Identity & Access (IAM) Engineer Ref. 3741

Salary: £44,142, including a concessionary payment of £2,758 and £6,250 London weighting. 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.

Flexible working: This role is based on full-time hours (36 hours per week) with flexibility around start and finish times within core working hours. Our preference is for full-time working, but we may consider part-time arrangements in exceptional circumstances, subject to business needs. We also offer hybrid working, typically involving one day per week working from home and the remainder in the office, which may vary depending on operational requirements.

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. You’ll do varied and fascinating work in a supportive and inclusive environment that emphasises teamwork.

The role: As an Identity and Access Management (IAM) Engineer, you’ll play a vital role in 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. Complex work is not expected immediately; the focus is on learning and building situational knowledge across multiple platforms. Day-to-day work includes managing user accounts, resolving access and certificate issues and monitoring platform health to maintain compliance and reliability. Close collaboration with internal teams supports a clear understanding of access requirements, the delivery of effective solutions and ongoing improvements to how identity services are delivered. Occasional travel to Cheltenham and Manchester is required, 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, working with internal and external stakeholders to improve access management across multiple systems. Sharing knowledge and delivering training on secure access practices is also a key part of the job.

About you: We’re looking for individuals with an infrastructure background and a passion for identity and access management. Practical experience with Windows or Linux infrastructure is essential, alongside core skills in Active Directory. Familiarity with Oracle Identity and Access Management (IAM) is desirable. A solid foundation of applied IT experience, gained in infrastructure or support environments, is important, with sufficient exposure to confidently apply these skills in this role. Success in this role requires exceptional interpersonal and communication skills alongside technical ability. This includes clear written communication for documentation, the ability to explain technical concepts to stakeholders and effective relationship‑building across user communities. A collaborative mindset and a proactive approach to learning will further support success.

Learning and development: From day one, you’ll be supported through a structured induction and a tailored development plan designed to help build capability and confidence. Whether new to identity and access management or looking to deepen 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 IAM services
• Collaboration: engaging with internal teams and external partners across the UK Intelligence Community
• Certification: pursuing qualifications from Microsoft, Linux, CyberArk and others

You’ll learn alongside experienced colleagues, with access to workshops, peer‑led sessions and internal conferences. As your confidence grows, greater responsibility is taken on, with opportunities to help shape the future of identity services. Progression from this role to Infrastructure Engineer typically follows a structured pathway, allowing broader product exposure and deeper subject‑matter expertise.

Benefits: You’ll enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after five years of service, alongside 8 bank holidays and 2.5 additional leave days (set dates throughout 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.

Equal opportunities: To protect the UK, we need a truly diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. We welcome and encourage applications from all individuals, particularly those who are currently under‑represented in our workforce, such as women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, individuals with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions and those from low socio‑economic backgrounds. This is part of our commitment to building a culture that is welcoming and inclusive of people with different identities, lived experiences and perspectives, where everyone has the confidence to bring their whole self to work.