Wanted: £40,000 per year burglar sought by security firm

A security firm is searching for a new £40,000 per year consultant - but only convicted burglars need apply.

Boundary Technologies has said it wanted to find someone who could spot “flaws” in its new alarm system, and has launched a search for a reformed criminal which bosses believe will bring a “unique level of insight” to the role.

And while most employers might see a criminal record, and particularly a crime of dishonesty, as a red flag, the Edinburgh-based firm said it saw a conviction for domestic burglary as a qualification that pointed to “unparalleled experience”.

The approach has been backed by the charity Unlock, which promotes the rehabilitation of offenders.

While initially a part-time role of at least two days a month, the job will pay £22 per hour, which translates on a pro-rata basis to around £40,000 per year. The company has also emphasised the potential boost the consultancy role will offer to a reformed criminal’s CV.

Robin Knox, the chief executive of Boundary, said: “We thought who better to test the product than a reformed burglar, who has turned their life around and can offer us unmatched advice and expert knowledge when it comes to the tricks and tactics used by criminals when attempting to break-in and steal from a property.

“As well as helping to improve our product, we are also passionate about giving a helping hand for someone looking to get back on their feet, particularly in the current climate, where work is harder to come by.”

The start-up company is developing a high-end smart security system, controlled by a smartphone, which it claims will be accurate enough to ensure police automatically respond to alarms.

They hope the former burglar will help developers “criminal proof” the alarms system, and, the firm claims, “create something positive out of their previous misdeeds”. The job advertisement states that the ideal candidate would have “extensive knowledge of domestic burglaries”, alongside a spent conviction and “an enthusiastic and hard-working mentality”.

The unconventional job advert has brought comparisons to the story of Frank Abagnale, the prolific US con man immortalised in the film Catch Me If You Can, who went on to work for the federal government. Computer hackers are also regularly hired by cyber security firms, or even government spy agencies, to help improve and test defences.

An adult sentenced to longer than two years six months in prison, but not longer than four years, in jail for burglary would have their sentence on their record for seven years after it was completed in England.

In Scotland, an offence of housebreaking, as burglary is known in the Scottish criminal justice system, would currently appear on employment checks for up 15 years from the date of conviction in an enhanced criminal records check.

The security firm has agreed to make a donation to Unlock, a national advocacy charity for people with criminal records, as part of the tie-in.

Christopher Stacey, co-director of the charity, said: "People with criminal records are often assumed to be untrustworthy - yet here's a job where the ability to spot the flaws in a system are essential.

“Whether it's advising on burglar alarms or providing customer service, excluding people because of their past convictions means missing out on skilled candidates and we encourage businesses of all shapes and sizes to look beyond someone's past and look at the potential they can bring to the organisation."