Project Manager Ref. 3861

UK Intelligence Services; Cheltenham; On-site; GBP 46,000 - 56,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Performance scheme

Season ticket loan

Excellent pension scheme

Cycle to work scheme

On-site facilities

Paid parental and adoption leave

Job summary

GCHQ, the UK intelligence agency, is seeking a Project Manager to lead a range of projects from initiation to completion. You will work within a multi-disciplinary team, coordinating scope, plans, schedules and cost, while managing risks, issues and dependencies to keep delivery on time and within budget.

You will collaborate with colleagues, suppliers and partners, building relationships and acting as a trusted point of contact in fast-moving environments, with emphasis on structure, momentum

Qualifications

• At least four GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above (incl. English and Maths) or equivalent Level 2 qualifications.

Responsibilities

• Coordinate scope, plans, schedules and cost for projects.
• Manage risks, issues and dependencies to support timely decisions.
• Provide clear updates and recommendations to stakeholders.

Skills

GCSE English and Maths

Education

GCSEs grade 4/C or above

Job description

Salary

Salary: Starting salary of £43,083, plus a concessionary payment of £2,758.

Following successful completion of probation, you may also be eligible for a skills retention payment of approximately £5,000, subject to achieving a skills assessment aligned to the Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF).

Flexible working

Flexible working: We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including part-time working (minimum of 30 hours per week), compressed hours, and flexible start and finish times. While all roles require on-site working, we’re happy to discuss flexible working options where possible.

Please note that requests for compressed hours will be considered after probation, subject to business requirements.

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 places the emphasis on teamwork.

The role

As a Project Manager, you’ll manage a range of projects from initiation right through to completion. Some projects you’ll lead independently; others you’ll deliver as part of a larger, multi disciplinary team. The projects you lead will be varied, spanning everything from business change to the delivery of technical capability, so you’ll learn to tailor how you plan, track, and communicate to suit the context. Day-to-day, you’ll coordinate scope, plans, schedules and cost; manage risks, issues, and dependencies; and provide clear updates and recommendations that support timely, confident decisions.

You’ll work closely with colleagues, suppliers, customers, and partner organisations, building relationships and acting as a trusted point of contact. In fast-moving environments, you’ll bring structure, momentum and clarity, keeping delivery aligned to time, cost and quality expectations, and knowing when to escalation for support. As part of a well established project management community, you’ll have supportive peers to learn from and established standards to guide your practice.

UK travel may be required to meet teams and engage with stakeholders; the frequency and locations will be project or programme dependent.

About you

You have at least four GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above (including English and Mathematics), or equivalent Level 2 qualifications, or relevant experience demonstrating solid numeracy and communication skills. You’re keen to develop your project delivery expertise and build the capabilities expected of a Project Manager at the HEO level, aligned to the Project Delivery Capability Framework (PDCF).

You’ve already gained experience supporting project delivery and are now ready to take ownership of your own projects. Through your involvement in planning, coordination and reporting activities, you’ve developed an understanding of project controls and the role that effective risk, issue and change management plays in successful delivery. You’re comfortable working with both technical and non-technical colleagues, helping to maintain momentum and keep projects on track.

You adapt your communication style to suit different audiences, providing clear and timely information to support decision-making. You build productive stakeholder relationships and use influencing and negotiation skills to achieve positive outcomes.

Collaborative and supportive, you work well as part of multi-disciplinary teams and value shared learning. You’re curious, proactive and calm under pressure, qualities that help you navigate changing priorities and identify practical solutions to complex challenges.

Training and development

A structured induction will help you understand our mission, ways of working, and the delivery community you’ll be joining. From day one, you’ll be supported by your line manager and a dedicated buddy, helping you settle in, build your confidence, and navigate the organisation.

Development continues through a blend of internal and external training, practical experience, and community support. As a corporate member of the Association for Project Management (APM), we encourage you to explore relevant courses, frameworks, and accreditation pathways. Access to mentoring, coaching and project management forums will provide opportunities to share learning and strengthen your professional network.

You’ll be encouraged to dedicate time to your professional development, helping you build your expertise across planning, risk and issue management, reporting, financial tracking and benefits management. This will prepare you to take on broader responsibilities as you progress.

As you grow in the role, you’ll also have opportunities to support and mentor others. Throughout your journey, you’ll be part of a supportive project management community committed to shared learning and professional growth.

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £43,083, plus other benefits including:

• 25 days’ annual leave, rising automatically to 30 days after 5 years' service, plus an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
• opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
• an interest-free season ticket loan
• an excellent pension scheme
• a 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 and inclusion are critical to our mission. To protect the UK, we need a workforce that truly reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of the word: people of 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 individuals from groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce, such as women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Visit our website to find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity.

We’re Disability Confident

GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions’ Disability Confident scheme. The scheme encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident organisation, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for this position, assessed at sift, are offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. This is known as the Offer of 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 for your motivation and skills for the role and organisation - to be assessed at application sift

What to expect

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. Application Sift, looking at your motivation and skills for the role and the organisation.
4. Virtual Interview, including technical and competency-based questions.
5. If successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer of employment.

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process including vetting, so we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before you apply

To work at GCHQ, you must be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read about our eligibility criteria.

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.

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 applying, we recommend setting up a separate email address for your contact with us to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid including 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 manage your application with us more securely.

This role is based in Cheltenham, Samlesbury or Manchester so you’ll need to live within a commutable distance. Please consider any practical and financial implications before submitting an application, as we do not offer relocation costs.

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 hard copy 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 begin your application. Applying from outside the UK will affect 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 close applications once a certain number have been received. To avoid missing out, we encourage you to submit your application as soon as possible. If you have a disability (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) and need additional time to complete your application, please submit your initial application and then contact us using the email address provided as soon as possible, please use the subject line “Reasonable Adjustments Extension” and briefly outline the support you require.