About You

We’re looking for talented individuals who demonstrate how they have delivered meaningful impact through the application of AI technologies and/or the development of agentic solutions, ideally within large or complex team environments. You’ll bring experience leading technical delivery, setting direction and objectives, driving projects forward, and mentoring or developing others to achieve successful outcomes. Curiosity and a genuine interest in cyber security are important. You don’t need to be an expert in every area, but you should have the enthusiasm and aptitude to learn about a broad range of cyber topics and emerging technologies. We value people who actively develop their skills, whether through professional experience, personal projects, research, or cyber challenges and competitions.

You’ll have a good technical grounding and be comfortable learning and applying new technologies quickly. We’re particularly interested in candidates who can demonstrate experience in at least two of the following areas: software development, designing and building system architectures, and technical research and analysis. We value individuals who enjoy tackling complex problems, working across disciplines, and continuously developing new skills.

Collaboration is central to the way we work. You’ll be comfortable working with colleagues from a variety of technical backgrounds, both within and beyond the immediate team, and will be keen to contribute to a supportive, inclusive, and high-performing environment.

You’ll be motivated by working at pace, balancing multiple priorities, and delivering outcomes in a dynamic setting.

We welcome applications from people of all educational and professional backgrounds and have no formal qualification requirements. Instead, we’re interested in evidence of your technical ability, potential, and achievements. Depending on the role and your skills, you may be eligible for specialist pay. These roles require 80% office attendance, subject to role requirements and business need.

Please note: The NCSC is advertising a number of roles at the moment. Please submit an application for each role you wish to be considered for. Applying for other roles will not be detrimental to your application for this role and, if you are successful in a number of roles, you will be able to choose which role you prefer at the point of conditional job offer.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application; however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate, and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism is identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own), applications will be withdrawn, and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

GCHQ Competencies

As part of the selection process, the NCSC will assess you using competencies aligned with those used across the UK Intelligence Community. These are closely based on the Civil Service Behaviours, so if you’re familiar with those, you’re already on the right track.

At Level 3, we’ll be looking at how you demonstrate the following:

• Driving Innovation and Change (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Changing and Improving)
• Continuously Developing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Developing Self and Others)
• Working Collaboratively (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Working Together)
• Making Effective Decisions (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Making Effective Decisions)
• Delivering Outcomes (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Delivering at Pace)

To help you prepare your application, further information on Civil Service Behaviours can be found here.

Rewards And Benefits

At NCSC and GCHQ, we are proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment, which is designed to encourage open minds and positive attitudes. As an organization that values and nurtures talent, we are committed to helping you fulfill your potential. With comprehensive training and development opportunities tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we will enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.

You’ll receive a starting salary of £53,000, which includes a concessionary payment of £2,758.

Candidates with technical skills in information assurance, data science, or related fields may qualify for specialist skills payments ranging from £5,000 to over £44,000 per annum in this role. Skills will be assessed at interview.

For roles based in London, you’ll receive an additional £6,250 London Allowance.

Other Benefits Include:

• 25 days’ annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after five years' service, plus an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
• Opportunities to be recognized through our employee performance scheme
• An interest-free season ticket loan
• A cycle-to-work scheme
• Facilities such as a subsidized gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Excellent pension scheme - Civil Service pension

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, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment, and diversity on our website.

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 are offered an interview, where it is practical for us to do so. This is known as Offer of an Interview.

Role

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

• You'll be required to reach