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About Us

At GCHQ, we unlock the complex world of data and communications to keep the UK and its citizens safe, both in the real world and online. Working closely with our British Intelligence partners in MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from threats including serious organised crime, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. A role in GCHQ means you’ll have varied and fascinating work in a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.

The Role

We’re looking for a motivated lawyer to deliver user-friendly, pragmatic advice on litigation-related matters. Join us and you’ll be dealing with many high-profile and some nationally important pieces of litigation involving GCHQ, including cases in the Investigatory Powers Tribunal, High Court and public inquiries.

Based in a diverse and collegiate team, you’ll work closely with lawyers and non-lawyers within GCHQ.
The work is often fast-paced and driven by outside factors, such as court-imposed deadlines. If you thrive on working flexibly in a team within a dynamic environment, this could be your ideal role.

Although this is a permanent position, we will consider secondments.

About You

To join us, you must:

• Be qualified to practice as a solicitor or barrister/advocate in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• Have experience of litigation involving public bodies is essential, along with knowledge of criminal litigation, the UK’s national security framework and GCHQ's legal framework.

You’ll also need the ability to pick up new areas of law quickly, drawing on excellent legal professional skills plus your powers of analysis and judgment. Whatever the topic, you’ll be able to explain complex legal points in an accessible way and give user-friendly advice.

With these strong communication skills, you’ll also forge client relationships swiftly and be a team player. Organised and able to prioritise your workload, you’ll work well under pressure.

Training and Development

We offer access to learning and development that’s tailored to your role – formal and informal, internal and external. As part of the Government Legal Profession, we have access to a Legal Information Online Network that offers Government training packages and contacts, together with bespoke training from external legal firms. With the chance to apply for training and briefing opportunities throughout the Department (both GCHQ & NCSC), you’ll be free to learn and excel in our fast-paced world.

Rewards and Benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £62,592 plus other benefits including:

• 25 Days Annual Leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days public and privilege holidays.
• Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme.
• Interest-free season ticket loan.
• 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 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/diversity-inclusion.html

We’re Disability Confident

GCHQ are 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. Being Disability Confident, we aim to offer a person-to-person interview to any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

• Must be qualified to practice as a solicitor or barrister/advocate in England and Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.
• Have experience of litigation involving public bodies is essential, along with knowledge of criminal litigation, the UK’s national security framework and GCHQ’s legal framework.

What to Expect

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

• Application sift, including eligibility sift.
• Application sift on your motivation for the role and the organisation.
• Interview with presentation.
• If successful, you will receive a conditional offer of employment, subject to vetting.

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 6 - 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 need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here.

This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. You can find out more about the vetting process here.

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.

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

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 withhold 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.