Cyber Security jobs in United Kingdom

Department Upcoming jobs

Location(s) Samlesbury

Location: Samlesbury, with college-based elements in Lancashire.

Salary: £27,161 (includes £2,658 concessionary payment). There is potential for promotion at the end of the 18 month training period which will increase the salary to £36,408 (includes £2,658 concessionary payment). Additional skills payments are also possible after the initial 18 months’ training. These payments start at £4,513 and are subject to periodic review and renewal.

Take yourself from tech potential to cyber professional.

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.

Are you passionate about technology? Keen to learn new skills? Ready to turn that interest into a fascinating career? Our Cyber Practitioner Development Programme combines dedicated classroom studies with immersive on-the-job learning. Over the course of 18 months, you’ll get all the training and support you need to build a uniquely rewarding career at GCHQ. And the best part? You don’t need any previous technical experience to apply.

Whether you’ve worked with tech before or you indulge your interests as a hobby, this is your opportunity to apply for a role full of experimentation, encouragement and collaboration. Your learning will be varied, from lectures and seminars to supervised lab sessions and real-world simulations. Alongside your studies, you’ll join friendly teams working at our Samlesbury location, explore our specialist tools and technologies, and apply what you’ve learned to real projects.

You might be navigating our cloud services, mobile applications and programming languages, undertaking security and vulnerability research, or developing new infrastructure solutions. Your work will have tangible impact, such as helping disrupt an adversary’s ability to communicate with their contacts or preventing the internet from being used as a platform for major crime. After 18 months, you’ll be placed in a dedicated team where you’ll continue to help develop end-to-end solutions that support our mission.

To apply, you’ll have a minimum of Maths and English Language GCSEs at Grade C/4 (or equivalent qualifications). However, if you don’t, please don’t deselect yourself as we’ll still consider applications from those with higher qualifications (e.g. A Levels or a degree), provided you can demonstrate equivalent Maths and English skills as part of your studies. You’ll also have a genuine interest in technology that you’re keen to turn into a career, plus a basic or working knowledge of Linux or Windows operating systems.

It doesn’t matter what stage of your career you’re at, the important thing is that you’re curious, committed and motivated to develop new skills and knowledge.

Interested? Why not join us at our upcoming virtual Meet and Engage event to find out more? You’ll hear from the team, find out what it’s like working with us, and get the chance to ask your own questions.

The application window for this role will open on Monday 12th January 2026. In the meantime, we’d particularly encourage:

• all those from an ethnic minority background*
• women from any background*

to register their interest in this forthcoming opportunity.

As part of the registration of interest, you’ll be invited to an online event prior to the campaign opening. This will be a virtual event where you can ask us questions about the opportunity and our organisation. We’ll also be running an event giving advice on how to make the most of your application. These events will last for approximately 1 hour and will take place during week commencing 5th January 2026. If you register your interest and meet the eligibility criteria, you'll receive more information about the events closer to the time.

*Please note that we are confining registrations of interest to the above groups only, due to their current under-representation in our workforce.

Before you register

To work for us, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria on our website.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process on our website.

A registration of interest does not constitute a job application, nor will such registration have any bearing upon the recruitment process itself.

Any individuals who register their interest and who decide subsequently to apply for the Cyber Practitioner Development Programme role will need to complete an application form once the window for applications has opened.

Once the application window has opened, we will welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of their ethnic background, gender, disability, and/or any other characteristic(s).

All applications will be assessed solely on merit.