Senior Software Engineers Ref. 3667, Cheltenham

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 MI5 and MI6 to protect the UK from terrorism, cyber‑attacks, and espionage.

The Role

As a Senior Software Engineer, you will play a pivotal role in solving mission‑critical challenges. You will help design and architect both new and existing systems, promote best practices, and deliver high‑quality software solutions that impact the core mission of keeping the UK safe.

You will review pull requests, define code‑review, branching, and deployment strategies, and work across a variety of software engineering frameworks. You will operate at a deep technical level, applying expertise in languages and frameworks such as JavaScript, Java, Node.js, Python, Rust, Go, and .NET.

Whether leading and mentoring a team or acting as the technical expert within a high‑performing group, you will engage confidently with technical and non‑technical stakeholders, communicate clearly, and drive innovative solutions.

Location: Cheltenham, Manchester or Samlesbury – you must live within a commutable distance.

Security clearance: Developed Vetting (DV) required.

Citizenship: British citizen or dual British nationality required.

About You

You bring expertise in modern programming languages and frameworks such as Golang, Java, JavaScript, .NET, Node.js, Python, Rust, and experience working with cloud platforms AWS, Azure and GCP. You have successfully led Agile project teams, evaluated customer business requirements, and delivered high‑quality software solutions that make a real impact.

Strategic and self‑driven, you serve as a bridge between teams, communicating technical information with clarity and confidence. You thrive in a fast‑paced, innovative environment where creativity is key to solving complex and unprecedented challenges.

We welcome experienced professionals from related fields such as software engineering, security, site reliability engineering, and data engineering.

Training and Development

From day one you will receive a comprehensive induction and ongoing mentorship. You can dedicate up to 30% of your time to personal development, with resources for learning and development across software disciplines. Formal qualifications may be supported with dedicated funding.

Rewards and Benefits

• £50,354 to £60,036 base salary + skills payment + £2,758 concessionary payment.
• One‑off recruitment bonus of £3,500 (split £1,750 on arrival and £1,750 after probation).
• 25 days annual leave (30 days after 5 years) + 10.5 public and privileged holidays.
• Employee performance scheme for recognition.
• Interest‑free season ticket loan (parking and travel).
• Excellent pension scheme.
• Cycle‑to‑work scheme.
• On‑site facilities such as gym, restaurant and coffee bars (available at some locations).
• 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 under‑represented groups such as women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and those from low socio‑economic backgrounds.

We're Disability Confident

GCHQ is a Disability Confident Leader. We aim to offer interviews to disabled applicants who meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, where practical.

Right to Withdraw Statement

We reserve the right to adjust the closing date for this role once a certain number of applications have been received. Please submit your application promptly to avoid disappointment.

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