An insight into the role of intelligence analyst
In this behind the scenes look at the skills and attributes of an intelligence analyst – we quizzed Embedded Senior Intelligence Analyst Dan Williams from Mitie about his role and career path.
How would you define your role in a couple of sentences?
My role as a Senior Intelligence Analyst (IA) combines open-source information and on-the-ground insights from security operatives patrolling London’s West End to provide security-related intelligence insights and actionable information to the customer and a range of key internal and external partners. I serve as the client’s point of contact during office hours and provide oversight and leadership of the 24/7 out-of-hours service which leverages the Intelligence Hub Watchkeeper Team.
What happens during a typical day?
This typically starts with a review of any notable overnight security incidents which have taken place in the West End. From there, I will commence the active monitoring of our real-time alerting platforms and intelligence-gathering tools to provide a range of products and reporting on both tactical and strategic concerns impacting the client’s locality.
A typical scenario could feature issuing an alert for a police incident within the West End or updating the client on state legislation impacting their area. Concurrently, I will respond to ad-hoc email requests from the client/parent company as well as work on any intelligence reports requested by the client, or which I identify as being valuable to the customer.
What kind of tools do you use?
A wide range of tools is used: open-source information-gathering platforms (such as Dataminr) help collect information from a huge range of sources across the web aligned with the customer’s priority intelligence requirements. These are then triaged, analysed, and cascaded via our communications and alerting platforms to deliver tactical-level intelligence insights. Microsoft platforms such as Excel, Teams, and PowerPoint are used for daily communication, reporting, and incident databases. Geo-spatial tools also help to plot incidents or upcoming events against the client’s locality, to form assessments on the likely impact, and facilitate an intelligence-led approach to security decision making.
What skills and personal attributes are needed to be successful in this role?
A variety of skills, interests and techniques from a range of backgrounds are relevant to a career in the security industry. Among others, a genuine interest in global affairs and any security-related fields will serve you well. For an intelligence analyst entering the field, there is a continual need to react to changing business needs and understand how the current threat landscape impacts on a customer from a security and risk perspective. This is where prioritisation and awareness skills will come in useful: for instance, prioritising the alerting on a terrorist attack in mainland Europe over an intelligence report due in two weeks.
Other IA-specific skills include; understanding how to effectively research, corroborate and communicate with accuracy, brevity and clarity, and provide intelligence insights relevant to a customer’s security concerns. This often includes a requirement to provide verbal/physical briefings to your peers and senior audiences, demonstrating the ability to react swiftly under pressure and when dealing with security incidents that pose an immediate and direct threat.
Do you need a degree?
No, not necessarily. I work with several people who have come from policing, military, and retail backgrounds – which generates different perspectives and approaches to tackling a broad range of security concerns. Their experiences often provide different insights to those who have come from an academic route.
My experience includes an undergraduate degree in International Relations and Politics, before completing a Master of Science degree in Conflict Prevention and Peacebuilding.
What ongoing training and qualifications are involved?
Before I joined the corporate security space with Mitie, I had no formal qualifications relating to intelligence or intelligence-gathering/OSINT. The formative stage of my Junior IA role involved training sessions with many of the senior personnel within the company; this included Q&As and tests to ensure I was able to deliver the key requirements of the role.
Even now as a Senior IA, I engage in training sessions with other leads in Mitie, as well as leading training sessions for analysts on how to respond to crises via table-top exercises that simulate major ongoing incidents.
What advice would you give those starting out in a career in this role?
Firstly, ask “What exactly is it that interests me about corporate security, and becoming an Intelligence Analyst?”
After you’ve identified some points or traits that you think you have, start to think about how you can apply those to open roles. For instance, if you ‘have an interest in international conflicts’, start to think about how that can be turned into useful skills within a corporate security environment, like how a deterioration in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict could result in increased activist threats to UK targets. Be resilient with applying to companies.
Unfortunately, it is a long-winded and, at times, frustrating process but eventually you will have success. I applied for over 60 roles down private and public sector avenues before landing my first role as a Junior Intelligence Analyst. Take the time to write cover letters by researching your target companies and don’t shirk the opportunity to contact them directly.
