Flexible working
Check you match the skill requirements for this role, as well as associated experience, then apply with your CV below.
We recognise the importance of a healthy work-life balance and offer a range of
working patterns, including full-time, part-time, and compressed hours. Hybrid
working, which refers to a combination of working on-site and from home, may be
more limited due to the nature of the work. However, some homeworking may be
available depending on business needs. We also support flexible start and finish
times, where possible, to help you manage your personal and professional
commitments.
Find out more about flexible working on our website.
About us
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 will do
varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that
emphasises teamwork.
The role
As a Senior Software Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in solving mission-critical
challenges. You will contribute to the architecture and design of both new and existing
systems, establish and promote best practices, and deliver high-quality software
solutions. Drawing on your expertise in various software engineering methodologies,
you will introduce fresh ideas and innovative approaches that make a real impact at the
core 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 yourself
and others. You’ll review pull requests, define code review, branching, and
deployment strategies, and work across a variety of software engineering
frameworks. Operating at a deep technical level, you’ll apply your expertise in
languages such as JavaScript, Java, C++, Node.js, Python, Rust, Go, and .NET.
You’ll bring a genuine enthusiasm for discovering and applying new software
engineering techniques. As part of a wider network of peers, you’ll collaborate and
learn from others. With your experience, you’ll set the standard, introduce innovative
ways of working, and identify new priorities.
Whether leading and mentoring a team or acting as the technical expert within a high
performing group, you will apply your knowledge of diverse methodologies to deliver
impactful solutions. You will engage confidently with both technical and non-technical
stakeholders, making a real positive contribution to the wider engineering
community.
About you
As a Senior Software Engineer, you will bring expertise in modern programming
languages 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 business
requirements, and delivered high-quality software solutions that make a real impact.
Strategic and self-driven, you will serve as a bridge between teams, communicating
technical information with clarity and confidence. You will thrive in a fast-paced,
innovative environment where creativity is key to solving complex and
unprecedented challenges.
We welcome experienced professionals from a variety of related fields, including
software engineering and security, site reliability engineering, and data engineering.
Your genuine enthusiasm for software engineering, combined with your ability to
mentor others, collaborate effectively, and stay ahead of emerging technologies,
makes you a valuable contributor to a forward-thinking engineering community.
Training and development
At GCHQ, we’re committed to your growth and development. From the moment you
join, you will receive a comprehensive induction into our organisation, which will
provide insights into how we operate, and the collaborative environment you’ll be
part of. This lays the foundation for a learning journey tailored to your goals and
preferred style of development.
From day one, you’ll have access to mentors and subject matter experts to help you
settle into the role, and you can continue to have a mentor for as little or as long as
you choose throughout your career. We invest in your development and adapt to the
way 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 and
resources for continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement – with up to
30% of your time dedicated to personal development.
From books, online courses, and conferences to real-world projects supported by
your team, we will provide the resources you need to grow. You will have access to
learning and development opportunities tailored to your role, covering a wide range
of software disciplines including front-end design, site reliability engineering, data
engineering, solution architecture, machine learning operations, UX, Agile, cloud
engineering, and security. We will even support formal qualifications with dedicated
funding, and provide subscriptions to platforms like Cloud Academy, Pluralsight, and
O Reilly to help stay ahead.
Our culture embraces a growth mindset and values equality, encouraging teams and
leaders to bring their best every day. Whether you are exploring advanced software engineering patterns, gaining certifications like AWS Developer or Certified Scrum
Master, or developing leadership skills through internal training, we will help you build
the career you want. As your expertise grows, you will also have opportunities for skill
reviews that can lead to recognised additional skills payments, supporting both your
development and progression within the organisation.
Rewards and benefits
You will receive a starting salary of £48,782 to £58,194, which includes a
concessionary 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 after
completing probation, plus other benefits including:
25 days of annual leave, automatically increasing to 30 days after 5 years of
service, 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 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: people of 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 individuals from groups that are under-
represented in our workforce, such as women, people from ethnic minority
backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic
backgrounds.
Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our
website here.
We are Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and
Pensions’ Disability Confident scheme. This initiative encourages 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.)
To secure an interview for this role, you will need to meet the minimum criteria
assessed during the application sift. You will need to provide:
evidence of where you’ve taken ownership of a technical project or piece of
work
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 Engineer
What to expect
Our 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 to
vetting.
Please note you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order 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 must be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read
the full eligibility criteria
This role requires the highest level of 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. Once you start your application, you must
not take any recreational drugs, and you will need to declare any previous drug usage
at the relevant stage.
Before applying, 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 including 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 will need to live
within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and
practicalities before submitting your application.
Please note you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are
currently overseas, please wait until you are in the UK to apply. Applying from
outside 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 this
role once a certain number of applications have been received. xehkeey To avoid
disappointment, we encourage you to submit your application as early as possible.