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 those with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking and 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 scheme aims to encourage employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people.
As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for this position are offered an interview, where practical (This is known as the Offer of an Interview.)
To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
-
Youll 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
-
Demonstrate a strong motivation and commitment to work for the UK Intelligence Agencies, assessed at application form sift
-
Demonstrate a high level and knowledge of the Mandarin language and achieve a pass in the language tests
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best. See our website for information on the 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:
-
Initial Application.
-
Online Situational Judgement (SJT) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios.
-
Full application form
-
In-person language tests in London
-
An in-person interview and analysis test in Cheltenham or Manchester
-
If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment (subject to vetting)
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 9 to 12 months to process including vetting, so we advise you 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). This is something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.
Please note, that we have a strict drugs policy. Once you start your application, you cant take any recreational drugs, and youll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
Before applying, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address, for your contact with us, to ensure that your personal and application correspondence remains separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you manage your application with us more securely.
The role is based in Cheltenham or Samlesbury, 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 hard-copy receipts for reimbursement.
Please note, you should only launch 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 will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application with anyone other than your partner or a close family member.
Right to withdraw statement:
Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please submit your application as early as possible to avoid disappointment.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
