Behavioural Scientist – Applied Research Ref. 356

Challenge yourself.  Understand others.  Protect us all.


A career as a behavioural scientist in GCHQ offers a unique opportunity to apply academic and specialist skills to issues of national importance – contributing directly to saving lives and protecting UK national security.

We will make good use of your existing expertise and support you in developing new skills and knowledge.  Supported by an excellent programme of professional and personal development, you’ll tackle challenging and varied work of national and international importance.  Later, if you choose (and subject to business requirements), there may be opportunities to work as a behavioural scientist in other parts of GCHQ, in other intelligence agencies, in other government departments and overseas.

The Role

We are looking for behavioural scientists who will support current operations and develop future capability.  You’ll provide expert advice to investigators, analysts, and other intelligence officers working across a range of operations.  You will contribute to the development of new and existing capabilities through delivery of training, conducting research, and translating existing research into practical and useful advice for practitioners, working to strict ethical principles.

Skills and Experience

To join the GCHQ behavioural scientist cadre, you’ll need a strong background in a behavioural or social science discipline, educated to at least Masters level and ideally holding a doctorate.  A range of disciplines are relevant, including psychology, cognitive science, human-computer interaction, anthropology, online ethnography, human geography, criminology, computational linguistics, human factors, social analytics, and marketing.  People from a computer science or data science background who have also specialised in applying their expertise to the analysis of human behaviour will also be considered.

You will need to be highly numerate, with proven experience of planning, designing and conducting studies involving the collection and analysis of large datasets.  You’ll be proficient in a range of multivariate statistical techniques, in spotting patterns in data, and in drawing inferences from data.  An innovative and creative thinker, with experience of and enthusiastic about interdisciplinary working, you will have a strong commitment to ethical, evidence-based practice and to continuous professional development.  You’ll have experience of applying your specialist skills to complex research or practical problems.  You’ll have a proven ability to communicate effectively with people from a range of backgrounds, and be comfortable working as part of a multi-disciplinary team and alongside technical and non-technical specialists who don’t have a behavioural science background.

Some of these roles will also have a managerial aspect.  Successful candidates for these roles must have proven strong leadership and people management skills, as well as experience of developing and delivering strategy, managing resources and customer engagement.  You’ll lead a small behavioural science team and work closely with team leaders in other research areas.  As well as motivating and supporting scientists working directly for you, you’ll inspire and support scientists more widely across the organisation, building multi- and inter-disciplinary teams to tackle complex problems.  The role will require strategic and creative thinking and the ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders within and beyond GCHQ.

Before you apply

Honesty and integrity are crucial if you want to work for GCHQ. You should read about the vetting process and satisfy yourself that you meet the criteria outlined in the vetting pages of the How to Apply section prior to submitting an application.

Giving misleading information or omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously. You should ensure that you follow our guidance from when you apply.

As there are opportunities across MI5 and GCHQ, it is at this stage that you should choose a role that best fits your skills.  Please be advised that candidates will only be able to apply for one role across the agencies.

Recruitment Process

The first thing we will ask you to do is complete our pre-screening questions to find out if you meet our initial criteria.  If you meet these criteria we will then ask you to begin an application.  You will need to create a login and provide your full name, email address and a memorable password.  Once you have successfully created a personal account, you will be required to complete an application form, which includes a section to add your CV as well as equal opportunities monitoring information.
 
The selection process is competitive at all stages and involves a series of interviews and assessments, starting with an initial application sift to check you have the potential skills and motivation to work for GCHQ.

If you are successful at this stage you will be invited to a telephone interview (likely to be late October) and then a Final Selection Board interview.  These interviews will focus on the key skills and competencies essential for effective performance in the role.  This will then be followed by a security interview with a vetting officer.  Please be aware that the recruitment and vetting process may take around 6 months.

Guaranteed Interview Scheme

As part of our commitment to the “Positive About Disabled People” scheme we offer an interview to all candidates with a disability who meet our minimum criteria for the job vacancy that they are applying for.  This is known as the Guaranteed Interview Scheme (GIS).  To secure an interview for this vacancy, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

•    Vacancy Eligibility Questions
You will be asked a series of questions relating to this vacancy.  If you meet the criteria here you will be directed to the initial application form.

•    Application Form Sift
Along with the standard eligibility requirements for this post, your application will be assessed on how far you meet the job specifications and the motivational fit/competency questions you answer.  Each answer will be scored.  Your application must score the minimum amount of points set.


On successful completion of these stages you will be invited to interview.

Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply you must be a British citizen (either born her or naturalised) and one of your parents must be a British citizen or have substantial ties to the UK.  Due to vetting requirements you also need to be 18 years old or above.

Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for nine out of the last 10 years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. We will still consider you if you have, for example, served overseas with HM Forces or in some other official capacity as a representative of Her Majesty’s Government, studied abroad, or lived overseas with your parents.


All applications will be considered on merit. GCHQ is committed to reflecting both equal opportunities and the society we protect.