About Us
GCHQ is an intelligence, cyber, and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe. We use cutting-edge technology, ingenuity and partnerships to identify, analyse and disrupt threats. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ, you’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, is the UK Government’s lead authority on cyber security. The organisation is at the heart of the Government’s cyber security strategy aims to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
This role is in NCSC’s Private Sector Critical National Infrastructure (PSCNI) team, part of the National Resilience Directorate. PSCNI collaborates with the private sector organisations that operate our critical national infrastructure, supporting their cyber security and resilience to protect the essential services that they deliver. This is an exciting time to join the Private Sector CNI team as the Deputy Head of Strategic Engagement (Strategy).
The Role
As part of PSCNI’s strategic engagement team, you’ll lead interactions with internal stakeholders and government departments. Responsibilities include building and maintaining relationships with key departments and ensuring consistency across internal and external efforts to protect systems of national importance. Accountability extends to preparing regular PSCNI reports for a wide range of audiences, including Senior Civil Servant colleagues, drawing on data from across the team. Additionally, you’ll prepare briefing materials for seniors across the organisation to support them in achieving PSCNI’s key objectives.
Reporting to the Head of Strategic Engagement, you’ll work closely with another Deputy Head, responsible for partnerships with industry and international counterparts. Together, you’ll engage with these groups to support team priorities and identify opportunities to enhance cyber security for our most critical systems. You’ll manage incoming requests for input on consultations and reviews, ensuring consensus across relevant parts of NCSC. This role also involves the line management of one Strategic Engagement Officer.
This role is pivotal in shaping the NCSC’s engagement on cyber security matters with critical national infrastructure. Responsibilities include leading cross-sector efforts to identify and mitigate common cyber risks to UK critical national infrastructure, thereby enhancing overall cyber security and resilience. Effective collaboration with colleagues across the organisation is essential to identify priorities, develop responses, and work seamlessly with sector-facing teams, policy and regulatory experts, as well as operational and technical-focused stakeholders to achieve successful outcomes.
There is no requirement to be a cyber-expert or have experience in critical national infrastructure. Our team will support your development and help you upskill. We seek passionate individuals eager to engage in unique work within an innovative environment, making a real impact with their skills. Join us in safeguarding our most critical assets.
As a member of PSCNI’s wider leadership team, you’ll contribute to equality, diversity and inclusion fostering a culture that welcomes everyone. We seek applicants from the broadest talent pool. Applications are welcome from all, and the position offers flexible working patterns.
About You
You’ll have experience preparing briefings for a range of audiences, both non-technical and technical, tailoring the approach based on the recipient’s needs. You’ll possess the ability to build and maintain relationships with complex stakeholders, identifying opportunities for collaboration. Excellent verbal, written, and presentation skills are essential. You must demonstrate the ability to overcome conflicting priorities and make effective decisions to support the team’s mission. We value diversity of thought and experience, and if successful, you’ll be committed to driving an inclusive team culture by embodying our values and behaviours in every aspect of your role.
GCHQ Competencies
The NCSC will assess you against competencies used by the UK Intelligence Community. These competencies are closely based on the Civil Service Behaviours. The Level 3 competencies you’ll be assessed against are:
• Seeing the Big Picture (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Seeing the Big Picture)
• Communicating and Influencing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Communicating and Influencing)
• Working Collaboratively (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Working Together)
• Leading Inclusively (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Leadership)
• Delivering Outcomes (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Delivering at Pace)
Further information on Civil Service Behaviours
Benefits and Rewards
At NCSC and GCHQ, we are proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment that’s designed to encourage open minds and attitudes. As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential. With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we’ll enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.
You’ll receive a starting salary of £53,496, plus an additional £6,250 London Allowance for roles based in London.
Other benefits:
• 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays.
• An environment with flexible working options.
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations).
• Paid parental and adoption leave.
• Excellent pension scheme - Civil Service pension.
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: 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 underrepresented in our workforce such as women, those from an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website: https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html
Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s 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. As a Disability Confident Leader we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as Offer of an Interview). To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
• Proficient in written and verbal communication – Assessed at application sift.
• Skilled in assessing information and prioritising tasks with conflicting demands – Assessed at application sift.
• Knowledgeable in preparing briefings for both practitioner and senior audiences – Assessed application sift.
• Capable of building and maintaining relationships with complex stakeholders - Assessed at application sift.
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:
• Online Application
• Application sift, looking at your motivation for the role and the organisation.
• Interview.
• If successful, you’ll 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 6-9 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. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.
Please note, we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs, and you’ll need to declare your 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 features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more securely.
The role is based in London, Manchester, or Cheltenham, so you’ll 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.
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 launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
The closing date for this role is: 15:00 on Friday 23rd May 2025
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 be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.