Infrastructure Engineer

ZipRecruiter; Bretherton; Hybrid; GBP 36,000 - 50,000; Full time

Job summary

Join a forward-thinking agency as an Infrastructure Engineer, where you'll be part of a dynamic team dedicated to enhancing national security. This role offers a unique blend of technical challenges and collaborative opportunities, allowing you to develop skills in cutting-edge technologies. With a supportive environment focused on learning and growth, you'll engage in diverse projects that make a real impact. Enjoy a competitive salary, flexible working options, and a range of benefits, including generous leave and professional development opportunities. If you're motivated and eager to learn, this is the perfect chance to advance your career while contributing to the safety of the UK.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Interest-free season ticket loan

Excellent pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

On-site gym and restaurant

Paid parental leave

Flexible working hours

Employee performance recognition

Training and development opportunities

Buddy and mentor support

Qualifications

• GCSE or equivalent in Maths required.
• Passion for IT and technology is essential.

Responsibilities

• Collaborate with teams to optimize systems and support missions.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure issues and support operational tasks.

Skills

Problem-solving

Analytical skills

Communication

Adaptability

Organizational skills

Education

GCSE in Maths (Grade 4/C or above)

Tools

Python

PowerShell

Bash

Terraform

Ansible

Docker

Cisco

Juniper

vSphere

Splunk

Job description

Job Description

Infrastructure Engineer Ref. 3481

Department: Engineering
Location(s): Manchester, Samlesbury

Salary: £36,408, plus a recruitment bonus of £2,000, dependent on skills assessed during the interview. Additionally, there is an opportunity to obtain a skills bonus of £4,513, based on a skills review during your first year in the role.

Job description

Flexible Working: This role is primarily office-based, with most of the work undertaken in the office and a small proportion of time working outside of the office. We offer flexible working hours, including options for compressed and part-time shifts. While working from home isn’t guaranteed, it might be possible on occasion, based on personal and business needs. Once you’re fully trained, you may also be required to join an on-call rota.

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 puts the emphasis on teamwork.

The Role

As an Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll become part of a friendly and skilled team dedicated to finding end-to-end solutions that optimise our systems and support our mission. You’ll be assigned a specialism based on your suitability, either at recruitment stage or following an in-role assessment. Specialisms include:

• Tailored Acquisitions
• Platform Engineers
• Network Engineers
• DevOps Engineers
• Web Technology SMEs

Whatever your specialism, you’ll have real influence and impact. You might develop solutions for existing and future infrastructure or create innovative approaches to operational challenges. By contributing to your team’s success, you’ll also hone technical skills that advance your career. Whether you’re troubleshooting infrastructure issues or supporting operational tasks throughout their lifecycle, gain plenty of exposure to unique technology and grow in both confidence and experience.

This role involves plenty of collaboration. Work in both big and small teams, depending on the project, and engage with a range of customers. Additionally, collaborate with analysts across varied missions and the wider technical community to develop customer-driven infrastructure. In doing so, meet unique requirements, develop pioneering solutions, and help enable the success of our mission.

About You

Are you passionate about IT and technology? Do you thrive in vibrant environments and love learning new skills? If so, we have an exciting opportunity for you!

You only need one qualification: GCSE grade 4/C or above, or an equivalent Level 2 qualification in Maths. No other specific qualifications or deep technical background are required. You might have a background in STEM, experience working in a small company with exposure to end-to-end products, or simply a passion for IT and technology. If you’re enthusiastic, motivated, and eager to learn new skills, you’ll thrive in this role.

Organised and adaptable, you prioritise tasks effectively and stay focussed under pressure. You analyse problems and are willing to explore different approaches to find creative solutions. Moreover, you communicate those solutions to customers with clarity. No matter where you are in your career, if you have a passion for learning new skills in an environment that values collaboration, knowledge-sharing, and innovation, this opportunity is for you.

Training and Development

When you start, you’ll be assigned a “buddy” and a mentor to help you settle into the role and life at GCHQ. You’ll engage in a mix of formal and on-the-job training and be given ownership of tasks early in your role. At the beginning, you’ll collaborate with your team and line manager on initial responsibilities to develop your skills and ease into the types of projects you’ll be working on. As an Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll rotate through each of the three areas of our large team, spending 6 months in each area. This will help you gain comprehensive knowledge and a well-rounded experience. After 18 months, you’ll be placed in the team that best matches your skills. Please note that the rotation and training programme described is specific to our Samlesbury location. Manchester will have its own tailored training programme.

Depending on your specialism, you’ll have the opportunity to develop a wider range of valuable skills including:

• Technical risk management: Learn to identify, assess, and mitigate technical risks.
• Operational security: Gain expertise in protecting systems and data from threats.
• Domain services (Windows/Linux): Master the management of domain services across different operating systems.
• Operating system administration and security (Windows/Linux/Android/iOS): Enhance your skills in administering and securing various operating systems.
• Web technologies (Tor/VPNs/Proxies/CDNs/Cloud): Dive into the world of web technologies and learn to navigate complex networks.
• Scripting (Python/PowerShell/Bash): Develop proficiency in scripting to automate tasks and improve efficiency.
• Virtualisation technologies (vSphere, Hyper-V): Explore virtualisation technologies and their applications.
• Networking (Cisco, Juniper, NSX): Build your knowledge in networking with industry-leading technologies.
• Automation Tooling (Terraform/Ansible/Docker): Get hands-on experience with automation tools to streamline processes.
• Monitoring and analysis (ELK, Splunk): Learn to monitor and analyse systems using powerful tools.
• Storage (3PAR & Primera): Understand the intricacies of storage solutions and their management.

We aim to develop your knowledge through exposure and using the right technologies for the problem. So, you’ll get experience of a wide variety of tech tools and programming, and as your skills develop, we’ll support your applications for specialist skill payments that recognise your abilities. We’ll also encourage you to pursue external training when necessary to enhance your knowledge of new technologies and provide opportunities to gain relevant funded qualifications.

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £36,408, with the opportunity for additional skills payments once in role, plus other benefits including:

• 25 days of annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years of service, plus an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays.
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan (travel and parking)
• Excellent pension scheme.
• Cycle to work scheme.
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave.

Equal Opportunities

At GCHQ, diversity is critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes individuals with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, identities, orientations, ways of thinking, and those with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We welcome applications from everyone, including groups under-represented in our workforce such as women, minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment, and our initiatives on our website:

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

We’re Confident

GCHQ has achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Confident scheme, demonstrating our commitment to recruiting, retaining, and developing disabled people. We offer fair and proportionate interviews to candidates who self-identify as disabled and meet the essential criteria. The essential criteria include:

• You must hold a GCSE or Level 2 qualification in Maths at Grade 4/C or above.
• Demonstrate a strong motivation for working at GCHQ as an Infrastructure Engineer.
• Exhibit analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Show awareness of emerging technologies.

We provide additional support through our recruitment process, including reasonable adjustments. More information is available on our website:

https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html

What to Expect

Our fair and merit-based recruitment process includes:

• Application Sift: Review of your motivation and essential skills.
• Interview: Skills assessment and potential skills payment.

If successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer. Please note the process may take 6-9 months, and you should continue current employment until final offers are made.

Before You Apply

You need to be a British citizen or hold dual British citizenship. Full eligibility criteria are available on our website.

This role requires Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance, which is standard for UK Intelligence roles. More about the vetting process can be found on our site.

We have a strict drugs policy; recreational drug use must be declared and abstained from once the application process begins.

Set up a separate, anonymous email for application correspondence to protect your privacy. The role is based in Samlesbury or Manchester; ensure you can commute, as relocation costs are not covered.

Applications from outside the UK are not accepted until you visit the UK, and discussing your application should be limited to close contacts.

Right to Withdraw: We may close the role early if enough applications are received. Submit your application promptly to avoid missing out.