Infrastructure Engineers / Specialist Infrastructure Engineers

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 an Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll support, maintain, and develop new capabilities and infrastructure solutions within GCHQ. You could be working across Networks, Operating Systems, Applications, Data Transfer, Cyber Security or on a project unique to us. You’ll experience plenty of variety – and deliver real impact working on projects that transform our organisation and help us solve the challenges we face.

Whether you’re developing Cloud native technologies, deploying applications, assisting in our drive to automate Infrastructure as Code (IaC) techniques, or identifying innovation that shapes the way we work, you’ll play a key part in our operations. And, with bespoke technologies protected by strict legal safeguards and oversights, we have the scope to do things that wouldn’t be possible elsewhere.

Importantly, you’ll be surrounded by colleagues who share your passion for technology. You might be working as part of a small team of infrastructure specialists and engineers solving specific challenges or focusing on bigger problems as part of a larger group. For some roles, there’ll also be line management responsibilities. You’ll build relationships with customers and colleagues, and work with external industry partners as well as our own IT teams, and partners from other security agencies to deliver outcomes that are fit for purpose in an ever-changing tech environment. Whoever you’re working with you’ll be supporting, maintaining, and developing new capabilities and infrastructure solutions that underpin all internal user services from hardware to cutting-edge technology and the cloud.

We’re keen to recruit individuals with an attitude and aptitude for technology, as well as those with experience. For those without formal qualifications or experience a structured learning and development pathway will be provided.

About you

You may already work in a tech role, or IT could be a skill you’re looking to pursue full time. Whether you’re beginning your career or seeking a new opportunity, you’ll be keen to learn and stay on top of emerging trends.

As an Infrastructure Engineer, you don’t need to have specific qualifications for the role, but you do need a genuine interest in technology, and you may already be familiar with some of the key technologies we work with (detailed below). It isn’t essential to have a working knowledge in a technical specialism, but you’ll need to demonstrate that you have the ability to solve problems using your technical skills, for example evidenced through personal projects or from a work-related role.

For the Specialist Infrastructure Engineer role, you’ll already have the knowledge, understanding and experience in the practical application of the skills required to be an expert in one or more of the specialisms listed below:

• Cloud services, including IaaS, PaaS, SaaS
• Cloud native CI/CD workflow and tools, such as Jenkins, Concourse, Bamboo and Code Deploy (AWS)
• Programming, scripting languages and automation including Powershell, Python, Ruby and goLang
• Physical, virtual and Cloud and Container-based infrastructure such as VMWare and AWS
• Operating Systems such as Linux, Windows, MacOS
• Networking, WAN/LAN Technologies, and Authentication and Authorisation systems such as OpenID Connect (OIDC)

We also welcome applications from candidates in a related role who can demonstrate experience taking customer requirements and designing solutions. Crucially, you’ll be comfortable working with others in a fast-paced, evolving environment, engaging an Agile mindset to build and improve our culture. You can easily adapt to changing situations, and you enjoy problem solving and developing creative solutions with others. It’s fascinating and challenging work and isn’t just a desk job; you’ll collaborate with stakeholders and provide insights to people from technical and non-technical backgrounds. This is a practical role with plenty of opportunity to develop yourself and others.

Training and development

At GCHQ, we’ll invest in your skills and tailor your development to the way you like to learn. We’ll encourage you, helping you to become an integral part of our world-class team.

As an Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll receive a training package, which could include structured external training, internal training courses, or self-guided learning. We’ll even cover the cost for training such as International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2) CISSO®, Amazon Web Services (AWS) Solution Architect, and CISCO® Certified Network Associate (CCNA), SysAdmin, Audit, Network, and Security (SANS) courses, with further opportunities to apply for professional registration with the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) or British Computer Society BCS and a VMWARE learning licence. There’s a considerable variety of training and qualification options which will be dependent on your role.

Upon joining, you’ll also be paired up with mentors for both technical and personal development. We also have a number of internal groups to join, where you’ll discover mutual support and knowledge sharing. And, as your career develops, you’ll have opportunities to potentially move into different areas of the organisation, other security agencies, or work abroad.

Rewards and Benefits

As an Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll receive a starting salary of £34,663 and £41,935 as a Specialist Infrastructure Engineer, 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 (parking and travel)
• Excellent pension scheme
• Cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym and 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.html

We’re Disability Confident

GCHQ are 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. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate that self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our “Offer of Interview” (OOI).

To secure an interview for Infrastructure Engineer vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

• Demonstrate a strong motivation for applying to work for GCHQ as an Infrastructure Engineer
• Demonstrate analytical and problem-solving skills and an awareness of up-and-coming technologies

And for the Specialist Infrastructure Engineer role the essential criteria are:

• Strong motivation to work at GCHQ as a Specialist Infrastructure Engineer
• Able to demonstrate an interest in computer concepts and new emerging technologies
• You can evidence an ability to problem solve using your technical skills

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

• Application sift
• Interview including a presentation

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order to progress to the next. Your application may take around six to nine 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. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.

The role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

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 to manage your application with us more discretely.

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.

The roles are based in Cheltenham, London or Central Manchester, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application.

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.