Senior Software Engineers

Job summary

As a Senior Software Engineer, you’ll play a pivotal role in solving mission-critical challenges. You’ll contribute to the architecture and design of both new and existing systems, establish and promote best practices, and deliver high-quality software solutions. Drawing on your expertise in various software engineering methodologies, you’ll introduce fresh ideas and innovative approaches that make a real impact at the core of our mission: keeping the UK safe, both in the real world and online.

Job description

This is a practical, impact-driven role with plenty of opportunities to develop yourself and others. You’ll review pull requests, define code review, branching, and deployment strategies, and work across a variety of software engineering frameworks. Operating at a deep technical level, you’ll apply your expertise in languages and frameworks such as JavaScript, Java, Node.js, Python, Rust, Go, and .NET.

You’ll bring a genuine enthusiasm for discovering and applying new software engineering techniques. As part of a wider network of peers, you’ll collaborate and learn from others. With your experience, you’ll set the standard, introduce innovative ways of working, and identify new priorities.

Whether leading and mentoring a team or acting as the technical expert within a high- performing group, you’ll apply your knowledge of diverse methodologies to deliver impactful solutions. You’ll engage confidently with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, making a real positive contribution to the wider engineering community.

Person specification

As a Senior Software Engineer, you’ll bring expertise in modern programming languages and frameworks such as Golang, Java, JavaScript, .NET, Node.js, Python, Rust, along with experience working with cloud platforms AWS, Azure, and GCP. You’ll 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’ll serve as a bridge between teams, communicating technical information with clarity and confidence. You’ll thrive in a fast-paced, innovative environment where creativity is key to solving complex and unprecedented challenges.

We welcome experienced professionals from a variety of related fields, including software engineering and security, site reliability engineering, and data engineering. Your genuine enthusiasm for software engineering, combined with your ability to mentor others, collaborate effectively, and stay ahead of emerging technologies, makes you a valuable contributor to a forward-thinking engineering community.

Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £50,354 to £60,036, which includes a concessionary payment of £2,758, dependent on skills and experience, and a one-off payment of £3,500 split into two payments: £1,750 on arrival and £1,750 after completing probation, plus other benefits including:

• 25 days of annual leave, automatically increasing to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays

• opportunities for recognition through our employee performance scheme

• interest-free season ticket loan (for parking and travel)

• excellent pension scheme

• cycle to work scheme

• on-site facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and coffee bars (available at some locations)

• paid parental and adoption leave.

Training and development

At GCHQ, we’re committed to your growth and development. From the moment you join, you’ll receive a comprehensive induction into our organisation, which will provide insights into how we operate, and the collaborative environment you’ll be part of. This lays the foundation for a learning journey tailored to your goals and preferred style of development.

From day one, you’ll have access to mentors and subject matter experts to help you settle into the role, and you can continue to have a mentor for as little or as long as you choose throughout your career. We invest in your development and adapt to the way you like to learn. You’ll be supported and encouraged every step of the way, becoming an integral part of our innovative team. We’ll provide the space and resources for continuous learning, experimentation, and improvement – with up to 30% of your time dedicated to personal development.

From books, online courses, and conferences to real-world projects supported by your team, we’ll provide the resources you need to grow. You’ll have access to learning and development opportunities tailored to your role, covering a wide range of software disciplines including front-end design, site reliability engineering, data engineering, solution architecture, machine learning operations, UX, Agile, cloud engineering, and security. We’ll even support formal qualifications with dedicated funding, and provide subscriptions to platforms like Cloud Academy, Pluralsight, and O’Reilly to help stay ahead.

Our culture embraces a growth mindset and values equality, encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best every day. Whether you’re exploring advanced software engineering patterns, gaining certifications like AWS Developer or Certified Scrum Master, or developing leadership skills through internal training, we’ll help you build the career you want. As your expertise grows, you’ll also have opportunities for skill reviews that can lead to recognised additional skills payments, supporting both your development and progression within the organisation.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

What to expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit.

Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

• Application form sift.
• Technical and competency-based interview, including a presentation.
• If successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to vetting.

Please note you must successfully pass each stage of the process in order to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process, including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

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: people of 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 individuals from groups that are under-represented in our workforce, such as women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, individuals with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.

We’re Disability Confident

GCHQ are proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions 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 fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

• evidence of where you’ve taken ownership of a technical project or piece of work

• demonstrate the ability to understand several modern languages/frameworks, such as Golang, Java, JavaScript, .Net, Node.js, Python, Rust

• experience working in an Agile technical project team

• demonstrate competency as a Software Engineer

Before you apply

To work at GCHQ, you must be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read the full eligibility criteria.

This role requires the highest level of security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more about the vetting process.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy. Once you start your application, you must not take any recreational drugs, and you’ll need to declare any previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before applying, we recommend setting up a separate email address for your contact with us to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid including 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 manage your application with us more securely.

The role is based in Cheltenham, Manchester, or Samlesbury, so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting your application.

We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending inperson interviews or assessments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.

Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.

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 withhold 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.

Please note, it is this organisation's policy not to provide feedback at any stage of the recruitment process. This may be contrary to the message below.

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is developed vetting (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

Open to UK nationals only.

Working for the Civil Service

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

Diversity and Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see theCivil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window).

Apply and further information

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : careers@recruitmentteam.org.uk
• Email : careers@recruitmentteam.org.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : careers@recruitmentteam.org.uk