Intelligence Analyst Ref.2456

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Analysis
Cheltenham, Manchester
£30,831 pro-rata (including concessionary pay of £2,189 per annum) This role offers the opportunity to work part-time, after completion of 6 months full-time training.

About Us
 
We are GCHQ, we unlock the complex world of communications to make a real difference to the safety of the nation. We work closely with our partners in the intelligence community to safeguard Britain’s people, interests, and businesses from threats such as serious organised crime, people and drugs trafficking, terrorism and cyber-attacks.  
 
The Role
 
Analysts work at the very heart of our mission. You’ll support real-world events and have privileged insight - seeing behind the news headlines and contributing to work that really matters. No two days are the same here; our analysts work in a rapidly changing technological environment, problem solving on a daily basis. You’ll work with bespoke technology, finding information from different places, including a high volume of data generated by many internet-connected devices. And you’ll piece it together and analyse it in order to make sense of it.  
 
You’ll be trusted to take real responsibility for your work and encouraged to try new things – there’s no set formula for analysis. The work is a mixture of short-term urgent situations and longer-term projects lasting months and sometimes even years. It’s a constant challenge to find adversaries and you’ll learn quickly about the technology they are using. Your analysis could help inform foreign policy, law enforcement and national security.  
 
About You
 
We’re looking for people who enjoy making sense of complex information and doing challenging puzzles. Sometimes the outcome is not what you want but there’s always something that can be learned - so you’ll need resilience and perseverance in these instances. You’ll be keen to learn new things and be interested in new technologies, though we don’t expect you to have a technical background. We have a welcoming and supportive environment. We want a mix of minds, including people of all ages and backgrounds from across our society, who can see and understand things from different perspectives. It’s not as formal or secretive as you might think.
 
To apply, you’ll need to hold GCSE (or equivalent Level 2) qualification in English Language and Maths at Grade 4/C or above.
 
Key skills and mindset are:

  • Problem solving
  • Persistence
  • Resilience
  • Inquisitiveness
  • An interest in technology (and the future evolution of communications technology)
  • Keen to learn new things
  • Ability to work collaboratively with others and share knowledge.

 
Training and Development
 
We have an excellent bespoke training and development programme where you’ll learn alongside other new analysts in a classroom setting and in the workplace. You’ll be guided by knowledgeable tutors and supported by senior analyst mentors every step of the way. In the workplace you’ll soon be dealing with real life problems with support from colleagues and mentors too. Development opportunities also exist throughout your career in analysis.  
 
Rewards and Benefits  

You’ll receive a starting salary of £30,831 (inc. concessionary pay) 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
  • Excellent pension scheme
  • Cycle to work scheme
  • At Cheltenham, facilities such as a gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars
  • 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 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 wide 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’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.
 
Honesty and integrity are really 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 roles are based in Cheltenham and Manchester, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance to the location you choose. 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 different 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:  
 

  • We require you to hold a Level 2 (GCSE-equivalent) qualification in English Language and Maths at Grade 4/C or above.
  • You will need to pass our assessment of two questions on the application form.
  • You will then need to pass an online bespoke analysis test prior to be invited to interview.

 
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 link to website / JD). If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless be considered. (for more info link to website / JD). 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 and 6 months, 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:

  • An initial sift - an assessment of three questions on the application form(Sifting is conducted without any knowledge of an applicant’s personal information.)
  • An online bespoke analysis test  
  • Virtual interview
  • A bespoke analysis test, which may be in-person

 
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment or studies 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 has to go through and it can take some time. As part of the DV 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.