NCF Head of Communications and Engagement

Closing Date - 23:00 on Tuesday 19th May 2026

Corporate Services £86,795 (including a concessionary payment of £3,144)

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 role

As our NCF Head of Communications and Engagement you’ll set the strategic direction for all communications activity across the NCF. You’ll lead ground‑breaking initiatives for the global defence community, with significant impact on the reputation of our organisation and our partners GCHQ, MI5 and MI6. It’s an exciting and rewarding opportunity to shape our growing communications department, where you’ll have a direct impact on our mission. Working at pace in a complex environment, you’ll lead and line‑manage a talented team, build capability and foster an inclusive, supportive culture where everyone can thrive. You’ll act as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, providing expert counsel on reputation, stakeholder engagement and strategic communications, and you’ll work across government, building and maintaining relationships with key stakeholders including media contacts and sector partners. From media relations to internal messaging, you’ll oversee all communications throughout the NCF, while developing and delivering our overall strategy and ensuring it supports business objectives and aligns with the Government Communication Plan. You’ll also provide direct input into corporate planning and decision‑making at board level, working collaboratively with policy, operations and corporate teams to ensure quality and consistency across everything we do. The role is office‑based at our site in Samlesbury. Some travel across the UK will be required to engage with stakeholders, partners and team members at other sites. Some out‑of‑hours working is also expected depending on external communication requests, with our flexitime offering allowing you to take back time when needed.

About you

You’ll have extensive experience leading a communications function at a senior level, with a track record of delivering strategic communications that achieve measurable outcomes. Your understanding of the media landscape, digital communications and emerging trends will be strong. You’ll be confident in your judgement skills and able to provide clear, credible advice to senior stakeholders. With strong leadership, learning and development skills, you’ll know how to motivate and build a supportive and effective multidisciplinary team. You’ll be committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, embedding these values within your team. Influencing and relationship management skills are a must, as you’ll engage with and advise board members, build trust with external partners and navigate complex relationships. A commitment to innovation and change is important, along with a flexible approach that will allow you to shift priorities and respond effectively in fast‑moving situations. You’ll be able to distil complex issues into compelling narratives to achieve stakeholder buy‑in and to challenge constructively when needed to ensure we’re always taking the right approach in our communications. Your experience may come from any background or sector; what’s important is a breadth of knowledge. For example, you might have worked in media relations, campaigns, digital or internal communications. You’ll also need experience managing budgets and resources, and examples of work you’ve been involved in that demonstrate your abilities. We expect you to be professionally accredited in communications in some form – a related degree, a diploma, NCTJ or CIPR, for example.

Training and development

When you join, you’ll be invited to a three‑day induction where we’ll give you an overview of the NCF and what we do. You’ll also receive a detailed brief to introduce you to the business unit you’ll be joining. We invest significantly in training and development. Once you’re settled, you’ll have access to a wide variety of training, courses and accreditation opportunities, along with protected time to pursue them. Your line manager will also be based on‑site and will support you with any development opportunities you wish to access.

Rewards and benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £86,795 (including concessionary payment of £3,144) plus other benefits including:

• 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

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.

We’re Disability Confident

GCHQ are proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions 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. We aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person‑to‑person interviews to any candidate who self‑identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role.

Eligibility

To work at GCHQ you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV).