Infrastructure Engineer

ZipRecruiter; Holywell Green; On-site; GBP 36,000 - 42,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading intelligence agency is seeking an Infrastructure Engineer to join their dynamic team. The role involves developing innovative solutions and collaborating with various teams to optimize systems. Candidates should have a passion for IT, strong problem-solving skills, and a GCSE in Maths. This position offers flexible working arrangements and opportunities for professional development in a supportive environment.

Benefits

25 days annual leave

Excellent pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

Paid parental and adoption leave

Qualifications

• Passionate about IT and technology.
• Organised and adaptable.
• Strong analytical skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop solutions for existing and future infrastructure.
• Collaborate with teams and customers.
• Troubleshoot infrastructure issues.

Skills

Problem Solving

Communication

Education

GCSE grade 4/C or above in Maths

Tools

Python

PowerShell

Bash

Terraform

Ansible

Docker

Cisco

Juniper

NSX

vSphere

Hyper-V

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, inclusion 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 and encourage applications from everyone, including groups under-represented in our workforce such as women, individuals from minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds. Find out more about our culture, working environment, and inclusion efforts on our website:

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

We’re Confident

GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Confident scheme. This initiative encourages employers to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. As a Confident employer, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. Our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI) includes:

• You must hold a GCSE or Level 2 qualification in Maths at Grade 4/C or above. This will be assessed during application sift.
• Demonstrate a strong motivation for applying to work for GCHQ as an Infrastructure Engineer.
• Exhibit analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Show awareness of up-and-coming technologies.

Additional support is available through the recruitment process. For more information on reasonable adjustments, visit: https://www.gchq-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair and transparent, based on merit. The stages include:

• Application Sift: Review of motivation, skills, and essential criteria.
• Interview: Skills assessment and opportunity for skills payment (not guaranteed).

Conditional Offer: Successful candidates receive a conditional employment offer.

Note: Passing each stage is necessary to proceed. The process may take 6-9 months, so continue your current employment until final offer.

Before You Apply

Applicants must be British or hold dual British citizenship. Full eligibility criteria are available on our website.

This role requires Developed Vetting (DV) security clearance, common in the UK Intelligence Community. More about vetting can be found on our site.

We have a strict drugs policy; recreational drug use disqualifies candidates, and previous drug use must be declared.

Use a separate, non-identifiable email for application contact to ensure privacy and security.

The role is based in Samlesbury or Manchester; applicants should live within a commutable distance. We do not cover relocation costs.

Applications from outside the UK should be made when visiting the UK, as applications from abroad may not be processed.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy early if enough applications are received.