Security Officer at GCHQ

Location(s): Manchester, Bude and Scarborough

Salary and hours:

• Extended Day Officers: £30,101

Monday to Friday, from either 7am to 3pm or 11am to 7pm on a rotating shift pattern

• 24-Hour Officers: £35,246

A 12-hour shift pattern of 2 day shifts from 7am to 7pm (including an hour’s unpaid meal break) and 2 night shifts from 7pm to 7am (including an hour’s unpaid meal break) and 4 days off

Due to the nature of this role, flexible or remote working isn’t possible. Please be assured that we’ll work with you to help maintain a good work-life balance, considering any responsibilities outside of work wherever possible.

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.

As one of our Security Officers, you’ll be the first point of contact for people entering our buildings. Working in a close-knit team, you’ll anticipate and reduce security risks, helping to keep both our building and everyone in it safe. Based in our Security Control Room and alongside your colleagues, you’ll oversee building access, carry out physical searches, patrol the grounds, and monitor CCTV. Whether you’re responding to an alarm, giving first aid, or helping a visitor understand procedures, you’ll always follow our policies carefully and keep accurate incident logs.

To thrive in this position, you’ll bring your can-do attitude and ability to spot problems before they emerge. Strong situational awareness helps you respond calmly to changing situations and make sound decisions under pressure. Along with your friendly manner and people skills, you’ll also be able to communicate clearly and work well collaboratively.

To apply, you’ll need an English Language GCSE at grade C/4 or above (or equivalent experience), plus basic IT and Microsoft Office skills to support your incident logging. Although desirable, a security background isn’t necessary, but customer service experience is essential. A full, manual driving licence is needed for roles based in Bude and Scarborough. And no matter which location you work in, you’ll need to be able to reliably commute to your assigned shift times.

While a high level of fitness isn’t necessary for this role, there will be some physical aspects to consider. You should be comfortable operating heavy doors, using stairs or lifts, and carrying out physical search and screening duties, which may involve lifting or moving bags and equipment. Patrols will take you indoors and outdoors, sometimes over uneven ground and in all weather conditions.

In this role, as your confidence grows, so will your opportunities. Ideally, you’ll be someone looking for a career in security. You’ll be expected to remain within the security team for 18 months, but during that time, you can apply for a promotion or explore other roles within the team, subject to readiness and your line manager’s endorsement.

To give you the strongest start possible, we’ll train you on everything you need to succeed. This includes Security Industry Authority (SIA) certifications, emergency first aid training, and a 1–2-week induction with the security team before you start your shift pattern. You’ll also have a buddy on shift to support you while you settle in.

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 an ethnic minority background, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our websites:  https://www.GCHQ-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq.html

For further information and to apply, please visit our website on the Apply for Job link below.

To be eligible to apply, you must be a British Citizen. If you hold dual nationality, of which one component is British, you will nonetheless 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 years, if successful you will not be offered a start date prior to your 18th birthday. Full eligibility details can be found on our website: https://www.GCHQ-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html