Job Description Flexible working: We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including part timehours, compressed working patterns, and flexible start and finish times. About usGCHQ is an intelligence, cyber and security agency with a mission to keep the UK safe. Working with our intelligence partners MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK fromterrorism, cyber-attacks and espionage. The roleAs a Principal Project Manager, you will be responsible for delivering a variety of complex,high-impact projects, taking them from initiation through to completion. Acrossevery project, you will be trusted to shape the delivery approach, set expectations, guide multi-disciplinary teams and keep projects moving forward in environments where priorities shiftand challenges evolve.Alongside this day-to-day delivery leadership, you will also operate at a strategic level, leadingwhole projects or major elements of larger programmes, driving governance and assuranceactivity, and writing and managing business cases that support informed decision-making.The projects you lead will directly enable major organisational outcomes. Your leadership willspan the full project lifecycle, planning, scheduling and coordinating; managing time, cost,quality and benefits; and proactively controlling risk, issues, dependencies and change. Delivery methods will be tailored to each project to suitthe context and unlock progress and value.Some projects will be led independently; In every case, you will be supported by a well-established projectmanagement community, and the outcomes you deliver will have real-world impact acrossthe organisation. The role also includes line management responsibilities, with opportunitiesto take on mentoring as part of your continued development. Occasional UK travel may berequired to meet teams and engage with stakeholders.
\About youYou have a recognised project management qualification, such as the Association for ProjectManagement (APM) Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ), the APM ProjectManagement Qualification (PMQ), or an equivalent certification. You’ll also have at least fourGCSEs at Grade 4/C or above (including English and Mathematics), or equivalent Level 2qualifications, or relevant experience demonstrating solid numeracy and communication.
You have experience delivering projects across varied environments and are ready to takeon more complex, higher-impact work. You understand thefoundations of project management, planning, reporting, financial tracking, risks, issues andchange, and can apply these with confidence in environments where detail, judgement andclear communication matter.Your credibility, consistency and reliability help you build trust quickly across teams.Experience delivering projects in environments such as agile delivery, digital or engineeringsettings, Government Digital Service (GDS) frameworks, cyber security, or emergingtechnologies (including artificial intelligence) would be beneficial, though not essential.You bring qualities that define successful project managers at this level: flexibility in shiftingenvironments, calmness under pressure, a proactive approach to problem-solving, andcuriosity about how to deliver the best possible results. Training and development A structured induction will help you understand our mission, ways of working, and thedelivery community you will be joining. During your first weeks, you will meet your line managerand a dedicated buddy who will support your transition, build your confidence, and help younavigate the organisation.Development continues through a blend of internal and external training, practicalexperience, and community support. Access to mentoring, coaching, regular career check-ins and projectmanagement forums, will provide you with opportunities to share learning and strengthenyour professional network.Ongoing development is integral to the role. Support is available to deepen expertise acrossplanning, risk, financials, reporting and benefits, as well as to build leadership capabilitiesneeded for increasingly complex delivery. Whether the aim is to broaden experience,specialise in a particular area or progress into more senior project roles, guidance andopportunities are in place to help you grow with confidence. Throughout this journey, anactive and generous project management community contributes to shared learning andprofessional growth.25 days annual leave, rising automatically to 30 days after 5 yearsservice, plus 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 OpportunitiesAt GCHQ, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. This includes diversity in every sense ofthe word: people of different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexualorientations, ways of thinking and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. Wetherefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including individuals fromgroups that are currently under-represented in our workforce, such as women, people fromethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economicbackgrounds.
Visit our website to find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity . We are Disability ConfidentGCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work andPensions Disability Confident scheme. The scheme encourages employers to thinkdifferently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and developdisabled people. As a Disability Confident organisation, we aim to ensure that a fair andproportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria forthis position, assessed at sift, are offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. To secure an interview for this role,the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:
\You must hold a minimum of four GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above, including EnglishLanguage and Mathematics, or equivalent Level 2 qualifications. You must hold a recognised project management qualification, such as theAssociation for Project Management (APM) Project Fundamentals Qualification(PFQ), the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ), or an equivalentcertification. Experience delivering projects across varied environments, with accountability formanaging projects or significant workstreams. Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) rating the appropriateness of yourresponses to a series of short scenarios.