Salary: £42,630, made up of a base salary of £35,134, a concessionary payment of £2,758, and a skills payment of up to £4,738 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
As a Software Engineer, you’ll work as part of an Agile team to solve complex technical challenges using a variety of software engineering methods, languages and frameworks, including JavaScript, Java, Node.js, Python, Rust and Go.
From day one, you’ll contribute to meaningful projects while continuing to develop and broaden your technical skills. You’ll work across a variety of environments, including on-premises and cloud-based solutions, collaborating with other engineers to deliver innovative and scalable systems.
You’ll have the opportunity to contribute to large-scale projects, share knowledge with the wider engineering community and learn from experienced colleagues. We encourage engineers to take ownership of their work and provide the support and autonomy needed to develop their expertise.
If you’re successful in securing a Software 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.
Beyond delivering impactful work, you’ll be part of a culture that values collaboration, learning and development, where everyone is encouraged to contribute and reach their potential.
About you
You'll be able to demonstrate solid programming fundamentals and proficiency in at least one modern language or framework, such as Go, Java, JavaScript, Node js, Python or Rust.
To join us, you’ll need a higher education background in a STEM subject (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Mathematics), gained through a degree, apprenticeship, or equivalent qualification. Applications from candidates in the final year of their studies are welcome.
Practical experience in software engineering is also required and may have been gained through software development projects, employment, internships, industrial placements or summer placements.
Naturally curious and analytical, you’ll enjoy solving problems and take a logical, persistent approach to technical challenges. You’ll be keen to explore new ideas and broaden your knowledge.
You communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences, sharing information in a way that supports collaboration and effective delivery. You work well with others, value different perspectives, and contribute positively within a team environment.
Experience with generative AI would be advantageous, including AI-assisted development tools, agentic patterns, or applications that use large language models. An understanding of how to use these technologies responsibly, securely and effectively would also be beneficial. Most importantly, curiosity and a willingness to develop your knowledge as these technologies evolve will help you succeed in the role.
A passion for technology and the ability to thrive in a collaborative environment where knowledge sharing and continuous learning are valued will help you succeed in the role.
Training and development
We invest heavily in professional development and provide a range of learning opportunities to help you build your skills and progress your career.
You’ll have a minimum of 30% of your working time dedicated to development activities, with access to training through courses, conferences, technical communities, self-directed study and project-based learning.
We actively support professional and academic development, including industry-recognised certifications, post graduate study and professional registration. Funding is available for relevant qualifications and certifications, such as Scrum Master, CISSP and AWS Certified Developer.
You’ll have opportunities to develop expertise across a range of software engineering disciplines, including front-end development, site reliability engineering, data engineering, solutions architecture, machine learning operations (MLOps), user experience (UX), Agile delivery and cloud engineering.
You’ll also benefit from mentoring, coaching and collaboration with experienced engineers, helping you broaden your technical knowledge and develop your career within our engineering community.
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 £4,738, assessed at interview and awarded from day one, giving a starting salary of £42,631. 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 STEM background in Higher Education that could include a degree, apprenticeship or equivalent qualification. We’ll consider candidates who have completed or are in their final year.
- Practical software engineering experience this could be gained through practical software projects, relevant employment, internships, industrial placements, or summer placements.
- Ability to demonstrate knowledge of at least one modern language/framework, such as Go, Java, JavaScript, NodeJS, Python, or Rust.
Note: The above criteria 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:
- 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 Manchester, 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.
