Maths and Cryptography Internship Ref. 3832

UK Intelligence Services; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 252,000 - 1,453,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

4.5 paid days off

Flexible working hours

On-site facilities

Job summary

GCHQ is offering a Maths and Cryptography Internship based in Cheltenham for nine weeks. You will work on real, operational projects with other undergraduates and receive mentorship from technical experts.

The role emphasises mathematical foundations and programming skills, with opportunities to engage in cutting-edge research across cryptography and data analysis. The programme runs from 21 June to 20 August 2027, with on-site work, paid internship, and accommodation arranged near the office.

Qualifications

• Currently studying for an undergraduate degree in mathematics or a joint honours with maths as main component.
• By June 2027 you should have completed a minimum of two taught years and be on track for a 2:1.

Responsibilities

• Work on projects of real operational interest to GCHQ.
• Collaboratively conduct innovative research with other interns and technical experts.
• Benefit from training to enhance maths and programming skills and work on multiple technical projects.

Skills

Mathematics

Education

Undergraduate degree in mathematics or joint honours with maths

Job description

Attendance payment: £5,528 over nine weeks (£31,937 pro-rata)

Dates of Internship: Monday 21 June until Friday 20 August 2027

Hours of Internship: full-time (37 hours a week, Monday to Friday). For the first two weeks, you’ll need to attend 9am to 5pm. After that, flexitime may be available, subject to agreement and depending on events taking place on certain days. Please note that this is an office-based role for the duration of the internship – remote or home working is not available.

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

On our Maths and Cryptography Internship, you’ll work on projects which are of real, operational interest to our organisation. Throughout this nine-week paid internship you’ll work with other undergraduate students to collaboratively conduct innovative research, supported by technical experts in their fields.

GCHQ is keen to invest in enhancing your maths and programming skills. You’ll have the opportunity to work on multiple technical projects, which in the past have included:

• assessing cryptographic algorithms
• analysing complex data sets
• developing new statistical tools
• applied machine learning and machine learning research
• programming high-performance computers
• doing cutting-edge mathematical research

The 2027 Maths and Cryptography Internship will run from Monday 21 June until Friday 20 August 2027. The role is based in Cheltenham. We can arrange temporary accommodation for you close to GCHQ and with other interns, which would be paid in arrears from your internship payment. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application.

At the end of the internship, you’ll have the opportunity to apply to join the organisation through the next Maths and Cryptography Roles recruitment campaign. If you choose to make an application to GCHQ following the internship, then you’ll need to go through the same competitive selection process for this scheme as external candidates in order to join.

About you

You need to be currently studying for an undergraduate degree (Bachelors, Integrated Masters, or equivalent) in mathematics, or a Joint Honours subject with mathematics as the main component. By the start date of the placement (June 2027), you’ll have completed a minimum of two taught years of your degree (or equivalent for part-time courses) and should be on track to achieve a 2:1 qualification. Please note that the Scottish foundation year does not count towards the minimum two taught years.

You’ll already have at least an A in A-level maths (or equivalent).

We’ll look for evidence of sound mathematical grounding and ability, although we don’t require specialisation in any particular areas. Previous programming experience is useful but not essential, as training will be provided. You’ll also have a love for solving problems and an interest in developing new skills.

Training and development

At GCHQ we’re proud of our inclusive and supportive working environment. Due to the nature of our work, the projects you’ll be working on may include technical areas where you have little existing knowledge. However, our training programme will cover all the relevant mathematical topics and programming skills required and will give you plenty of opportunities to develop. Additionally, each project will be supported by experienced members of our technical community who will provide technical expertise.

The internship will give you a unique opportunity to gain an insight into our ways of working and you’ll gain skills and experience through coaching and mentoring from our current mathematicians. A summer with us will give you a good introduction to where your career could take you and lead to other opportunities, including our maths and cryptography roles.

Rewards and benefits

You’ll receive a payment of £5,528 (£31,937 pro-rata, over the 9‑week programme) plus other benefits including:

• 4.5 paid days off that you can use during the internship
• Flexible working hours for most of the summer
• Facilities such as a subsidised gym and restaurant, and on-site coffee bars.

Equal opportunities

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 commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion on our website.

We’re Disability Confident

GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP’s Disability Confident scheme. This is aimed at encouraging employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as Offer of an Interview.) To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

• You’ll be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT), which assesses criteria important for all roles in our organisation.
• Meet the minimum pass mark at the application form sift.

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website for information on reasonable adjustments we can offer.

What to expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

1. An initial online application form including pre‑screening questions to ensure you meet our eligibility criteria.
2. Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) in which you rate the appropriateness of responses to a series of short scenarios.
3. Full application form.
4. Application form sift.
5. Virtual interview, consisting of:

a. a short technical presentation

b. competency based questions

c. maths based questions

1. Vetting (which may take 3 to 6 months to process).

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Those who pass the application form sift will be given further information prior to the interview including the brief for the technical presentation.

Before you apply

To work at GCHQ you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our 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. Find out more about the vetting process on our website.

Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can’t take any recreational drugs and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you to manage your application with us more securely.

The Internship is based in Cheltenham. We can arrange temporary accommodation for you close to GCHQ and with other interns, but this would need to be paid in arrears from your internship payment. Please consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application.

We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in‑person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with your interview or assessment invitation.

Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hardcopy receipts for reimbursement.

Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your application, other than with your partner or a close family member.

Right to withdraw statement

Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.