GCHQ
NCSC Cyber Consultant
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London, Manchester
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 you’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that places a strong emphasis on 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 has the aims to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.
Job Description
We are recruiting cyber consultants across various departments within the NCSC to help the UK remain cyber resilient in the AI (Artificial Intelligence) age. Sitting within the National Resilience Directorate, these roles will support organisations across the public and private sectors to prepare for increasingly capable AI-powered cyber-attacks, while also helping them adopt AI safely, securely and with confidence.
You’ll work at the intersection of cyber security, emerging technology and national resilience, translating complex AI and cyber risks into practical guidance, support and action. Whether engaging with government, regulators, critical sectors or businesses across the UK, you’ll help organisations understand what AI means for their security, resilience and future readiness.
This is an opportunity to shape a nationally significant area of work at a pivotal moment. AI is transforming both offensive and defensive cyber capabilities, and we need people who can think strategically, collaborate widely and turn uncertainty into practical resilience.
If you are motivated by emerging technology, public purpose and the opportunity to make a real national impact, this role offers the chance to join us in securing the UK’s future in an era of rapid technological change,
Supporting the NCSC’s role in building resilience across the public and private sectors, the role involves extensive engagement with colleagues across the NCSC, GCHQ and wider government to understand the threats facing critical national infrastructure and the wider private sector, including those from AI. Working closely with government departments, regulators and other arm’s-length bodies, you’ll help identify and develop the technical, legislative, operational and other measures needed to strengthen national resilience. You’ll also be expected to take ownership of significant areas of work, leading delivery and ensuring outcomes are achieved in complex and often ambiguous environments. The role also provides opportunities to represent the NCSC externally, engaging with industry stakeholders, attending meetings, and supporting briefings for a range of audiences.
Success in the role will depend on the ability to build strong relationships, influence across sectors, and translate emerging cyber and AI challenges into practical resilience outcomes. You’ll be trusted to exercise a high degree of judgement and autonomy, taking responsibility for progressing work, managing priorities and delivering outcomes. There will also be opportunities to continue developing your cyber knowledge and expertise while contributing to the development of others in a rapidly evolving threat landscape.
Depending on your background, experience, skills and interests, you may contribute to a broad range of activities designed to strengthen national cyber resilience. In many cases, you’ll be responsible for owning and delivering pieces of work from inception through to implementation, working with stakeholders to achieve lasting impact. This could include working directly with critical national infrastructure (CNI) regulators, providing access to NCSC insight and advice to help drive their mission forward. You may also promote the effective use of NCSC guidance, tools, services, and frameworks, including the Cyber Assessment Framework.
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Opportunities may include contributing to the development and implementation of national cyber resilience legislation and regulation, working closely with policy departments, as well as engaging directly with CNI operators and other organisations to strengthen their cyber resilience. You may also contribute to improving and evolving NCSC guidance, tools, services and frameworks to better support regulators, CNI operators and the wider private sector.
In some areas, work may focus on developing cyber resilience data, evidence and insight capabilities, helping the NCSC, government and regulators better understand, measure and target improvements in national cyber resilience.
Some posts may require regular attendance at partner sites, with an expectation of working from these locations for at least 50% of the working week.
Person Specification
Relationship-building skills will be essential, as you’ll work with a wide range of stakeholders across government, industry and the wider cyber security community. You should be comfortable taking ownership of complex work, operating with limited direction and being accountable for the quality and impact of your outputs. You’ll be comfortable adapting to changing priorities, navigating ambiguity and contributing to fast-paced work with real-world impact. The ability to develop creative solutions to new and evolving challenges will be important, alongside strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills, with the confidence to represent the NCSC externally across a range of audiences. Depending on the specific post, experience of building and maintaining data ecosystems and generating insights to support mission impact may be required.
Knowledge of cyber security and/or AI and their application is strongly preferred. Relevant qualifications, certifications, or professional experience would be advantageous. Experience applying this expertise to influence organisational, regulatory or national resilience outcomes and deliver measurable impact would be particularly beneficial. Regardless of your starting point, we will support you to develop the knowledge and skills needed to succeed and continue building your expertise throughout your career. Subject to achieving the required skills, postholders may also become eligible for specialist pay.
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 them, you’re already on the right track.
At Level 3, we’ll be looking at how you demonstrate the following:
- Seeing the Big Picture (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Seeing the Big Picture)
- Communicating and Influencing (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Communicating and Influencing)
- 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
Salary and Benefits
Alongside your salary of £55,758, GCHQ contributes £16,153 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).
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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 organisation that values and nurtures talent, we are committed to helping you fulfil 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 £55,758, which includes a concessionary payment of £2,758.
Candidates with technical skills in information assurance or related fields may qualify for specialist skills payments ranging from £5,460 to £25,116+ per annum in the 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 recognised through our employee performance scheme
- an interest-free season ticket loan
- a cycle to work scheme
- Facilities such as a subsidised gym, restaurant and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
- Paid parental and adoption leave
- Excellent pension scheme - Civil Service pension
Selection Process Details
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 the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation.
- Demonstrate evidence of managing relationships both internally to your organisation and externally across government and with industry.
- Demonstrate evidence of working on fast paced, high-stakes projects with real-world consequences. Previous experience handling ambiguity and finding creative solutions to new problems.
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
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