Tradecraft & Analysis Specialist (Cheltenham, Cheltenham, United Kingdom)

Tradecraft & Analysis Specialist (Cheltenham, Cheltenham, United Kingdom)

Recruiter: Krystle James

Hiring Manager: Jonathan Hart

Career Grade: D

Internal Closing Date: 23/09/25

Security isn’t always the first thing that comes to mind when you think of BT, but when it comes to keeping everyone safely connected, We Are The Protectors. We deal with thousands of cyber-attacks every day, so that millions of people can safely go about their daily lives and run their businesses. We deliver vital work at scale, with real breadth and impact. We connect for good.
You'll be joining a specialist security team that is a trusted partner to governments worldwide, protecting critical national infrastructure and committed to the safety and security of our nation and global communities. Our mission focused work is innovative, inspiring and technologically challenging in a way that makes every day different and stimulating. We provide the opportunity to work on rare projects, with exciting tools and brilliant people. Everyone has access to unparalleled professional and personal development opportunities and your contribution is always valued.

This job role can be based in Cheltenham, Ipswich, London, Manchester . Onsite (5 days office based). Monday-Friday 37.5 hours per week. You will need to be eligible to obtain DV Security Clearance before starting this role. You will need to have lived in the UK for 10+ years to be eligible.

Why this job matters

We are looking for a highly skilled and experienced Tradecraft & Analysis Specialist to join our team. This role is at the forefront of innovation, solving complex customer problems by developing cutting-edge capabilities that exploit data at scale. You will be performing data analysis and leading on the design and delivery of bespoke solutions to customer problems. You’ll be innovating and constantly looking out for new ways to stay one step ahead of our adversaries. You’ll be generating cutting-edge intelligence relating to significant threats from all over the world. Above all, you’ll be making a real difference and you’ll be protecting the UK.

You’ll be working alongside our customers, understanding their problems, and leading on the design and delivery of world class solutions. You’ll also be working alongside colleagues from all over our business to ensure we keep pace with new opportunities and draw on the skills and experience of others.

You will own problems end-to-end—from requirement gathering and feasibility assessment and data analysis to development, and deployment. Working in a fast-paced, agile environment, you’ll collaborate closely with customers, iterate rapidly, and deliver impactful solutions that push the boundaries of what’s possible with data.

This job role can be based in Cheltenham, Ipswich, London, Manchester . Onsite (5 days office based). Monday-Friday 37.5 hours per week. You will need to be eligible to obtain DV Security Clearance before starting this role. You will need to have lived in the UK for 10+ years to be eligible.

What you’ll be doing

As a Tradecraft & Analysis Specialist , you will:

1. Utilise your analytical skills daily and leverage your passion for problem solving to generate and share intelligence relating to complex and critical events.
2. Lead the development of innovative data-driven capabilities, including software, APIs, services, and data processing pipelines.
3. Build trusting and long-lasting relationships with key customers to enable you to understand and contribute to their purpose.
4. Triage and assess customer problems , translating them into technical requirements and feasible solutions.
5. Continually seek opportunities both internally and externally to improve our capabilities.
6. Select and architect the most appropriate technologies and components to meet business needs.
7. Collaborate with stakeholders , gather feedback early, and iterate quickly.
8. Own the solution lifecycle , from design through to delivery and operational handover.
9. Work with big data ecosystems , including real-time and batch processing.
10. Identify and mitigate risks early in the development cycle.

Essential Skills

Programming/Scripting

Data Quality

Data Analysis

Decision Making

Growth Mindset

Expected Skills

We expect our Tradecraft & Analyst Specialist to:

• Have experience working in a cyber security or investigative profession.
• Demonstrate technical leadership and ownership of complex engineering challenges.
• Be a passionate, self-driven individual willing to engage with the team and our customers to help solve their most challenging problems.
• Have experience building relationships with key customers at various levels of seniority.
• Exhibit strong problem-solving skills , with a pragmatic and customer-focused mindset.
• Communicate clearly and effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Embrace agile principles , promoting rapid iteration and continuous improvement.
• Encourage and adopt engineering best practices , including testing, documentation, and code quality.
• Mentor and support less experienced colleagues, fostering a culture of learning and innovation.
• Stay current with emerging technologies , bringing fresh ideas and approaches to the team.

Additional skills

You might even:

• Have in-depth knowledge of network protocols and can interpret network event data.
• Have in-depth knowledge of mobile/telephony networks.
• Have experience gathering and exploiting open-source intelligence .
• Have experience working in a specialised data science role .
• Have experience with big data and writing highly scalable analytics.
• Have experience in data ingestion and ETL tools like Kafka, NiFi, Airflow
• Familiarity with containerisation (Docker, Kubernetes)
• Experience with infrastructure as code and automated deployments

Your expertise

We’re looking for expertise in:

• Programming Languages: Python, Scala, Bash
• Big Data Technologies: Apache Spark, Hadoop ecosystem
• Data Science: Zeppelin notebooks, Impala / Trino SQL queries
• Operating Systems: Linux
• DevOps & CI/CD: Git, Jenkins, Terraform
• Data Formats: JSON, Parquet, Avro
• API Development: RESTful services
• Testing Frameworks: PyTest, ScalaTest

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• BT Pension scheme, minimum 5% Employee contribution, BT contribution 10%
• On-call allowance (Depending on requirements of the role)
• 25 days annual leave (not including bank holidays), increasing with service
• Huge range of flexible benefits including cycle to work, healthcare, season ticket loan
• World-class training and development opportunities
• From January 2025, equal family leave: receive 18 weeks at full pay, 8 weeks at half pay and 26 weeks at the statutory rate. It’s for all parents, no matter how your family is made up.
• Enhanced women’s health support: including help with menopause symptoms, cancer screenings, period care and more.
• 24/7 private virtual GP appointments for UK colleagues
• 2 weeks paid carer’s leave
• World-class training and development opportunities
• Option to join BT Shares Saving schemes.
• Discounted broadband, mobile and TV packages
• Access to 100’s of retail discounts including the BT shop

#LI-Onsite

Security is one of the fastest growing parts of our global organisation. We are protecting our networks from more than 6,500 cyber attacks each day, investing over £40m in research each year – and in employing nearly 3,000 people, we’re also the largest private cyber employer in the UK. With incredible opportunities to learn, develop and grow your skills, we’ll invest in you, nurture your potential and shape your future – whatever your background or experience.

In today’s world, safe and secure digital connections have never been more vital. You’ll be joining a global company operating at the forefront of the information age: BT employs 90,000 people in 180 countries. With huge scale, we’re capable of achieving great things, striving to be personal, simple, and brilliant for our customers whilst creating an inclusive working environment where people from all backgrounds can succeed. Play your part. Make a difference. We are the Protectors.

A FEW POINTS TO NOTE:

Although these roles are listed as full-time, if you’re a job share partnership, work reduced hours, or any other way of working flexibly, please still get in touch.

We will also offer reasonable adjustments for the selection process if required, so please do not hesitate to inform us.

DON'T MEET EVERY SINGLE REQUIREMENT?

Studies have shown that women and people who are disabled, LGBTQ+, neurodiverse or from ethnic minority backgrounds are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification and criteria. We're committed to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace where everyone can be their best, so if you're excited about this role but your past experience doesn't align perfectly with every requirement on the Job Description, please apply anyway – you may just be the right candidate for this or other roles in our wider team.