Junior infrastructure support engineer - British Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ)

THE ROLE

As part of GCHQ’s 24/7 operations, you’ll play a significant role in supporting leading-edge strategic programmes, initiatives and applications within GCHQ. You will also provide assistance in monitoring our critical systems across the whole of the GCHQ IT estate.

You will be part of a dynamic and friendly team, made up of Junior and more experienced Infrastructure Support Engineers, working within a 24-hour shift pattern. You will be responsible for ensuring GCHQ systems meet our operational needs, both in and out of office hours. This is an exciting opportunity to begin your IT career within our stimulating and unique environment.

Your key responsibilities may include:

• Monitoring critical GCHQ IT infrastructure, helping to detect and report issues before they impact on the business
• Escalating complex problems to technical support teams and colleagues in a timely manner
• Liaise with numerous GCHQ support teams and third-party suppliers
• Provide additional out of hours IT support by covering the Service Desk, Incident Management and the Communication Centre messaging functions

We require 24hr shift workers for this role. The shift system is for the full 7 day week, 365 days per year. Your working pattern will consist of 12hr day and night shifts (including an hour’s unpaid meal break) and rest days.

You’ll start with 25 days’ annual leave (plus public holidays) and access to a number of benefits and networks.

TRAINING AND DEVELOPMENT

At GCHQ we’re proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment that’s designed to encourage open minds and attitudes. As an organisation that values and nurtures talent, we’re committed to helping you fulfil your potential. With comprehensive training and development opportunities, tailored to your needs and the requirements of your work, we’ll enable you to flourish in your role and perform to the very best of your abilities.

ABOUT US

As one of Britain’s intelligence agencies, we unlock the complex world of communications to keep our nation safe. We work closely with MI5 and MI6, our partners in the intelligence community, to safeguard Britain’s people, interests and businesses from various threats. Think cyber-attacks, espionage, terrorism, and organised crime. It’s challenging, varied and meaningful work that you simply won’t find anywhere else.

SELECTION PROCESS

To apply for this position, you must meet our nationality, residency and security requirements. 

As users of the disability confident scheme, we also guarantee to interview all disabled candidates who meet the minimum criteria for our roles.

You can familiarise yourself with the general competencies we use to assess the aptitude of candidates here.

Be prepared to dedicate 60-90 minutes to completing your application. We’re conscious this might be more time than you expected, so our system will allow you to save your application at any time and come back to it later. But remember to submit your full application before the closing date.

Once we’ve established that you meet our eligibility criteria, the next steps of this selection process are:

• Business sift
• Face to face interview
• Drug test
• Vetting

The UK Intelligence Agencies – MI5, MI6 and GCHQ – are Equal Opportunities employers, committed to reflecting the society we protect.  Our recruitment process is fair, transparent and based on merit.  We particularly welcome applications from diverse and under-represented groups.