Senior Software Engineer, British Intelligence Agencies

GCHQ Permanent

£50.4-60k

£50,354 to £60,036. This includes a basic salary, skills payment, and a concessionary payment of £2,758. The final amount will depend on your skills and experience. You’ll also receive a one-off recruitment bonus of £3,500, split into two payments: £1,750 on joining and £1,750 upon successful completion of your probation period. In the future, there may be an opportunity to qualify for a higher skill level. Following a successful skills assessment, your salary could increase by £9,766.

React

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

TypeScript

GCP

JavaScript

Python

.NET

Java

C++

Rust

Azure

Git

Golang

DevOps

Mid and Senior level

Manchester

More information about location

4-5 days a week in office (Onsite predominantly )

UK's domestic and foreign intelligence services

Posted today

UK's domestic and foreign intelligence services

1001+ employees

SecurityGovernmentsCyber Security

Posted today

£50.4-60k

React

AWS

Docker

Kubernetes

TypeScript

GCP

JavaScript

Python

.NET

Java

C++

Rust

Azure

Git

Golang

DevOps

Mid and Senior level

Manchester

More information about location

4-5 days a week in office (Onsite predominantly )

1001+ employees

SecurityGovernmentsCyber Security

Company mission

MI5, MI6 and GCHQ work together to protect the UK from a range of national security and overseas threats, keeping citizens safe.

Job

Company

Role

Who you are

As a Senior Software Engineer, you will bring expertise in the frameworks and technologies mentioned above, 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
Experience of generative AI would be advantageous, whether through using AI assisted software development tools, understanding agentic patterns, or developing applications that use large language models. An awareness of how to evaluate AI-generated outputs and use these technologies responsibly, securely and effectively would also be beneficial. What matters most is your curiosity and willingness to develop your knowledge as these technologies evolve
We welcome experienced professionals from a variety of related fields, including security engineering, 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

What the job involves

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 a range of 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
This is a practical, impact-driven role with plenty of opportunities to develop yourself and others. Operating at a deep technical level, you’ll apply your expertise across a variety of software engineering frameworks and technologies, working with languages such as JavaScript, Java, Node.js, Python, Rust and Go. Alongside hands-on engineering, you’ll help shape how teams build and deliver software by defining code review, branching and deployment strategies, and reviewing pull requests to support high-quality, maintainable solutions
You’ll bring a pragmatic approach to adopting new software engineering practices, using them to improve quality, productivity and delivery, and helping others do the same. 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 help shape technical priorities
Whether leading and mentoring a team or acting as the technical expert within a high-performing group, you’ll draw on your knowledge of diverse methodologies to deliver impactful solutions. Confidently engaging with both technical and non-technical stakeholders, you’ll make a positive contribution to the wider engineering community

Application process

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit
Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:
1. An initial online application form including pre-screening questions to ensure you meet the eligibility criteria
2. Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios
3. Technical and competency-based interview, including a presentation
4. 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

Our take

The British Intelligence Agencies - GCHQ, MI5 and MI6 play crucial roles in protecting the nation from a range of security threats. By focusing on counterterrorism, espionage, and cyber threats, the unified force works to safeguard the public and support law enforcement agencies. Its work, largely behind the scenes, is pivotal in ensuring national security.

With origins dating back to the 19th century, each of the British Intelligence Agencies plays a specific role within the security services. GCHQ focuses on signal intelligence gathering and information assurance, MI5 on counterterrorism and national security, whilst MI6 is focused on foreign intelligence and overseas security. This evolution into three specific organisations reflects the agency's ability to stay ahead of emerging security challenges, adjusting its strategy and operations as needed.

As technology and global threats change, the British Intelligence Agencies' approaches continue to evolve, ensuring the UK's security remains a top priority. With its deep expertise and ongoing adaptation, they are major key players in protecting national and international interests, whilst responding to complex security dynamics.

Kirsty

Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle

Company

Company benefits

Merit awards – we have a merit award system to recognise exceptional contributions by individuals or team
Flexible working – opportunities to work part-time, compressed hours or as a job share are available, dependent on the role and business needs
Pension – we understand the importance of saving for retirement and offer a desirable pension scheme, which gives you a guaranteed pension based on career average earnings
Annual leave – our employees are entitled to 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years’ service. In addition to this, employees are entitled to public and privilege holidays. Part-time employees receive the same entitlement calculated on a pro-rata basis
Maternity and paternity leave – we offer maternity and paternity leave over and above the statutory entitlements
Voluntary service leave – we offer special leave for our employees who wish to undertake voluntary work
Rented accommodation loan – moving house to take up an offer of employment can be expensive. We offer new joiners the opportunity to take out an interest-free loan of up to £2,500, via our benevolent fund, to assist with the financial burden of relocating into privately rented accommodation. You will be sent an application for the loan at the point of receiving a final offer of employment
Season ticket loan – we recognise that travel expenses from your home to the office can be significant, so we offer an interest-free season ticket loan which can be used for travel, car park costs or the purchase of a bicycle
On-site facilities – there is a gym, restaurant, and coffee bar at some locations
Clubs and societies – we offer a range of sports clubs, fitness classes, societies, and language training facilities
Childcare Vouchers – we offer two childcare voucher schemes which provide a simple and cost-effective way for employees to receive help towards the cost of childcare
Eye Voucher Scheme – we offer eye care vouchers and a financial contribution towards prescription glasses
Physiotherapy – we offer subsidised in-house physiotherapy
Personal learning – all our staff can undertake professional development to improve their skills and performance in the workplace

Company HQ

Manchester, UK

Articles

GCHQ chief opens £5.8m cyber and digital centre

MI5: Official Secrets Exhibition Shortlisted For National Award

Speech by Blaise Metreweli, Chief of MI6, 15 December 2025

Leadership

Ken McCallum

(Director General)

An MI5 Officer with over 25 years of experience in national security and intelligence. Their career has spanned roles in counterterrorism, cyber security, and leading MI5's strategic response to major incidents. They were appointed Director General in 2020 and previously served as Deputy Director General and Director General of Strategy.

Blaise Metreweli

(Chief)

Blaise joined the Service in 1999 and has had a range of roles, most recently Director General Technology & Innovation (Q). She has spent most of her career operationally in the Middle East & Europe.

Anne Keast-Butler

(Director)

Became the first female Director of GCHQ in May 2023. Previously served as Deputy Director General at MI5, where they led operational and investigative work, including responding to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. With over 30 years in national security, they have held key roles in MI5, GCHQ, and Whitehall, including launching the National Security Programme.

Salary benchmarks

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion at British Intelligence Agencies

At the Intelligence Agencies, 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 underrepresented 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: https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq/diversity-inclusion.html

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