Main content

Were you previously known as FCO Services ?

Yes – our organisation was known as FCO Services until 2 September 2020, when our parent organisation, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, officially became the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office. At the same time, we changed to FCDO Services, maintaining our historic bond.

Our work takes an impressive range of skills. There are Architects designing government buildings, and Systems Architects imagining the ICT inside. Building Services Engineers installing air conditioning, and Cybersecurity teams keeping data airtight. From Electricians to HR experts; Procurement teams to Project Managers, we’re all essential to the work we do.

Ultimately, our projects are what make government services possible. We ensure government bodies work in well-protected, well-designed buildings, and that they have impregnable, cutting-edge technology. That means they’re free to do their job, whether it’s diplomacy, consular aid, national security, or the day-to-day work of running a country.

Our vision is to be a trusted government partner – agile in deployment and global in scale.
We also house the UK National Authority for Counter Eavesdropping (NACE)
We’ve operated as a trading fund since 2008 – but some services date back as far as 1199
Map of the world

We have two UK locations:
Hanslope Park and King Charles Street

Teams can be based both at home and overseas
We have permanent teams at 60+ global postings

We also operate out of four Regional Hubs around the world

Who we are

FCDO Services is part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) and set up as a trading fund. Although we’re civil servants working within government, we generate our income by mainly providing services for the rest of the FCDO (our biggest customer), other government departments and friendly foreign governments. It means we’re in government, by government, for government. Our priority is to provide secure technical support to the FCDO and other customers in overseas posts. We control our own budgets and revenue, and we invest surplus funds back to grow our business and feed into the FCDO as our owner.

That means, when you join us, you’ll find the sense of purpose that comes with public sector work, as part of a commercially-minded organisation.

Who we are not

Even though we are proud to be part of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO),  joining us is not a short-cut or career route into other parts of it, such as the diplomatic service, where separate recruitment processes are applied.

We began as a FCDO department, but since 2008 we’ve had more autonomy as a trading fund. Although we are commercially minded, we are driven by civil service values and providing excellent services to our customers; not by profit.

What do we mean by secure services?

We provide services any business might need. Construction. Logistics. IT. But because we work for governments, there’s tight security involved – no matter the project. Digital solutions, for example, have to be robust enough to keep a whole nation’s data safe. Drivers have to ensure their delivery arrives securely. Whatever your role, you’re making sure our standards are above reproach, protecting the national interest.

Our locations

Our reach is worldwide, but most of our staff are based in two key UK locations:

Hanslope Park

Our main site, near Milton Keynes

King Charles Street

Our central London location

Corporate Social Responsibility

Last year, we adopted a new Sustainability Strategy and Action Plan as part of a commitment to reduce our energy footprint across our global estate. And that’s not all:

On site at Hanslope Park (Milton Keynes), we don’t just have free parking. We have charging bays for colleagues with electric vehicles, giving everyone the convenient facilities they need to make the switch to greener transport.

We’ve largely replaced bubble wrap, foam- padded envelopes and plastic adhesive tape with paper-based products, including the re-use of our own cardboard waste which we shred for packing. And, we’ve swapped cling film-type plastic pallet wrap with re-usable lidded boxes, saving over 100km of wrap so far.

In partnership with the National Offender Management Service, we helped inmates of HMP Bullingdon to find work within the prison, laundering 31,282 of our Diplomatic Bags in the last 12 months. As well as doing meaningful work and earning a small income, the team even helped us reduce our environmental impact, cutting the number of new bags needed.

Our values

Though we’re a diverse team from different cultures and backgrounds, we all hold these values close to our hearts:
Collaborative

We work together to achieve the best outcome for all

Professional

We inspire confidence because we’re knowledgeable, reliable, responsible and expert

Innovative

We make a difference because we’re innovative, adaptable, creative and resourceful

Trusted

We’re open, honest, accountable, secure, and we always act with integrity

Unique

We are in central government and bound by the Civil Service Code; we understand our customers due to our unique mix of skills and our global reach

We’ve supported the FCDO on high-profile events including the G20 Summit in Bali, and the funeral of Her Late Majesty the Queen.

We operate in more than 280 missions across 178 countries

70% of our products and services are delivered to our overseas customers

Did you know?

As part of the Global Britain uplift programme, we’re supporting the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office with a wide range of new posts.
Locations range from the Bahamas to Tonga; Vanuatu to St Vincent and the Grenadines.
A tropical beach with sand and blue sea, highlighting our gloabl reach.

Latest roles

Want to join FCDO Services but can’t see a live role to suit you? Great news: you can sign up for job alerts or add your CV to our talent pool and we’ll be in touch when something comes up.

Health and Safety Manager

Hanslope Park
£40,755 Plus £1750 Location Allowance

Health and Safety Advisor

Hanslope Park
£28,392 Plus £1750 Location Allowance

Approved Electrician

Hanslope Park
£35,510 – plus £1750 location allowance and excellent benefits, including Civil Service pension

Sensitivity Reviewer

Hanslope Park
£54,340 Plus £1750 Location Allowance

Senior Carpenter Team Leader

Hanslope Park
£43,026 – £50,491 plus £1,750 allowance and excellent benefits, including Civil Service pension