Salary: £41,714, made up of a base salary of £35,134, a concessionary payment of £2,758, and a skills payment of up to £3,822 from day one, reflecting the skills and experience you demonstrate during the selection process. Plus, a £2,000 recruitment bonus.
Flexible working: We recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a range of flexible working arrangements, including part-time and compressed hours. Where business needs allow, we can also offer flexibility around start and finish times. Due to the nature of the role, homeworking isn’t available.
About us
GCHQ is an intelligence and cyber 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 alongside our intelligence partners, MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from terrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. At GCHQ, you’ll take on varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment where teamwork is at the heart of everything we do.
The role
GCHQ is offering an exciting opportunity to join a growing operational area responsible for the interception and exploitation of global communications in support of the UK Government, the UK military and our allies.
You will initially join our Communications Exploitation development team, where you will be supported in developing the skills needed to exploit global communications. Through a combination of on-the-job-training, innovative experimentation and prototyping, you’ll help deliver real-world mission outcomes.
If you have a passion for technology and are keen to build a career using innovative engineering to support GCHQ’s mission, this role could be for you.
As a Exploitation Engineer, you’ll work as part of an Agile team to design, develop and deploy technical solutions that support mission requirements. Using a combination of software, firmware and hardware engineering, you’ll contribute across the full engineering lifecycle, from understanding user needs to development, testing and deployment.
Many of the challenges you’ll encounter will be complex, with no obvious solution. You’ll therefore undertake research, prototyping and experimentation to develop innovative approaches that meet operational needs. You’ll also work closely with operators to ensure technologies you develop can be deployed effectively across global networks and military platforms.
Typical work within the Communications Exploitation development team includes researching emerging communications technologies, developing software and signal-processing capabilities, applying AI to complex challenges, and designing bespoke hardware and RF solutions.
You’ll use a variety of modern programming languages, tools and frameworks, including JavaScript, Java, C++, Python, Rust, Go and .NET. Depending on the work you undertake, you may also use technologies such as Kubernetes, MATLAB, VHDL and FPGA-based platforms to develop and deploy operational capabilities.
You’ll work with a broad range of technologies while developing your expertise through practical experience and collaboration. As part of our Communications Exploitation development team, you’ll work alongside colleagues, the military and international partners to deliver solutions that support UK interests at home and overseas.
If you’re successful in securing a Exploitation Engineer role, please note that occasional travel to another GCHQ site may be required. Where overnight stays are necessary, GCHQ will fully cover travel and accommodation expenses.
About you
We’re looking for people with a passion for technology and engineering. You’ll have studied a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics) subject, such as Physics, Software Engineering or Electronic Engineering, gained through a diploma, foundation degree, apprenticeship or equivalent programme.
A completed qualification isn’t essential. What’s most important is curiosity, enthusiasm for learning and an interest in developing your technical skills.
You may have gained practical experience through university projects, placements, apprenticeships, personal projects or hobbies. We’re particularly interested in how you’ve applied your knowledge to solve problems, develop solutions and explore new ideas.
You’ll have experience of at least one modern programming language or framework, such as C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, .NET, Node.js, Python or Rust. Experience working with technologies such as Kubernetes would be valuable. In addition, you’ll have an understanding of at least one of the following areas: digital signal processing, telecommunications and signal protocols, RF engineering, or FPGA and VHDL.
Experience using AI to support software development, code generation or problem-solving would be beneficial.
Training and development
We’ll support you in developing the skills needed for the role through a combination of technical learning, mentoring from experienced engineers, and practical experience working on communications exploitation capabilities.
You’ll build specialist expertise in areas such as global communications networks, protocol analysis and digital signal processing, while also gaining exposure to technologies and disciplines including systems design, site reliability engineering, data engineering, solutions architecture, machine learning operations, Agile delivery and cloud engineering.
You’ll have opportunities to collaborate with colleagues and partners across government, the military and allied organisations, helping you develop a broad understanding of the technical and operational environment in which we work.
Rewards and benefits
You’ll receive a base salary of £35,134, a concessionary payment of £2,758, and a skills payment of up to £3,822, assessed at interview and awarded from day one, giving a starting salary of up to £41,714. Plus, a £2,000 recruitment bonus.
- 25 days’ annual leave, rising automatically to 30 days after five years' service, plus 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
- opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
- interest-free season ticket loan
- an excellent pension scheme
- a cycle to work scheme
- on-site facilities such as a subsidised gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (available 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, 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.
We’re Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions’ 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, where practical. This is known as an “Offer of an interview”.
- You’ll be required to reach the minimum pass park for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation.
- A background in a relevant STEM subject (Science, Technology, Engineering or Mathematics) at a higher education level, such as a diploma, foundation degree, apprenticeship, or ongoing studies.
- Demonstrate practical experience of engineering or software development, gained through academic projects, placements, employment, apprenticeships, personal projects.
- Demonstrate knowledge of at least one modern programming language or framework (such as C++, Go, Java, JavaScript, .NET, Node. js, Python or Rust), or experience configuring and using Kubernetes clusters.
- Demonstrate knowledge of at least one of the following:
- FPGAs and VHDL
- Telecoms and signal protocol processing
- A mathematical understanding of digital signal processing
- RF processing including antennas, receivers, and filtering
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.
- In-person assessment centre.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process, including vetting, so we advise that you continue in 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 level of security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy. Once you start your application, you must not 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 information in your email address, such as your first name, surname or date of birth. This is good practice and will help you 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 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 launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact 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 close applications once a certain number have been received. To avoid missing out, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible. If you have a disability (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) and need additional time to complete your application, please submit your initial application and then contact us using the email address provided as soon as possible, please use the subject line “Reasonable Adjustments Extension” and briefly outline the support you require.
