Associate Enterprise Architect in Cheltenham

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, 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 involves working with support from senior architects to develop and deliver GCHQ’s enterprise architecture. By translating organisational goals into actionable architectural strategies, you’ll lead design initiatives, proactively identify risks and constraints, and optimise environments across technology, data, and processes to deliver impactful solutions. The nature of our work means our technology must be cutting edge and is often unique to our one‑of‑a‑kind mission. So, the opportunity for learning in this role is extensive, with lots of interesting challenges and plenty of development opportunities on offer. Mentored by one of our Enterprise Architects, you’ll collaborate with delivery teams and stakeholders throughout the organisation, applying best practice and emerging approaches while growing your own skills. Every day, you’ll play an important part in helping teams deliver mission‑critical work as you contribute to designs and documentation and provide analysis. Working with technical and business teams, you’ll then collaborate to align solutions to their needs and our organisational strategies. You’ll work with other architects, engineers, project managers and delivery leads across GCHQ. Occasionally, travel will be required to sites across the UK to enable you to work closely with colleagues from all areas of the organisation.

Salary: £55,758 to £63,948 comprising a basic salary of £53,000 and a concessionary payment of £2,758. The exact salary offered within this range will depend on your skills and experience. An additional Skills Payment is available once your skills level is confirmed, £3,822 for Level 1 or £8,190 for Level 2. Once in role, there may also be opportunities to qualify for further allowances and additional skills‑related payments.

Flexible working: We recognise the importance of a healthy work‑life balance and offer a range of working patterns, including full‑time, part‑time, and compressed hours. While most of our work is carried out on‑site due to its sensitive nature, occasional homeworking may be possible depending on business requirements. We also support flexible start and finish times to help you manage your personal and professional commitments.

About you: You’ll have practical experience working as an Associate Enterprise Architect, and we’re most interested in your support for our shared mission and how you’ve contributed to architectural work across technology, data, digital or business change initiatives. Whether that’s supporting designs, analysing impacts or documenting architectures, you’ll have gained practical experience in the field. Your working knowledge of enterprise architecture comes from real delivery environments, where decisions are shaped by organisational goals, constraints and trade‑offs. Working with or deputising for senior architects in these environments has helped you build confidence in forming and explaining architectural viewpoints. Architectural standards, principles, and governance are familiar territory for you, and you've worked with at least one modern architecture framework/Standard (like ArchiMate TOGAF, Zachman or MODAF) to guide your work. Sound communication and problem‑solving skills are vital in this role. You can analyse requirements, shape solutions at the right level of detail, and clearly articulate risks and trade‑offs to both technical and non‑technical audiences. You can also collaborate well, adapt as priorities shift, and manage your time effectively.

Training and development: We’re proud to offer an inclusive and supportive working environment, and as an organisation that values and nurtures our colleagues, both professionally and personally, we’re dedicated to helping you fulfil your potential. When you join, you’ll receive a full induction into GCHQ so you can learn more about who we are, what we do, and where your role fits in. Once you’re in post, you’ll receive formal and on‑the‑job training, along with all the support you need to thrive. We encourage continuous professional development and are committed to giving you the space and capacity to develop, innovate, and experiment. Typically, we expect 20% of your time to be dedicated to developing yourself and supporting others. We value your ability to learn and adapt to new challenges, so we’ll invest in your skills and in the way you prefer to learn, from books, study, courses, and conferences to stretching work supported by your team. You’ll be encouraged to drive and shape your own personal development, and you’ll have access to learning and development opportunities tailored to your role. We’ll cover the cost and provide the time and support you need to gain professional qualifications and certifications. From day one, you’ll have access to mentors and subject matter experts. We’ll help you create a structured development and career plan that’s right for you.

Rewards and benefits: You’ll receive a starting salary of £55,758 to £63,948, including a concessionary payment of £2,658. The final amount depends on your skills and experience, plus other benefits including:

• 25 days’ annual leave automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and 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 (travel and parking)
• 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 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.