Cheltenham, Manchester, Scarborough
Job description
The Role
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 emphasises teamwork.
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, is the UK Government’s lead authority on cyber security. The organisation is at the heart of the Government’s cyber security strategy and aims to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
This role offers an exciting opportunity to develop software and tools that will detect threats and defend computer systems from our adversaries. Our team predominantly works with the C programming language, so knowledge and experience in using C is essential, along with a good understanding of the internal workings of computers and operating systems. While existing knowledge of cyber security isn’t necessary, we’re looking for someone keen to learn and develop their skills and knowledge in this area.
You’ll actively collaborate with a multidisciplinary team to understand requirements and design, develop, and test solutions. You’ll learn how cyber adversaries attempt to infiltrate and attack computer systems and contribute to developing new capabilities to detect and defend against these threats.
Our tasks range from adding new capabilities to our tools, fixing bugs, improving our testing processes, and analysing and improving performance, all while ensuring the code we write meets the highest standards.
About You
If you enjoy programming in C, working at the OS level, and want to develop those skills and apply them in a cyber security context, then we’d encourage you to apply for this role!
The successful applicant will need to have:
1. A good understanding and experience in using the C programming language.
2. A solid understanding of what an Operating System (OS) is and what functions it performs.
3. Understanding some aspects of how an OS works, for example, what a filesystem is and how files are stored on a disk, or the relationship between processes, threads, and virtual memory.
4. Understanding how software interacts with the OS, how this low-level interface can differ from that provided by programming languages and libraries, and when you might want to use one over the other.
5. Some experience writing code using these low-level OS functions. This might be for accessing files, spawning processes, or querying system information.
6. A basic understanding of cyber-attack fundamentals (methods attackers use to exploit computer systems and/or ways to detect such techniques) would be beneficial, but training and on-the-job learning will be provided.
7. A desire to continually learn and grow the necessary skills for the role and share knowledge and skills with others in the wider community.
Training and Development
You will have opportunities to attend training with international experts to develop both your Operating Systems, Cyber Security, and software engineering skills and knowledge. Within the organisation, you will also have opportunities to apply your skills in different domains throughout the business over the course of your career.
GCHQ Competencies
The NCSC will assess you against competencies used by the UK Intelligence Community. These competencies closely based on the Civil Service Behaviours. The 2 competencies you’ll be assessed against are:
1. Driving Innovation and Change (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Changing and Improving)
2. Continuously Developing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Developing Self and Others)
3. Working Collaboratively (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Working Together)
4. Making Effective Decisions (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Making Effective Decisions)
5. Delivering Outcomes (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Delivering at Pace)
Further information on Civil Service Behaviours
Equal Opportunities
At NCSC and 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 culture, working environment and diversity on our website: Diversity and Inclusion
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £36,408, with an additional £4,513 in specialist pay after a successful evidence-based assessment following approximately 6 months’ probation.
Other benefits include:
* 25 days annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays.
* An environment with flexible working options.
* Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
* Interest-free season ticket loan.
* Cycle to work scheme.
* Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations).
* Paid parental and adoption leave.
* Excellent pension scheme - Civil Service pension.
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. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:
1. Able to demonstrate a good understanding and experience of using the C programming language. - Assessed at sift.
2. Able to demonstrate an understanding of what an Operating System (OS) is and what functions it performs. – Assessed at sift.
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website.
What to Expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
1. Online Application
2. Application sift
3. Interview
4. If successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer of employment.
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 to continue 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. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.
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.
The role is based in Cheltenham, Manchester or Scarborough, 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.
Please be aware, if you are a successful candidate based in Manchester or Scarborough, you will need to complete a three-month familiarisation period in Cheltenham before starting the role at your home base. This will involve staying in Cheltenham for the duration of the working week. (Travel and accommodation cost are covered by the business.)
The closing date for this role is: 14th April 2025 at 23:55.
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.
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