Salary: £36,408, plus a London Addition payment of £6,250 for roles based in London. Experienced candidates may be assessed for a £2,000 recruitment bonus during the interview. Successful candidates can also earn a £4,513 Specialist Role Payment. Those with the necessary skills assessed at interview will receive the Specialist Role Payment and/or recruitment bonus as part of their initial salary package.
Flexible Working: This role is primarily office-based, with most of the work undertaken in the office. We offer flexible working hours, including options for compressed and part-time shifts. While working from home isn’t guaranteed, it might be possible on occasion, based on personal and business needs. Please note that there are occasional set training periods requiring classroom-based attendance, which might impact the flexibility working arrangements.
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 Role
As an Associate Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll embark on an exciting 18-month learning journey, tailored to equip you with all the skills and experience needed to succeed at GCHQ. With our unwavering support, seamless integration into our vibrant team is ensured. Gain the knowledge and confidence to support the safety of IT infrastructure across GCHQ and our intelligence partners – and have a direct impact on mission capabilities.
Complete a mix of classroom, virtual and on-the-job learning, alongside a cohort who share your interests and ambitions. With our support, you could find yourself working in areas including Automation, Cloud, Networks, Operating Systems, Applications, Data Transfer, Access Management, Collaboration or Cyber Security, or contributing to a project unique to us. Our tech is bespoke, so you won’t find this kind of work anywhere else.
Transform your passion into practical, technical skills. From deploying applications to developing cloud-native technologies, you’ll learn to identify innovative approaches that shape our work. Collaborate with colleagues in small teams tackling specific challenges or as part of a larger group addressing broader issues. After completing your training, join a team supporting all three agencies, ensuring our infrastructure remains safe, secure and fit for purpose in an ever-evolving tech landscape.
About you
A genuine interest in technology and the drive to learn new skills are essential for this role. While no prior experience in IT is required to apply, candidates should have an aptitude and enthusiasm for technology. Whether you’re a school leaver, a STEM graduate, someone looking to change careers, or returning to work after a break, all you need is GCSE grade C/4 (or above) in Maths, or an equivalent qualification.
We also encourage candidates with experience to apply. If you have a background in IT or related fields, your experience will be highly valued. Comfortable with technical information and eager to put it to use, you’ll be excited to apply your knowledge and skills in an environment that embraces fresh ideas and innovative thinking.
Training and development
Embark on a structured learning pathway with access to a range of funded resources tailored to your needs. This could include self-guided learning or training courses, encouraging you to explore areas relevant to your interests and skills. You may also undertake a placement in another team to gain exposure to different technologies and new skills.
When you join, you’ll receive a 3-day departmental induction, followed by a comprehensive business induction to our systems and teams. From day one, you’ll be part of a cohort of trainees, providing a supportive environment for learning and growth. You’ll also be paired with mentors for both technical and personal development, and have opportunities to join internal, informal knowledge-sharing groups. Throughout the 18-month pathway, a Trainee Scheme Lead will provide advice and support whenever you need it.
Plus, there is the opportunity to earn fully funded, industry-recognised qualifications. Depending on your role, this could include ISC ² CISSO, AWS Solution Architect or CISCO CCNA. You’ll also obtain the evidence needed to apply for professional registration with the IET or BCS.
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £36,408, plus other benefits including:
• 25 days of annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years of service, plus an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays.
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan (travel and parking)
• Excellent pension scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave.
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, 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
We’re Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This initiative encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident employer, 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:
• You must hold a GCSE or Level 2 qualification in Maths at Grade 4/C or above. This will be assessed during application sift.
• Demonstrate a strong motivation for applying to work for GCHQ as an Infrastructure Engineer. This will be assessed during the application sift.
• Exhibit analytical and problem-solving skills. This will be assessed during the application sift.
• Demonstrate an awareness of up-and-coming technologies. This will be assessed during the application sift.
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
• Application Sift: We’ll review your motivation for the role and the organisation, as well as your essential skills.
• Interview: The interview will include a skills assessment. Candidates who qualify may receive a recruitment bonus and/or a Specialised Role payment, from day one.
• Conditional Offer: If you’re 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 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. 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 set up a separate email address for your contact with us to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain 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 London, 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.
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.