Employment Lawyer

GLS - GCHQ; Cheltenham; Hybrid; GBP 67,000; Full time

Job summary

A national security agency in the UK is seeking an Employment Lawyer to provide expert legal advice in a sensitive environment. The role requires a qualified solicitor or barrister with at least three years of experience in employment law and strong analytical skills. The successful candidate will manage casework and support vital decision-making processes, contributing to national security initiatives. This full-time position offers flexible working arrangements and opportunities for professional growth within a supportive team.

Benefits

Flexible working arrangements

Structured training opportunities

Diversity and inclusion initiatives

Qualifications

• Minimum of three years’ post‑qualification experience in employment law.
• Experience managing varied employment law workload under pressure.
• Comfort with explaining complex legal concepts to non-specialists.

Responsibilities

• Provide expert advice on employment law in a sensitive environment.
• Shape decisions impacting people and mission at GCHQ.
• Manage casework, policy, and litigation regarding employment issues.

Skills

Legal judgement

Analytical skills

Strong communication skills

Creativity in solutions

Education

Qualified solicitor or barrister/advocate in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland

Job description

Employment Lawyer

Location: Cheltenham or Central Manchester

Salary: £66,581, plus £3,030 concessionary payment

Full time

Flexible working: although this is a full‑time role, we support flexible and compressed hours and welcome job‑share applications. This is an office‑based role with limited opportunities for home working. Occasional travel within the UK will be required.

About us

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 emphasises teamwork.

The role

As an Employment Lawyer within GCHQ’s Legal Directorate, you’ll provide expert advice on employment law in a fast‑paced and highly sensitive environment. Working at the heart of national security, you’ll help shape decisions that impact our people and our mission, managing a varied workload that spans casework, policy and litigation.

Joining a small, collaborative team based in Cheltenham or Manchester, you’ll work closely with HR and Security colleagues, as well as lawyers from other intelligence agencies, to deliver clear, well‑considered advice on complex employment issues. From handling litigation to advising on security‑related matters, your work will be intellectually challenging and often time‑critical, requiring precision and adaptability.

You’ll develop your expertise through exposure to diverse legal work and structured training opportunities, taking on more complex matters as your experience grows. While much of your role will be office‑based, you’ll collaborate across locations and disciplines, contributing to cross‑agency projects and helping embed best practice across the organisation.

Whether you’re drafting detailed advice, supporting investigations, delivering training or shaping policy, you’ll play a vital role in ensuring our employment practices remain robust, fair and aligned with national security priorities. This is a role that offers opportunities for professional growth and progression within a supportive, experienced and collaborative team.

About you

You’ll need to be a qualified solicitor or barrister/advocate in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland with at least three years’ post‑qualification experience in employment law. You’ll bring excellent legal judgement, strong analytical skills and the ability to provide clear, practical advice in a fast‑paced, high‑impact environment.

With experience of managing a varied employment law workload, you’ll be confident working under pressure to meet tight deadlines. Proactive and motivated with the ability to pick up new areas of law quickly, you’ll combine technical expertise with creativity, offering risk‑based solutions that balance legal requirements with operational needs.

You’ll work closely with HR and Security teams, as well as lawyers from other agencies, so strong communication skills and the ability to build relationships across disciplines are essential. You’ll be comfortable explaining complex legal concepts in a clear, accessible way to non‑specialist audiences.

Training and development

From the moment you join, you’ll be supported every step of the way. You’ll take part in a structured induction that introduces you to your team, your role, and the wider organisation, helping you to settle in. Alongside this, you’ll be paired with a buddy and subject‑matter experts will guide you as you grow into the role.

Your development will continue through a blend of on‑the‑job experience, peer support, and formal training opportunities. You’ll be encouraged to refine your expertise in employment law while exploring new areas such as security‑related legal issues, shaping a learning journey that reflects your goals and interests. With access to government training programmes, external courses, and cross‑agency projects, you’ll have the resources you need to expand your skills and knowledge.

We’ll also support you with opportunities to share best practice across the organisation. Continuous learning is embedded in our culture, so you’ll have the tools and encouragement to progress. Whether you’re building confidence in casework, developing policy expertise, or preparing for litigation, you’ll be part of a collaborative environment that values growth and invests in your future.

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 website: https://www.GCHQ-careers.co.uk/life-at-gchq.html

To find out more and apply, please visit our website.

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