Careers
We’re a small, independent team of scientists and engineers, based in Cambridge in the UK.
We do fascinating, varied, and useful work together, making the world better and safer using state-of-the-art tech. We continuously apply and develop our skills, and we cross-train wherever we can.
As part of our small, focused team, you’ll have the opportunity to influence company strategy from day one. You’ll get real responsibility early, and a proper say in where the company goes.
Our values and culture
At Iconal, trust and autonomy are everything.
We work flexibly, choosing when and where we can do our best work as well as prioritise our health and well-being. Everyone is treated equally, with an equal say in crucial decisions, such as our annual strategy and company benefits.
We’re supported and empowered to explore new ideas and determine how we can contribute most effectively – and we know we are each valued for our own unique strengths.
Open feedback is strongly encouraged, and we know we will be heard and taken seriously. Our most senior managers really care about getting it right, seeking suggestions for improvement, and new ideas are always enthusiastically welcomed.
What's it like to work here?
For such a tiny company, the variety of work we do is quite extraordinary.
We do field-work and lab-based work on materials and technologies, we do analytical and computational work ranging from sophisticated simulations to machine-learning-based real-time threat-detection.
We’re experts in cutting-edge threat detection technologies and invent our own technologies too. Our skills are versatile, also allowing us to explore industries like biotech and agri-tech.
Since our business is consultancy, we have new and unexpected projects coming up all the time, with exciting new things to learn. One day we might be working on novel sensing technologies, the next, moving large test-items around on a pallet-truck.
And every one of us in the team makes a difference, both within our company and in the security field worldwide.
How you'll grow
Everyone gets a training budget and, just as importantly, the time to use it.
Around that, there's lunch-and-learns, cross-training, shadowing out in the field, and ongoing peer support and mentoring.
Junior people here take on leadership-type responsibility years earlier than they would on a large graduate scheme. The idea is managed stretch: something slightly scary, with people around you, rather than the deep end.
You’ll get chance to actually use your skills and keep developing new ones on the job. Our work is so varied that we’re constantly learning and growing.
We're transparent about where you are and where you're going, and if you’re interested in learning something, we can probably make it happen.
“It’s really good to feel like you’re working for a company that’s doing good in the world.“
Jen, Head of Business Operations
Diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging
We strive to create an environment where every individual feels valued, heard, and empowered to bring their whole selves to work — regardless of gender, race, religion, LGBTQIA+ identity, disability, class, neurodiversity, or any other aspect of identity.
We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds, including those who haven’t followed a traditional career path.
We believe that whilst diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) are good for our business, what drives our commitment to furthering these principles is that they are just fundamentally the right thing to do.
Through ongoing learning and action, we work to dismantle barriers and support all team members. Please ask us about our DEIB initiatives at any stage of the application process.
“I can honestly say that the enormous freedom and trust we have to work where and when we want has been absolutely game-changing for my well-being, as well as my ability to do my best work.“
Abi, Physicist and Senior Consultant
Our benefits
Not only do we want our benefits to be better than those of many larger companies, but we also discuss together every year which benefits we would like to have. We update them accordingly, and everyone’s opinion carries equal weight in the decision.
Flexible working
Flexible and hybrid working are standard here – and if you’re interested in a part-time position, let us know!
Employee-owned
Our permanent employees all have the opportunity to purchase shares in the company.
Annual profit-share
We celebrate our hard work together by offering an annual profit-share bonus.
Transparent pay
We have a transparent pay and progression scale, which we are happy to discuss with candidates at interview.
28 days’ plus bank holidays
We offer 28 days’ annual leave, plus bank holidays, and we operate a time-off-in-lieu policy.
Investment in training
We invest heavily in training for all our employees. If you’re excited to learn something, we believe in you, and we’ll support you to do it.
Company pension scheme
We have a company pension scheme, which includes a 9% employer contribution.
Healthcare and income protection
Our employees’ health and wellbeing matters to us, so we offer private healthcare and income protection.
Charity donations
We donate a percentage of our profits to charity every year, with your portion going to a charity entirely of your choosing.
Cycle-to-work scheme
We have a cycle-to-work scheme, to support the environment and our employees’ wellbeing.
We aren’t currently hiring, but please check back again soon!
Join the team
We're always happy to have an informal chat to help you decide if Iconal might be the right place for you.
We can't promise an interview when nothing is formally open, but we do read every CV and keep them on file in case something suitable comes up.
The quickest way in is to send us an email at careers@iconal.com — we'd love to hear from you.
Permanent grad roles
We are likely to be looking for a graduate technology consultant later this year. Applications aren't open yet, but you can get a sense of the role by reading the technology consultant job advert from a previous hiring round: Technology Consultant Position Details [Closed]
Because we are a small, focused team, we can offer the right graduate candidates much faster opportunities for growth and development than would be found in a large company or graduate scheme.
If our work sounds interesting to you, and you think you’d like to join us, email us at careers@iconal.com — we'd love to hear from you.
Speculative applications
As a small team, we don’t have a formal graduate programme. However, several of us joined straight from university, and we encourage speculative applications from people who have finished, or are just finishing, a programme of undergraduate or postgraduate study.
We can't guarantee an interview at this stage, but we'll look at every CV and keep it on file until the process formally opens. If your experience or qualifications mean you’d be able to hit the ground running, we might get in touch sooner if a specific requirement comes up that is an obvious fit for your skills.
Internships
We run paid summer internships, with a mentor and real project work. The 2026 round has now closed, but check back or drop us an email to show interest for next year. You’re also more than welcome to email us for an informal chat about the position and to help you decide if Iconal might be the right place for you.
You can view the 2026 internship description here to get an idea of what it’s like to do an internship with us:
2026 Summer Intern Position Details [Closed]
Experienced hires
Our most recent hire in this area was for a project manager to join the team, and we now have a successful candidate. We may hire for similar permanent roles in the future, so if you’d like to get an idea of what our hiring process looks like, and figure out if we’d be a good fit for each other, you can have a read of the now-closed project manager job advert:
2025 Project Manager Position Details [Closed]