Flexible working: We offer flexible working, including flexitime, part-time and compressed hours. This is an office-based role, due to the nature of the work involved.
About Us
At GCHQ, we unlock the complex world of data and communications to keep the UK and its citizens safe, both in the real world and online. Working closely with our British Intelligence partners in MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from threats including serious organised crime, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. A role in GCHQ means you’ll have varied and fascinating work in a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
Dependent on the team you are assigned to, this role may also provide the opportunity to work with or for the NCF. The National Cyber Force (NCF) is a partnership between Defence and Intelligence. We operate in and through cyberspace to counter, disrupt, degrade and contest those who would do harm to the UK and our Allies, to keep the country safe and to protect and promote the UK’s interests at home and abroad.
The Role
As an Online Operator, you’ll turn your understanding of online spaces into something powerful: a way to detect, disrupt and deter those using the internet to cause harm.
This role is as much about people as it is about platforms. Your understanding of both could help prevent cyber-attacks, protect children online, disrupt terrorist communications, or challenge groups trying to radicalise others. The task might change, but the impact you have is constant.
You’ll be comfortable working independently, but there will be plenty of collaboration too. Working closely with technologists, behavioural scientists and mission teams you’ll help create smart, considered strategies that challenge adversaries and illegal activities – all within a strong legal and ethical framework. You’ll also have the chance to work across different parts of the organisation, develop your skills and share ideas. From time to time, you may even work with external partners or other security agencies. Whilst travel is not required for this role, opportunities to attend events and conferences are available from time to time, if that’s something that interests you.
Skills payments may be payable when you’ve developed into your role, and are subject to assessment as your progress. Skills payments are reviewed periodically.
About You
You don’t need a degree or previous experience to apply for this role. All that’s needed is a Level 2 (GCSE or equivalent) qualification in English Language and Maths at Grade 4/C or above. Your skills and mindset are key. If you have a degree or another higher qualification, we welcome your application and you’ll be just as engaged in exciting work you’ll not find anywhere else – your qualifications are just the starting point!
Along with curiosity, you’ll bring emotional intelligence, perseverance, and a love of learning to the role. Day to day, you’ll be working towards broad goals using a unique set of tools, so an analytical mindset will help you make the most of every opportunity.
Using your communication and language skills are important, as you’ll need to be able to explain complex information clearly. And because you’ll be working closely with others, the ability to collaborate well within a team is essential.
Finally, if you’ve had any experience with open-source intelligence before, that will give you a helpful start in the role. But don’t worry if you haven’t - we’ll provide all the support you need to succeed.
Training and Development
We’re proud to offer an inclusive and supportive environment that encourages open minds and attitudes. As an organisation that truly values talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential by providing mentoring support from the start of your career. With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we’ll enable you to thrive and perform to the very best of your abilities.
When you first join, you’ll be placed in a team and start with initial projects designed to build your skills, all guided by experienced colleagues. Your training will blend formal sessions with hands-on learning. You’ll be given responsibility early on, with strong support from your team and line manager every step of the way. As your skills develop, we’ll also help you apply for specialist skill payments to recognise your expertise and growth.
Rewards and Benefits
You’ll receive a starting salary of £36,408 plus other benefits including:
- 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays
- Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
- Interest-free season ticket loan (travel and parking)
- 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
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: https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html
We’re Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s 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 for this role. To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria, assessed at application sift, are:
- Meet the minimum pass mark in our bespoke online analysis exercise
- Demonstrate your motivation for the role. Assessed in application question 1
- Exhibit good analytical and problem-solving ability. Assessed in application question 3 and CV
- Show an awareness of Social Media technologies, Behavioural Science and Open-Source Intelligence tools and techniques. Assessed in application question 1 and CV
- Demonstrate a proactive and positive approach to challenges. Assessed in application question 3
- Meet the minimum pass mark in our roleplay exercise prior to being invited to interview
There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, 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:
- Initial On-Line test
- Application sift, looking at your motivation for the role and the organisation and your essential skills
- Online roleplay exercise, examining your responses to different situations typical to the role
- Interview, consisting of role specific and competency questions
- 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 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. Read about our eligibility criteria.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (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, 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 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 securely.
The role is based in Cheltenham, Manchester, or Samlesbury, 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.
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.