Salary
Salary: Cheltenham £45,841 (includes £2,758 concessionary payment); London £52,091 (includes £6,250 London Weighting and £2,758 concessionary payment). Additionally, you could qualify for a specialist skills payment starting from £4,420. Skills revalidation is required every three years.
Flexible Working
We offer full‑time and part‑time opportunities with flexible working hours. Remote working may be possible, and there will be opportunities for some home working. It will be structured as 80% office‑based and 20% from home, with one day a week dedicated to a combination of learning and working from home.
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’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.
The Role
As a Senior Data Scientist, you’ll leverage data science to advance our mission and inform policy and strategy decisions. While this role is data‑centric, collaboration is at its heart.
In this role, you’ll collaborate with data scientists and mission teams to utilise our services for problem‑solving and discovering new applications. You’ll work with project teams to research and implement both established and novel models, and adapt AI techniques into our microservice architecture. Supporting our Development Operations (DevOps) team, you’ll explore innovative Machine Learning Operations (ML Ops) tools and learn to host large language models across multiple Graphic Processing Units (GPUs). After a year in this role, you’ll have opportunities to manage data scientists and engineers.
You understand the power of data for a business, and at GCHQ, we know how to use it for good. Every bit of data you work on is mission‑critical and not driven by commercial gain, so you can be confident that your work makes a positive impact.
There may be annual opportunities for overseas travel for collaboration, conferences, and training.
About You
A Science, Technology, Engineering or Maths (STEM) or computer science‑related degree, or an equivalent qualification, will be beneficial. If you don’t have a degree but possess relevant experience, please apply, as your experience is as valuable as a professional qualification. Ideally, you’ll have a deep understanding of machine learning, including training, deployment, and maintenance. Additionally, you should be proficient in exploratory data analysis, statistical reasoning, and data‑driven decision‑making.
Your experience in data science or software engineering enables you to communicate effectively with experts in both fields. This background has also shaped you into an effective manager, with a history of mentoring and supporting colleagues. Beyond these skills, you’re adept at leading teams and working with internal and external partners, as well as end users.
Training and Development
At GCHQ, we’re committed to giving you all the support and guidance you need to build a rewarding career at the heart of national security, and we’ll do this from the very start. From day one, you’ll have a comprehensive introduction to the organisation, plus a buddy on hand to support and mentor you as you get settled in. We understand that everyone learns differently, so we’ll tailor your development to suit your needs – whether that’s through books, studying, courses, or conferences.
Additionally, we offer an internal Data Science learning pathway with a significant taught component. Successfully completing this pathway will open up a variety of other learning opportunities, aligned with ambitions, career direction, and our mission requirements. The programme includes modules on exploratory data analysis and visualisation, mathematics and statistics, machine learning, algorithms and graph theory, and big data technologies.
Rewards and Benefits
* 25 days annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years’ service, and 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
* An excellent pension scheme
* A 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 ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those with low socio‑economic backgrounds.
We’re Disability Confident
* You will be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the Organisational Situational Judgement Test which looks at your ability to problem solve. If you meet this criterion, you will be directed to complete an application form
* Demonstrate management and mentoring skills, and the ability to lead teams, as well as collaborate with partners and end users – assessed at application sift
* Meet the minimum criteria in motivational questions – assessed at application sift
* Demonstrate both your understanding of ML theory and how this is practically applied – assessed at application sift, for example through evidence of training, deploying and maintaining Machine Learning (ML) models and workflows
* Demonstrate the ability to communicate complex projects and data science techniques to multiple stakeholders, including non‑specialists – assessed at application sift
Eligibility
To work at GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes.
#J-18808-Ljbffr