Solutions 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, 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 involves helping deliver technology solutions that support GCHQ’s mission, drawing on your experience to lead design work, manage a team, and make strategic architectural decisions. The nature of our work means our technology must be cutting‑edge and is often tailored to the unique challenges we face. This will give you the opportunity to apply your skills to meaningful challenges that support purposeful career development.

Working across a range of complex projects, you’ll take an active role in shaping solution designs, producing clear documentation and models, and ensuring alignment with established architectural standards and strategies. Regular engagement with stakeholders, balancing competing priorities, and thoughtful consideration of technical, business, cost, and risk factors all contribute to delivering solutions that are both scalable and resilient.

Day‑to‑day, you’ll collaborate with delivery teams, engineers and business colleagues to clarify requirements and adapt designs. You’ll produce and maintain artefacts, provide clarity and direction, and support the adoption and implementation of designs. As a line manager, mentoring and guiding less‑senior colleagues will be a key part of your role. Please note that occasional travel to sites across the UK will be required to enable you to work closely with colleagues from all areas of the organisation.

Salary: £69,611 to £77,801, comprising a basic salary of £66,581 and a concessionary payment of £3,030. 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.

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 home working may be possible depending on business requirements. We also support flexible start and finish times to help you balance your personal and professional commitments.

An applied understanding of solutions architecture is essential, gained through experience leading the design of end‑to‑end digital or technology solutions. This includes demonstrable experience using modern frameworks such as TOGAF, NIST, and ITIL, as well as experience leading a team or line‑managing. A solid background in producing artefacts that guide delivery teams, combined with clear and effective communication skills, will enable you to explain design decisions to both technical and non‑technical audiences.

Effective stakeholder management is also important for working with colleagues at different seniority levels, ensuring alignment between differing user needs and organisational priorities. Collaboration, influence, and negotiation are key strengths for this role, particularly when working across teams to identify solutions that work for everyone. As priorities shift in response to business needs, adaptability and effective time‑management skills will support you in managing your workload. Critical thinking and creative problem‑solving will further help in developing holistic solutions to complex, unique requirements.

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.

You’ll receive a starting salary of £69,611 to £77,801 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
• A cycle to work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on‑site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave

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.