Salary: £37,892 (includes £2,758 concessionary payment), plus recruitment bonus of £4,738.
The recruitment bonus is payable in two parts – half when you start and half when you complete your probationary period.
Specialist Skills Payments starting from £4,738 can be expected once you have completed your first year in post, depending on your progress and development in the role, and are subject to assessment. Skills revalidation is periodically required to retain payment.
Flexible working: full-time roles are based on a 37-hour working week, Monday to Friday. During the initial training period full-time attendance is required. Upon completion of training a range of working patterns, including flexitime, part-time and compressed hours, are available. Please note remote working/working from home opportunities are limited so you should be prepared, and able to work, 100% from the office.
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
Our work is complex, unique and ever-changing – and it’s informed by the amazing work of our Mathematics and Cryptography teams. In this exciting role, we’ll train you to use your mathematical skills to tackle a variety of critical problems. And the solutions you find? They’ll help to protect the UK.
Working across cryptography, cryptanalysis, network exploitation, cyber security, data science, digital signals and mathematical modelling (to name just a few areas), you’ll receive support and mentoring as you learn to become a maths and cryptography specialist.
Collaborating with colleagues in multi-skilled teams, you’ll help solve an incredible range of interesting problems. In a typical day you might: evaluate an existing theorem, or develop a new one; use cutting-edge technology to deliver world-class input on vital security projects; study or design a new cryptographic protocol; apply your analytical skills to a broad range of mathematical disciplines including algebra, probability, number theory, statistics and optimisation; and complete projects which influence key decisions made by government agencies.
With expert training and development opportunities, you’ll be working as a specialist in no time, producing innovative and one-of-a-kind work which has meaningful purpose. And because of what we do and who we are, our methods and practices are constantly changing so they stay cutting-edge – which means your learning and growth won’t ever stop. This is a role with so much potential, and it could be just the beginning of your career at GCHQ.
About you
To reflect the developing challenges we face, you’ll need a background in maths, computer science or any other subject with substantial mathematical content. You should have, or expect to obtain by September 2027, at least a 2:2 undergraduate degree (or equivalent qualification) in a mathematical discipline, including (but not limited to) mathematics, computer science, statistics or physics. If you aren’t a recent graduate, you’ll still need a 2:2 degree in a mathematical discipline, plus you’ll need to have been working recently in a role where maths is the main component.
You’ll also love solving problems, be able to juggle competing demands and have an ability to easily adapt to new circumstances. You’ll enjoy contributing as a member of our team in a way that suits you. Your intellectual curiosity means you’re excited by the chance to train in specialist areas. And you’ll be motivated by the challenge of learning new things at a fast pace, while being supported by your colleagues and mentors to do so. It’s also great if you have an interest in technology, or experience in programming – but this isn’t essential, and we’ll train you in everything you need to know.
Training and development
At GCHQ we’re proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment. As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential. You’re not expected to come to us with all the relevant knowledge, or skills, on day one. With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your personal 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.
As a new starter, you’ll join the Mathematics Development Program (MDP) which provides substantial internal training, covering both mathematical and technological topics. In addition to the training, your cohort will learn about other roles in the mathematical community from other people in the MDP. You’ll remain part of the MDP community for the first three years of your career, allowing you to build a strong peer support network. We’ll also ensure you’re assigned a mentor when you start who can help you identify and work towards your personal career goals.
On top of the initial training, there are opportunities to attend additional training courses, and you’ll always be encouraged to learn new things and develop yourself in your role. Throughout your career you’ll have the opportunity to move between roles, enabling you to either broaden your experience or to become a specialist in a particular area.
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £37,892 plus other benefits including:
- a recruitment bonus of £4,738 when you start
- 25 days annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
- opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
- opportunities to work flexibly, subject to business needs
- excellent pension scheme
- cycle to work scheme
- facilities such as a subsidised gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars
- 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 commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion on our website.
We’re 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:
- 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.
- Meet the minimum pass mark at the application sift.
- Meet the minimum pass mark in the maths questions (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 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:
- An initial online application form including pre-screening questions to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria.
- Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios.
- A full on-line application.
- Online maths questions, assessing your mathematical ability.
- An application sift, including assessment of your application form and responses to the online maths questions.
- An online Assessment Centre, comprising:
a. Mathematics Aptitude Test
b. Mathematics Presentation
c. Group exercise
d. Individual technical exercises
e. Panel interview
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Those who pass the application form sift will be given further information prior to the interview including the brief for the technical presentation. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process including vetting.
Before you apply
To work at GCHQ you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria on our website.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process on our website.
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 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 to manage your application with us more securely.
The role is based in 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.
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 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 on 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.
