Information Manager Ref. 2641

Mind Achieving Impact AwardSocial Mobility Foundation AwardThe Times Top 100Disability confident leaderThe Prince's Responsible Business

Specialist Roles
Cheltenham, London, Manchester
£28,642 plus £2,189 = £30,831

About Us

GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 are the UK’s Intelligence Agencies. We protect the UK from threats to national security, such as terrorism, cybercrime, and the spread of weapons. Through the ingenuity of our people, we gather secret intelligence and work closely with our partners in the UK and overseas to detect threats and work out ways to stop them. 

This role is based in GCHQ but supports work across our national security community.

The Role                

Working in the Knowledge and Information Management service, you’ll be part of a team that supports our security community to achieve our critical missions. 

Good information management is at the very heart of our organisation, and as part of the IT business area, we work alongside our technology partners to provide information platforms and services that help us to share knowledge and information effectively. 

This means you’ll get the chance to support a wide ranging and diverse set of customers, covering the breadth of our national security community.

You’ll be working in one of our teams and would be expected to:

•    Promote good knowledge and information practices across the national security community, to ensure our information is accessible, usable, and has the right protection throughout its lifecycle.
•    Providing help and support to customers using our information systems, in particular the Microsoft M365 suite of tools.
•    Work to ensure our information is managed properly and in line with our legal and departmental responsibilities.
•    Manage parts of our intranet, online collaboration platforms, document management and corporate records estate.
•    Solve new and challenging information management problems.
•    Work with customers and stakeholders to understand their information needs.
•    Find new ways to meet those needs, as we strive to support an ever-evolving mission; new, fast paced information technologies; and new, diverse, and innovative ways of work across our community.
•    Be an active part of our community as we strive to develop an inclusive culture, where everyone feels welcome.
•    This post also potentially has line management responsibilities.

On a daily basis you will be balancing providing direct support to customers, working in a small team to develop our services, playing a part in both small- and large-scale projects to bring transformational changes to the national security community.

We are keen to provide the working environment that gets the best from you and while our more sensitive work does need to be carried out in our secure offices, we are keen to discuss with you how the role can be done and what flexibility around working hours and remote working would be appropriate.


About You

This role is part of our Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) profession, so you’ll be able to show us: 

Essential

•    You're motivated and committed to delivering the principles of good Knowledge and Information Management. 
•    Your ability to engage and effectively communicate with a diverse range of customers and stakeholders.
•    Comfortable leading change and adapting to new opportunities.
•    You’ll enjoy solving problems.
•    Your ability to work on both individual projects but also as part of a diverse team.
•    Your committed to supporting your colleagues.

Desirable

•    An information related qualification or equivalent experience working in the information sector. 
•    An understanding of key information legislation, such as the Public Record Act (PRA), Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), Data Protection Act (DPA).
•    Comfortable with new and diverse information systems, in particular a good understanding of M365 is desirable.
•    Enjoys learning and undertaking stretching work.
•    Helps to enrich our team by bringing new perspectives and fresh ideas.


Training and Development

When you first start with us, we’ll seek to support you through the joining process and help you learn the work of the team and the wider department.

But the world of information management is ever changing, and we’re committed to supporting you develop and maintain your knowledge, skills, and expertise to meet those challenges, and are committed to investing in your future and providing access to the right learning opportunities for you. 

The role is part of our Knowledge and Information Management (KIM) profession, and we’ll actively support you to develop your professional skills and KIM career. For more information about KIM across government, please see: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/civil-service-government-knowledge-information-management-profession/about

We’ll also actively support you in working towards accreditation from professional bodies such as the Information and Records Management Society (IRMS) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP).

You’ll receive a starting salary between £30,831 – £33,855, depending on skills and experience, plus other benefits including: 

-    25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays.
-    Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
-    Opportunities to work flexibly, subject to business needs
-    Interest-free season ticket loan
-    Excellent pension scheme
-    Cycle to work scheme
-    Facilities such as a gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars at some locations
-    Paid parental and adoption leave 


Culture and Working Environment 

As part of our team, you’ll discover an inclusive workplace that’s welcoming, supportive and encouraging. You’ll be part of an organisation where people want to support one another and make a difference. Aside from fostering an open culture, we have got a range of growing affinity groups. For example:  
 
•    Ethnic Minority and gender equality networks
•    Groups supporting wellbeing, mental health, neurodiversity, and disability 
•    Faith/No Faith communities for staff to come together 
•    LGBTQ+ support networks

You’ll also find a variety of sports, activity, interest, and social groups to help you settle in and connect with people with similar interests. 


Before You Apply

To work at GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen. We do have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you will need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Honesty and integrity are important if you want to work at GCHQ.Take some time to read about the vetting process and make sure you meet the criteria in the vetting pages of the ‘How to Apply’ section. The process can take some time, but this is just because it’s thorough. Giving misleading information and omitting or concealing information during the recruitment and vetting process is viewed very seriously.

The role is based in Cheltenham/London/Manchester, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance of these locations. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application.

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.


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 diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ages, 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.

We’re Disability Confident

GCHQ are 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. Being Disability Confident, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants that meet the minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview where practicable; this is known as ‘Offer of an Interview.’ To secure an interview for this vacancy, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are: 

•    KIM Skill Information Management (Level 2)
Good knowledge of Information Management legislation and best practice. Understands and can explain and promote the necessity and benefits of good Information Management to others. 

•    Communication & Knowledge Sharing (Intermediate)
Communicates information effectively and share information, knowledge, and experience willingly and securely with others. Encourages and contributes to discussion. Is proactive in sharing information in own work-area.

•    Managing Customer Relationships (Intermediate)
Works closely with customers (internal and / or external) to define and meet their needs where possible and to manage their expectations. Providing service, understanding customer's needs, managing expectations. Negotiates with customers to improve the service to them and to manage their expectations.

•    Change and Innovation (Intermediate)
Is positive about change and innovation in developing the organisation to make it more flexible and creative. Positive response to change, better ways of working, impact on others of change. Generates creative ideas and demonstrates sensitivity in implementing local change.

•    Analysis & Decision Making (Intermediate)
Conducts appropriate analysis to make informed decisions quickly, effectively, and in keeping with Departmental policies. Objective, methodical approach; option / risk appraisal, uses others. Makes effective decisions in consultation with others and / or solves complex problems in immediate area.

•    Working With and Leading Others (Intermediate)
Respects diversity and equality is an effective team player and helps others develop. Encourages and supports others. Provides a lead within the local area. 


Eligibility Criteria

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. One of your parents must be a British Citizen or must have the nationality or citizenship from our approved list of countries for more info, please click here. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. For more info, please click here. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You can apply at the age of 17 years, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Discretion is vital. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member. 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 of the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. Further information on our eligibility criteria can be found on the Applying section.


What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

1.    Candidate submits an application form
2.    Formal paper sift
3.    If successful, the candidate will be invited to interview
4.    Face-to-face interview, including a short (5 minute) presentation on an Information Management topic, 
5.    If successful the candidate will be offered a post, subject to successfully passing a drugs test and vetting

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.


Our Vetting

To work in this role, you will need the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community must go through and it can take some time. As part of the DV (Developed Vetting) process you will be asked to fill in a detailed questionnaire and attend an interview with a vetting officer. In your interview the vetting officer will have a thorough, compassionate, and honest discussion with you about you as a person and your life experiences, to ensure holding a DV clearance is right for you. You don’t need to do any preparation for your vetting interview, just be honest and be yourself. All applicants for DV are treated impartially and consistently, irrespective of gender, race, disability, religion, age, sexual orientation, and other protected characteristics. 


Right to Withdraw Statement: 

Please be aware that we withhold 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.



This Program / Vacancy is closed to applications.