Equal opportunities
At GCHQ, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: people from different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations and ways of thinking, as well as those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups that are under-represented in our workforce, such as women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.
Were Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our Offer of Interview (OOI).
To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:
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You'll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation
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The following criteria will be assessed at sift:
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Meet the minimum pass mark in both motivational and technical questions
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Demonstrate the ability to analyse and solve technical problems
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Demonstrate an inquisitive approach to understanding or adapting technology
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best. Please see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.
What to expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
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An initial online application form, including pre-screening questions, to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria.
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An online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios.
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A full online application form.
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An Interview, including competency and technical questions.
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If successful, youll receive a conditional offer of employment.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process, including vetting, so it is advisable to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Before you apply
To work at GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). Its something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.
Please note, we have a strict drugs policy. Once you start your application, you must not take any recreational drugs, and youll need to declare any previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid including identifying details in your email address, such as your name or date of birth. This is good practice and will help you manage your application more securely.
The role is based in Manchester or Cheltenham, so youll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.
We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.
Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel using the most economical option and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.
Please note, you should only submit your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to apply. Applying from outside the UK may impact our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application with anyone other than with your partner or close family member.
Right to withdraw statement:
Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role once a sufficient number of applications have been received. To avoid disappointment, please submit your application at your earliest convenience.
Please note, it is this organisation's policy not to provide feedback at any stage of the recruitment process. This may be contrary to the message below.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
