Associate Infrastructure Engineer (Identitiy Access Management) in Manchester

Join to apply for the Associate Infrastructure Engineer (Identity Access Management) role at Careers at MI5, MI6 and GCHQ. Base pay range £36,408, including a concessionary payment of £2,658. You may also qualify for a skills payment ranging from £4,513 to £9,812 and a recruitment bonus of £2,000, both dependent on technical ability and successful assessment during the interview process.

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 emphasises teamwork.

The role: As an Associate Infrastructure Engineer, you’ll play a vital role in keeping the UK safe by ensuring secure access to sensitive systems. Your work will help guarantee that the right people have the right access at the right time, supporting both our organisation and colleagues across our organisation as well as trusted partners in the UK and around the world. In this role, you’ll be actively involved in managing user accounts, resolving access and certificate issues, and monitoring platform health to maintain compliance and reliability. Collaboration with internal teams is key, as you work to understand access requirements and deliver effective solutions, while also contributing to strategic improvements in how identity services are delivered. You will not be expected to take on complex work immediately; the initial focus will be on learning and building situational knowledge across multiple platforms. There will be a requirement to travel to Cheltenham and London on occasion, with limited opportunities for international travel.

Your responsibilities will include supporting day‑to‑day identity operations, such as incident resolution and service requests. You’ll also contribute to product development and roadmap planning for identity services, and work with internal and external stakeholders to improve access management across multiple systems. You’ll also share knowledge and deliver training to help others adopt and maintain secure access practices.

About you: We’re looking for individuals with an infrastructure background and a passion for identity and access management. You should have practical experience with Windows or Linux infrastructure and essential skills in Active Directory. Familiarity with Oracle Identity and Access Management (IDAM) is desirable. You’ll need a solid foundation of practical IT experience, gained through real‑world work in infrastructure or support environments, with enough exposure to confidently apply your skills in this role. Success in this role requires exceptional interpersonal and communication skills alongside technical ability. Clear written communication for documentation, the ability to explain technical concepts to stakeholders, and effective relationship‑building across user communities are essential. A collaborative mindset and a proactive learning approach will further support your success.

Flexible working: This role is based on full‑time hours (37 hours per week) with flexibility around start and finish times within core working hours. While our preference is for full‑time working, in exceptional circumstances we may consider part‑time arrangements, subject to business needs. We also offer hybrid working, which includes some remote working, typically one day per week from home with the remainder in the office. This arrangement may vary depending on operational requirements.

Learning and development: From day one, you’ll be supported by a structured induction and a tailored development plan designed to help you grow into the role. Whether you’re new to identity and access management or looking to build on existing expertise, your training will combine practical experience with access to formal learning and mentoring.

• Technical Delivery: managing end‑to‑end delivery of cloud platforms and ERP systems, driving digital transformation and operational efficiency
• Product Development: contributing to the roadmap and lifecycle of IDAM services
• Collaboration: engaging with internal teams and external partners across the UK Intelligence Community
• Certification: pursuing qualifications from Microsoft, Linux, CyberArk and more

You’ll learn alongside experienced colleagues and have access to workshops, peer‑led sessions and internal conferences. As your confidence grows, you’ll take on more responsibility and begin shaping the future of identity services. Progression from this role to Infrastructure Engineer typically follows a structured path, with opportunities to broaden your product exposure and deepen your subject matter expertise.

Some of our benefits: You will enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, alongside 8 bank holidays and 2.5 additional leave days (set dates through the year). We also offer a competitive pension, with employer contributions of at least 28.97%, an interest‑free season ticket loan, and much more.