Contents Location About the job Benefits Things you need to know Apply and further information Location Cheltenham, Manchester About the job Job summary 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 youll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork. Job description As a Data Scientist youll use the power of data to solve challenges, research new capabilities and support the key work being done by our analysts. Youll analyse complex datasets, develop predictive models, and create data-driven insights. Working on mission-critical projects, youll collaborate with specialists and use your knowledge and experience to advance scalable AI, machine learning, and data science capabilities. There is a wide scope to this role, giving you the exciting opportunity to shape it to your strengths. This means you might be solving small automation issues, delivering complex analytics, or pioneering the integration of AI in unexplored areas. At other times, your work could include a larger research component, where youll spend time exploring literature, collaborating with academia, trialling ideas, and adapting methods, or developing new ones when needed. No matter what you do, youll always be generous with your knowledge, sharing valuable information, tools, and techniques that nurture the understanding of different teams and the broader data science community. Person specification Youre a problem solver, driven by results and the possibility of challenging, yet rewarding work. You excel in collaborative environments, working effectively within a team to deliver successful outcomes. Whether you already have practical experience in a data science field or are currently studying with the goal of attaining a STEM, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics or a related degree by the summer of 2025, youre prepared to step into this role. Your expertise in data science allows you to interpret large data sets and apply machine learning techniques. You possess a foundational understanding of various aspects of data science and are always eager to learn and acquire new technical skills. Benefits Alongside your salary of £34,663, GCHQ contributes £10,041 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides. Youll receive a starting salary of £34,663 - £41,347 depending on skills and experience. You might also qualify for a skills payment based on your expertise. Plus, youll enjoy other benefits, including: 25 days annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme Interest-free season ticket loan Excellent pension scheme Cycle to work scheme Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations) Paid parental and adoption leave Things you need to know Selection process details Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order: CV and application question sift A competency based and technical interview looking at your motivation for the role and your understanding of data science If successful, you will 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). Its 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 cant take any recreational drugs, and youll 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 features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you manage your application with us more discreetly. The role is based in Cheltenham and Manchester, so youll 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 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, other than with your partner or a close family member. 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: Practical experience in a data science field or currently studying with the goal of a attaining a STEM, Computer Science, Data Science, Statistics, or related degree by the summer of 2025 assessed at application sift Strong motivation for the role and a genuine interest for working for the organisation assessed at application sift Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment. Security Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check. Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window). See our vetting charter (opens in a new window). People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks. Medical Successful candidates will be expected to have a medical. Nationality requirements Open to UK nationals only. Working for the Civil Service The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants. We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window). The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria. Diversity and Inclusion The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window). Apply and further information Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records. Contact point for applicants Job contact : Name : careersrecruitment.org.uk Email : careersrecruitment.org.uk Recruitment team Email : careersrecruitment.org.uk Apply at advertiser's site Share this page Print Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn GMail