Job Description

Flexible workingWe recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a range ofworking patterns, including full-time, part-time, and compressed hours. Hybridworking, which refers to a combination of working on-site and from home, may bemore limited due to the nature of the work. However, some homeworking may beavailable depending on business needs. We also support flexible start and finishtimes, where possible, to help you manage your personal and professionalcommitments.Find out more about flexible working on our website.About usGCHQ is an intelligence, cyber, and security agency with a mission to keep the UKsafe. 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 will dovaried and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment thatemphasises teamwork.The roleAs a Senior Software Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in solving mission-criticalchallenges. You will contribute to the architecture and design of both new and existingsystems, establish and promote best practices, and deliver high-quality softwaresolutions. Drawing on your expertise in various software engineering methodologies,you will introduce fresh ideas and innovative approaches that make a real impact at thecore of our mission: keeping the UK safe, both in the real world and online.This is a practical, impact-driven role with plenty of opportunities to develop yourselfand others. You’ll review pull requests, define code review, branching, anddeployment strategies, and work across a variety of software engineeringframeworks. Operating at a deep technical level, you’ll apply your expertise inlanguages such as JavaScript, Java, C++, Node.js, Python, Rust, Go, and .NET.You’ll bring a genuine enthusiasm for discovering and applying new softwareengineering techniques. As part of a wider network of peers, you’ll collaborate andlearn from others. With your experience, you’ll set the standard, introduce innovativeways of working, and identify new priorities.Whether leading and mentoring a team or acting as the technical expert within a highperforming group, you will apply your knowledge of diverse methodologies to deliverimpactful solutions. You will engage confidently with both technical and non-technicalstakeholders, making a real positive contribution to the wider engineeringcommunity.About youAs a Senior Software Engineer, you will bring expertise in modern programminglanguages and frameworks such as C++, Golang, Java, JavaScript, .NET, Node.js,Python, Rust, along with experience working with cloud platforms AWS, Azure, GCP.You will have successfully led Agile project teams, evaluated customer businessrequirements, and delivered high-quality software solutions that make a real impact.Strategic and self-driven, you will serve as a bridge between teams, communicatingtechnical information with clarity and confidence. You will thrive in a fast-paced,innovative environment where creativity is key to solving complex andunprecedented challenges.We welcome experienced professionals from a variety of related fields, includingsoftware engineering and security, site reliability engineering, and data engineering.Your genuine enthusiasm for software engineering, combined with your ability tomentor others, collaborate effectively, and stay ahead of emerging technologies,makes you a valuable contributor to a forward-thinking engineering community.Training and developmentAt GCHQ, we’re committed to your growth and development. From the moment youjoin, you will receive a comprehensive induction into our organisation, which willprovide insights into how we operate, and the collaborative environment you’ll bepart of. This lays the foundation for a learning journey tailored to your goals andpreferred style of development.From day one, you’ll have access to mentors and subject matter experts to help yousettle into the role, and you can continue to have a mentor for as little or as long asyou choose throughout your career. We invest in your development and adapt to theway you like to learn. You will be supported and encouraged every step of the way,becoming an integral part of our innovative team. We’ll provide the space andresources for continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement – with up to30% of your time dedicated to personal development.From books, online courses, and conferences to real-world projects supported byyour team, we will provide the resources you need to grow. You will have access tolearning and development opportunities tailored to your role, covering a wide rangeof software disciplines including front-end design, site reliability engineering, dataengineering, solution architecture, machine learning operations, UX, Agile, cloudengineering, and security. We will even support formal qualifications with dedicatedfunding, and provide subscriptions to platforms like Cloud Academy, Pluralsight, andO Reilly to help stay ahead.

Our culture embraces a growth mindset and values equality, encouraging teams andleaders to bring their best every day. Whether you are exploring advanced software engineering patterns, gaining certifications like AWS Developer or Certified ScrumMaster, or developing leadership skills through internal training, we will help you buildthe career you want. As your expertise grows, you will also have opportunities for skillreviews that can lead to recognised additional skills payments, supporting both yourdevelopment and progression within the organisation.Rewards and benefitsYou will receive a starting salary of £48,782 to £58,194, which includes aconcessionary payment of £2,658, dependent on skills and experience, and a one-off payment of £3,500 split into two payments: £1,750 on arrival and £1,750 aftercompleting probation, plus other benefits including: 25 days of annual leave, automatically increasing to 30 days after 5 years ofservice, plus10.5 days of public and privilege holidays opportunities for recognition through our employee performance scheme interest-free season ticket loan (for parking and travel) excellent pension scheme cycle to work scheme on-site facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and coffee bars (available at somelocations) paid parental and adoption leave.Equal opportunitiesAt GCHQ diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, weneed a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includesdiversity in every sense of the word: people of different backgrounds, ages,ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking, and those withdisabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourageapplications from everyone, including individuals from groups that are under-represented in our workforce, such as women, people from ethnic minoritybackgrounds, individuals with disabilities, and those from low socio-economicbackgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on ourwebsite here. We are Disability ConfidentGCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work andPensions’ Disability Confident scheme. This initiative encourages employers to thinkdifferently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, anddevelop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that afair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essentialminimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us todo so. (This is known as the Offer of an interview.) To secure an interview for this role, you will need to meet the minimum criteriaassessed during the application sift. You will need to provide:  evidence of where you’ve taken ownership of a technical project or piece ofwork demonstrate the ability to understand several modern languages/frameworks,such as C++, Golang, Java, JavaScript, .Net, Node.js, Python, Rust experience working in an Agile technical project team demonstrate competency as a Software EngineerWhat to expectOur recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order: 1. Application form sift.2. Technical and competency-based interview, including a presentation.3. If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, subject tovetting.Please note you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order toprogress 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 youhave received your final job offer.   Before you applyTo work at GCHQ, you must be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Readthe full eligibility criteria
This role requires the highest level of security clearance, known as DevelopedVetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes.Find out more about the vetting process.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy. Once you start your application, you mustnot take any recreational drugs, and you will need to declare any previous drug usageat the relevant stage.
Before applying, we recommend setting up a separate email address for yourcontact with us to ensure your personal and application correspondence remainseparate. Try to avoid including identifying features in your email address, such asyour first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help youmanage your application with us more securely. The role is based in Cheltenham, Manchester, or Samlesbury, so you will need to livewithin a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications andpracticalities before submitting your application.
Please note you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you arecurrently overseas, please wait until you are in the UK to apply. Applying fromoutside the UK will affect our ability to progress your application.   Right to withdraw statement:  Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for thisrole once a certain number of applications have been received. To avoiddisappointment, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.