Location: Cheltenham
Salary
£55,758 to £63,948 comprising a basic salary of £53,000 and a concessionary payment of £2,758. The exact amount will depend on your skills and experience. An additional Skills Payment (£3,822 for Level 1 or £8,190 for Level 2) is available once your skills level is confirmed, and further allowances may be available upon qualification.
Flexible working
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. While most work is carried out on‑site due to its sensitive nature, occasional homeworking and flexible start‑and‑finish times may be possible.
About the role
As an Associate Enterprise Architect you will develop and deliver GCHQ’s enterprise architecture. Your key responsibilities include:
* Translating organisational goals into actionable architectural strategies.
* Leading design initiatives and proactively identifying risks, constraints and trade‑offs.
* Optimising technology, data and process environments to deliver impactful solutions.
* Collaborating with delivery teams, stakeholders and occasionally external suppliers.
* Contributing to designs, documentation and analysis to support mission‑critical work.
* Aligning technical solutions with business needs and organisational strategies.
About you – Qualifications
You will have:
* Practical experience as an Associate Enterprise Architect, supporting designs, impact analysis and documentation across technology, data, digital or business change initiatives.
* Working knowledge of enterprise architecture from real delivery environments, including decision‑making under organisational constraints.
* Familiarity with at least one modern architecture framework or standard such as ArchiMate, TOGAF, Zachman or MODAF.
* Strong communication and problem‑solving skills, able to analyse requirements, shape solutions and articulate risks to both technical and non‑technical audiences.
* Ability to collaborate, adapt to shifting priorities and manage time effectively.
* A curiosity and eagerness to learn and apply emerging approaches.
Training and development
We provide a full induction, formal and on‑the‑job training, and a structured development plan. You will have access to mentoring, subject‑matter experts, professional qualifications and certifications, and opportunities to experiment and innovate. Approximately 20 % of your time will be dedicated to personal development and supporting others.
Rewards and benefits
* 25 days’ annual leave (rising to 30 days after 5 years of service) and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays.
* Recognition through our employee performance scheme.
* Interest‑free season ticket loan (travel and parking).
* Excellent pension scheme.
* Cycle to work scheme.
* Facilities such as gym, restaurant and on‑site coffee bars (where available).
* Paid parental and adoption leave.
Equal opportunities
At GCHQ, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from under‑represented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and those from low socio‑economic backgrounds.
We’re Disability Confident
We have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident scheme. We ensure a fair and proportionate interview process for candidates who self‑identify as disabled and meet the essential criteria for this role.
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