As a Cyber Security Analyst, there is access to a mix of internal and external training opportunities, including the chance to work towards security certifications such as Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) and the Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP).

There are no overseas travel requirements for this role; however, there may be occasional opportunities to attend conferences both within the UK and internationally.

Rewards And Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £37,892 plus other benefits including:

• 25 days’ annual leave, 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
• an interest-free season ticket loan
• a cycle to work scheme
• facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars; availability varies by location
• paid parental and adoption leave
• an excellent pension scheme

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, 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.

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, if it is practical for us to do so. This is known as the Offer of an Interview.

Role

To secure an interview for this role, candidates must meet the minimum criteria, which will be assessed at the CV sift stage:

• You’ll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation
• Able to demonstrate experience of working as a Cyber Security/Security Operations Centre Analyst
• Able to demonstrate experience working in at least one of the following fields: malware analysis, intrusion detection, monitoring & incident response

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best. Please see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.

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
• Application form, looking at your motivation for the role and the organisation
• Online test, examining your responses to different situations typical to the role
• Assessment Centre, including situational role-plays, tasking exercise and interview
• 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 to 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.

Before you apply, we recommend 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 or surname or date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more securely.

The role is based in Cheltenham or 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 on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

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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Locations

• Cheltenham

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• Manchester

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• Cheltenham

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• Manchester

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