will also be expected to demonstrate the Barclays Mindset – to Empower, Challenge and Drive – the operating manual for how we behave.