NCSC Strategic Planning & Speakers Engagement Manager

Closing Date – 23:55 on Monday 20th April 2026

Corporate Services

You’ll receive a starting salary of £45,796 (including a concessionary payment of £2,758). For roles based in London, you’ll receive an additional £6,250 London Allowance.

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 puts the emphasis on teamwork. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), part of GCHQ, is the UK Government’s lead authority on cyber security. The organisation is at the heart of the Government’s cyber security strategy and has the aim of making the UK the safest place to live and work online.

This role will support the development of close, effective working relationships across the organisation and wider government. This includes regular engagement with the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT), the Cabinet Office, and the Home Office. The role will support the NCSC’s engagement with the Number 10 Planning function, including representing the organisation at weekly meetings at Number 10 as required and helping to ensure work is aligned with cross‑government priorities. You will support the preparation of briefings and recommendations for senior leaders on key speaking engagements and will work with Number 10 to help coordinate the delivery of high‑profile announcements. The role operates at the centre of the intelligence agencies’ communications activity, working closely with internal stakeholders to ensure speaking engagements align with NCSC and wider GCHQ priorities. You will also support the use of proportionate evaluation measures to help assess impact.

Reporting to the External Affairs Manager, you will work closely with colleagues across digital, media, advice and guidance, strategy, and internal communications teams to support integrated activity and consistent messaging. You will contribute creative ideas, manage communications tasks and timelines, and balance competing priorities. The role also involves supporting senior leaders and engaging with cross‑government stakeholders on high‑profile issues, providing clear and well‑evidenced advice as required.

What will the successful candidate be doing?

Key responsibilities

• Manage the day‑to‑day running of the NCSC Speakers’ inbox – receiving, logging and coordinating responses to external speaking requests.
• Support the delivery of the NCSC Speakers’ Engagement Programme by coordinating senior leaders’ participation at public‑facing events, including managing the CEO’s speaking invitations and providing clear recommendations on engagement opportunities.
• Maintain and update the Speakers’ Submission to ensure accurate visibility of upcoming domestic and international engagements and coordinate engagement with Number 10 to support the planning and delivery of key NCSC announcements.
• Enable forward planning of internal and external communications and help ensure announcements align with organisational priorities.
• Undertake horizon scanning to identify potential clashes or sensitivities across government and external events, work closely with colleagues across digital content, media, guidance and events teams and with partners across wider government, gather, share and align communications activity, and build effective working relationships across the organisation to support the delivery of clear and consistent messaging to the right audiences.

Person specification

• Experience delivering external communications activity, with the ability to help align communications outputs with organisational priorities and wider government objectives.
• Experience of horizon scanning to identify risks, opportunities and potential clashes across government and external events, and to support effective deconfliction.
• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with experience building and maintaining effective working relationships with colleagues and partners across Whitehall and central government.
• Experience working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams, including digital, media, events, policy and guidance, to coordinate activity and support consistent messaging.
• The ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced environment, managing competing priorities while maintaining accuracy and attention to detail.
• Sound judgement and political awareness, particularly when supporting high‑profile or sensitive communications activity.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including experience drafting clear submissions, briefings and supporting material for senior leaders.
• A proactive and solutions‑focused approach, with the ability to anticipate issues, take initiative within defined responsibilities, and progress work independently.
• A commitment to working as part of a collaborative and supportive team, valuing a positive and inclusive working environment and contributing to high‑quality delivery.

Competencies (Level 3)

• Seeing the Big Picture (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Seeing the Big Picture)
• Driving Innovation and Change (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Changing and Improving)
• Working Collaboratively (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Working Together)
• Making Effective Decisions (Civil Service Behaviour Equivalent: Making Effective Decisions)

Benefits

• 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
• Cycle-to-work scheme
• Facilities such as a gym, restaurant and on‑site coffee bars (at some locations)
• Paid parental and adoption leave
• Excellent pension scheme – Civil Service pension

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 neuro‑divergent 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. GCHQ is 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. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position, will be offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so (this is known as an Offer of an Interview).

To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria, which will be assessed at the CV sift stage:

• Demonstrate previous experience of supporting communications activity and the ability to communicate clearly and professionally with a range of stakeholders, including senior colleagues when appropriate.
• Show a willingness to work collaboratively by building positive working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Evidence the ability to organise and prioritise work, manage competing demands, and deliver tasks to agreed deadlines in a busy environment.

Application instructions

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 to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer. You must launch your application from within the UK. 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.