Network Engineer Ref. 3771

Closing Date - 23:00 on Tuesday 14th July 2026

£37,892 annual salary, plus a potential £2,758 concessionary payment. Additional bonuses may include a £2,000 recruitment bonus and £4,513 skills payment, assessed during the interview process.

Flexible working - We support a range of flexible working patterns including full time and part time arrangements and compressed hours. Due to the sensitive nature of the role, home or remote working is not possible.

About the role

As a Network Engineer within the Network Capability Centre (NCC), you will design, implement and maintain secure, scalable network infrastructure that underpins critical organisational systems. Key responsibilities include:

• Designing and building network solutions across the full lifecycle of delivery
• Supporting deployments, monitoring and troubleshooting live environments to maintain availability, performance and security
• Updating, patching and optimisation of network services
• Contributing to disaster recovery and business continuity activities
• Collaborating with internal teams, customers and external organisations to resolve issues and strengthen network capability
• Driving continuous improvement and adopting new technologies that enhance resilience and security

The role is suitable for early career or developing engineers looking to broaden their technical capability and progress into senior engineering positions.

About you

You will have GCSEs (or equivalent) in Maths and English at Grade 4/C or above, and a solid foundation in network engineering. Key qualifications and skills include:

• Experience with Cisco or similar networking technologies
• Knowledge of network configuration and support, with familiarity in Linux or Windows systems
• Experience in automation, cloud platforms or core services such as DNS and DHCP (desirable)
• Hands on problem solving skills and a practical approach to diagnosing and repairing live systems
• Strong communication skills and the ability to work effectively within a team
• Demonstrated interest in networking and emerging technologies

Training and development

On joining, you will complete a structured induction in the NCC, after which you will work alongside experienced engineers on live systems and gain access to internal and external training courses, including core networking coursework and industry recognised certifications such as Cisco.

Rewards and benefits

• 25 days' annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years of service, plus an additional 10.5 days public and priviledged holidays
• Recognition through the employee performance scheme
• Interest free season ticket loan
• Access to subsidised gym, restaurant and coffee bars at some locations
• Paid parental and adoption leave

Equal opportunities

At GCHQ, diversity and inclusion are critical to our mission. We welcome applications from all backgrounds, including women, ethnic minorities, people with disabilities, and those from low socio economic backgrounds.

Disability confident

GCHQ is a Leader in the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Confident scheme, offering fair, proportionate interviews to candidates who self identify as disabled and meet the essential criteria for the role.

Essential criteria

• Pass the online Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
• Meet the minimum pass marks in both motivational and technical questions
• Demonstrate analytical problem solving skills and an inquisitive approach to technology

Role location and relocation

The role is based in Manchester or Cheltenham. Candidates should reside within a commutable distance, as relocation costs are not covered.

Travel costs

We provide discretionary reimbursement for travel expenses for candidates attending in person appointments during the recruitment and vetting process, subject to the Candidate Expenses Policy.