CSE is part of the broader community of the federal public service. Working at CSE presents opportunities to tackle some of Canada’s most complex and dynamic challenges. Applying to work at CSE requires careful consideration. CSE is not a secret organization, but we do handle secrets. Employees are expected to safeguard classified information, sharing it only with individuals who have the proper security clearance and legitimate need to know. This is critical to ensure that adversaries do not get access to information that could harm Canada’s national interest. Candidates considering a career at CSE should carefully evaluate whether working in the security and intelligence field is a good fit for their personal situation.
Candidates considering a career at CSE should carefully evaluate whether working in the security and intelligence field is a good fit for their personal situation.
On this page
- Considerations before applying
- Working for CSE
- Navigating the recruitment and clearance process
- Additional resources
- Connect with us
Considerations before applying
While CSE employees carry out critical work lawfully and in accordance with the CSE Act, this sensitive work may include exposure to disturbing content and outcomes, or mission priorities that may impact your mental health or conflict with your personal values. Before starting a hiring and security process with a security and intelligence organization like CSE, it is important to reflect on how these responsibilities may align with your personal values and mental well-being.
Your affiliation with CSE and the security and intelligence community
As a CSE employee, you will be part of Canada’s security and intelligence community, which plays a critical role in contributing to the safety, security and prosperity of Canada and Canadians. Due to the sensitive nature of our work, your affiliation with the organization and the broader security and intelligence community may draw attention from foreign actors. Individuals close to you may also be of interest because of their association with you.
Your association with the organization may be identifiable in ways beyond our control:
- Personal disclosures: Once family, friends or acquaintances know you work at CSE, this information may spread beyond your control. It is important to manage the details you share based on your personal level of comfort.
- Online presence: Social media activity, location tracking or photos taken near CSE facilities could unintentionally link you to the organization. Be cautious about sharing personal details online.
- Public and professional networks: Involvement in certain professional organizations or public events may associate you with CSE or the broader security and intelligence community, even if you don’t directly disclose your affiliation.
- Government records: Your employment status is shared with other departments for purposes such as payroll, benefits and pensions. Some of your personal information will be accessible to authorized individuals in other government departments and service provider organizations, in accordance with privacy laws, policies and data protection.
For more guidance, read our Canadian Centre for Cyber Security’s advice on managing your digital footprint.
Working for CSE
Employees at CSE must adhere to strict security protocols:
- security clearance: You will undergo a thorough clearance process covering personal aspects of your life, with renewals at regular intervals to remain employed at CSE.
- sevice restrictions: Personal electronic devices are not allowed in high-security areas, but there are specific procedures in place for individuals with medical needs.
- foreign travel notifications: CSE employees must notify the organization before travelling abroad. Travel to certain regions may require additional security measures to ensure both personal safety and the protection of sensitive information. Depending on current geopolitical events, security concerns and timing, CSE may also recommend avoiding travel to certain regions.
- reporting changes in your life: Employees must disclose changes to their personal circumstances, such as marital status, finances, household composition and other material changes to their lives when they occur.
- Code of Conduct and Values and Ethics Charter: Employees must follow CSE’s Code of Conduct and Values and Ethics Charter. The Charter sets out our core values to support ethical decision-making, while the Code outlines expected behaviours. Together, they promote a culture of respect, integrity, professionalism and accountability. Adhering to these documents is a condition of employment at CSE.
- conflicts of interest: Employees must submit a confidential report to the Ethics Office declaring all outside employment and activities, assets, liabilities, and interests that might give rise to a real, potential or apparent conflict of interest in relation to their official duties and responsibilities.
- secrecy obligations: During and after employment at CSE, employees are permanently bound to secrecy by the Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act and cannot disclose any classified or sensitive information with individuals who are not appropriately cleared to receive the information.
Navigating the recruitment and clearance process
With a greater understanding of the implications of being a member of the security and intelligence community, we ask that you exercise judgment and discretion throughout the recruitment process, based on your personal comfort level.
You may want to consider limiting the number of people who know you applied to CSE by only discussing your application with family, close friends and references. If you are part of the Student Program, you may need to share your application with professors, classmates, program coordinators and others.
You should also be mindful of what you post on social media and the information your posts may contain (for example, photos taken near our facilities, geotagging, etc.). Personal information on the Internet, including information about where you work, can easily be misused.
Additional resources
Before considering a role with us, it’s important to research our organization and the broader security and intelligence community. We encourage you to explore our publications and resources to better understand the work we do at CSE.
- CSE’s Annual Reports
- Life at CSE
- An introduction to the Cyber Threat Environment (Canadian Centre for Cyber Security)
- National Cyber Threat Assessments (Canadian Centre for Cyber Security)
- CSE’s clearance process
- Ethics at CSE
- Communications Security Establishment Act
- Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act
Connect with us
If someone seems particularly interested in learning about your application and you are concerned, or if you have additional questions about the recruitment process, please contact careers-carrieres@cse-cst.gc.ca, your HR representative or the hiring manager you have been working with.
