Cyber Specialist Development Programme
Job title: Cyber Specialist Development Programme
Location: Lancashire, with significant time in Samlesbury and at another location in Lancashire.
Salary: £25,856, with promotion opportunities at 18 months, increasing to £34,663 after interview and assessment.
Flexible working: Not available during the 18-month programme. Flexible working options, such as compressed or part-time hours, will be available after completing the programme.
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.
If you’ve always thought you need tech experience or specific qualifications to work for GCHQ, think again. On our Cyber Specialist Development Programme, you don’t need a background in STEM. You’ll bring your enthusiasm, curiosity, technical aptitude, and eagerness to learn to our organisation as you take on a dedicated 18-month training programme designed to launch a rewarding career. Based at a set place of study in Lancashire and paid for by GCHQ, you’ll be equipped with the cybersecurity skills and knowledge needed to join our Computer Network Exploitation (CNE) team – and make a real impact on national security.
You’ll attend lectures and seminars, carry out self-study, join supervised lab sessions, and experience real-world simulations. Alongside the course, you’ll spend time at the Samlesbury location with the CNE team, getting to know your colleagues, exploring specialist tools and systems, and getting a feel for our organisation. You’ll grow in confidence, too, as you discover how your genuine interest in tech can lead to a fascinating career as a cyber specialist capable of securing our digital borders.
To become a full-time GCHQ employee, you’ll need to successfully pass a nine-month probation period. At the end of the 18-month training programme, you must demonstrate key competencies and pass the programme to be eligible for promotion to either an Operator or Developer within the CNE team. If successful, you’ll join a group of specialists dedicated to protecting the UK from harm. The CNE team’s work is vital and varied – using bespoke technologies and developing tools to identify, target, and infiltrate adversaries’ computers. Operating under strict legal safeguards and oversight, you’ll bring a creative approach to problem-solving, identify patterns, and apply your knowledge to a range of unique tasks and situations.
You’ll never be on your own. The work is serious, but the CNE team values respect and camaraderie. Different insights and perspectives aren’t just welcome – they’re essential. You’ll be part of a friendly and supportive team working together to get the job done. That means sharing ideas and results, and bringing new ways of thinking to help us stay one step ahead. You’ll enjoy collaborating and be comfortable communicating with others, including translating technical information for non-technical audiences.
To apply, you’ll need two GCSEs/O-Levels at grade C/4 or above in Maths and English Language. Alternatively, you’ll have equivalent Level 2 qualifications, such as an NVQ or Intermediate Apprenticeship in maths and English Language subjects. You could be finishing school, leaving university, or looking to change careers – you’ll be someone motivated by the idea of making a real, tangible impact in a role with purpose.
You’ll also get plenty of opportunities to further your learning and development throughout your career with GCHQ. From attending courses, and conferences to pursuing technical certifications, you’ll be encouraged to keep training. And you’ll be surrounded by people offering support and advice, whether that’s your lecturers or tech the mentors you’ll be assigned at GCHQ, covering both technical and soft skills. Plus, you’ll be paid a salary from the start of your study, and at the end of the course, you’ll have earned a Certificate of Higher Education, equivalent to the first year of a full-time undergraduate degree, or a Postgraduate Certificate if you already have a degree.
Please note that we do not provide accommodation or an allowance for accommodation during the 18-month course, so you’ll need to ensure you’re within a commutable distance of the designated place of study in Lancashire and our Samlesbury location before applying.
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 from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment, and diversity on our website.
To find out more and apply, visit our website.
To be eligible to apply, you must be a British citizen. If you hold dual nationality, one component of which is British, you will still be considered. Candidates must normally have been resident in the UK for seven out of the last ten years. This is particularly important if you were born outside the UK. You can apply at the age of 17; if successful, you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Full eligibility details can be found on our website.
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