Flexible working: We support a range of flexible working arrangements, including part time
Below, you will find a complete breakdown of everything required of potential candidates, as well as how to apply Good luck.
hours, compressed working patterns, and flexible start and finish times. All roles require on-
site working. We are happy to discuss individual 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. At GCHQ, you'll do varied and fascinating work in a
supportive and inclusive environment that places the emphasis on teamwork.
The role
As a Principal Project Manager, you will be responsible for delivering a variety of complex,
high-impact projects, taking them from initiation through to completion. The portfolio you
cover will be broad and varied, spanning business change to technical programmes. Across
every project, you will be trusted to shape the delivery approach, set expectations, guide multi-
disciplinary teams and keep projects moving forward in environments where priorities shift
and challenges evolve.
Alongside this day-to-day delivery leadership, you will also operate at a strategic level, leading
whole projects or major elements of larger programmes, driving governance and assurance
activity, and writing and managing business cases that support informed decision-making.
The projects you lead will directly enable major organisational outcomes. Your leadership will
span the full project lifecycle, planning, scheduling and coordinating; managing time, cost,
quality and benefits; and proactively controlling risk, issues, dependencies and change. This
involves bringing structure to uncertainty, creating momentum during periods of change, and
offering clarity when key decisions are required.
You will engage and influence stakeholders at all levels, including senior leaders, partners,
suppliers and customers, producing clear reports, briefings and recommendations that
support confident decision-making. Delivery methods will be tailored to each project to suit
the context and unlock progress and value.
Some projects will be led independently; others will place you within larger, multi-disciplinary
delivery groups. In every case, you will be supported by a well-established project
management community, and the outcomes you deliver will have real-world impact across
the organisation. The role also includes line management responsibilities, with opportunities
to take on mentoring as part of your continued development. Occasional UK travel may be
required to meet teams and engage with stakeholders.

About you
You have a recognised project management qualification, such as the Association for Project
Management (APM) Project Fundamentals Qualification (PFQ), the APM Project
Management Qualification (PMQ), or an equivalent certification. You'll also have at least four
GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above (including English and Mathematics), or equivalent Level 2
qualifications, or relevant experience demonstrating solid numeracy and communication.

You have experience delivering projects across varied environments and are ready to take
on more complex, higher-impact work. You have led significant workstreams, engaged with
senior stakeholders, and maintained progress when challenges arise. You understand the
foundations of project management, planning, reporting, financial tracking, risks, issues and
change, and can apply these with confidence in environments where detail, judgement and
clear communication matter.
You know how to influence, negotiate and collaborate with a wide range of colleagues, from
technical specialists to business generalists. You adapt your communication style to suit
different audiences, presenting information clearly to support informed decision-making.
Your credibility, consistency and reliability help you build trust quickly across teams.
Experience delivering projects in environments such as agile delivery, digital or engineering
settings, Government Digital Service (GDS) frameworks, cyber security, or emerging
technologies (including artificial intelligence) would be beneficial, though not essential.
You bring qualities that define successful project managers at this level: flexibility in shifting
environments, calmness under pressure, a proactive approach to problem-solving, and
curiosity about how to deliver the best possible results. You value collaboration and shared
learning, and you're committed to your own development, ready to stretch your leadership
skills and continue progressing.
Training and development
A structured induction will help you understand our mission, ways of working, and the
delivery community you will be joining. During your first weeks, you will meet your line manager
and a dedicated buddy who will support your transition, build your confidence, and help you
navigate the organisation.
Development continues through a blend of internal and external training, practical
experience, and community support. As a corporate member of the Association for Project
Management (APM), we encourage you to explore relevant courses, frameworks, and
accreditation pathways. Access to mentoring, coaching, regular career check-ins and project
management forums, will provide you with opportunities to share learning and strengthen
your professional network.
Ongoing development is integral to the role. Support is available to deepen expertise across
planning, risk, financials, reporting and benefits, as well as to build leadership capabilities
needed for increasingly complex delivery. Whether the aim is to broaden experience,
specialise in a particular area or progress into more senior project roles, guidance and
opportunities are in place to help you grow with confidence. Throughout this journey, an
active and generous project management community contributes to shared learning and
professional growth.
Rewards and Benefits
You will receive a starting salary £53,000 to £64,841 dependent on skills and experience, plus
other benefits including:
 25 days annual leave, rising automatically to 30 days after 5 years
service, plus an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays
 opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
 an interest-free season ticket loan
 an excellent pension scheme
 a 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
workforce that truly reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense of
the word: people of 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 individuals from
groups that are currently under-represented in our workforce, such as women, people from
ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic
backgrounds.
Visit our website to find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity .
We are Disability Confident
GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and
Pensions Disability Confident scheme. The scheme encourages employers to think
differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop
disabled people. As a Disability Confident organisation, we aim to ensure that a fair and
proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential criteria for
this position, assessed at sift, are offered an interview, if it is practical for us to do so. This
is known as the Offer of Interview. To secure an interview for this role,
the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

 You will be required to reach the minimum pass mark for the Organisational
Situational Judgement Test which looks at your ability to problem solve. If you meet
this criteria, you will be directed to complete an application form.
 You must hold a minimum of four GCSEs at Grade 4/C or above, including English
Language and Mathematics, or equivalent Level 2 qualifications. Relevant
experience demonstrating solid numeracy and communication skills may be
considered as an alternative.
 You must hold a recognised project management qualification, such as the
Association for Project Management (APM) Project Fundamentals Qualification
(PFQ), the APM Project Management Qualification (PMQ), or an equivalent
certification.
 Experience delivering projects across varied environments, with accountability for
managing projects or significant workstreams.
 Effective stakeholder engagement and communication skills, with experience
influencing senior stakeholders and presenting clear, concise information to a variety
of audiences
We offer a range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you
to perform at your best. Visit our 'How to Apply' page for information on reasonable
adjustments we can offer.
What to expect
Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of
each stage, in order:
1. Online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) rating the appropriateness of your
responses to a series of short scenarios. The SJT tests criteria important for all roles
in our organisation.
2. Application sift, which will assess your motivation for the role, the organisation and
your relevant experience.
3. Interview to assess competency and suitability for the role.
4. If successful, you will receive the conditional offer of employment, subject to a drugs
test and vetting.
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next.
Your application may take around 6 to 9 months to process including vetting, so
we advise you continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.
Before you apply
To work at GCHQ, you must be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. Read
about our eligibility criteria.
This role requires the highest security clearance, known as Developed Vetting
(DV). It's something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. Find out more
about the vetting process.
Please note we have a strict drugs policy, so once you start your application, you can't take
any recreational drugs, and you'll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant
stage.
Before applying, we recommend setting up a separate email address for your contact with us
to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to
avoid including identifying features in your email address, such as your first and/or surname
and date of birth. This is good practice and will help you manage your application with us
more securely.
The role is based in Cheltenham, so you'll need to live within a commutable distance. Please
consider any financial implications and practicalities before submitting an application, as we
do not offer relocation costs.
We offer reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for candidates attending in-person
appointments during the recruitment and vetting process. Full details will be provided with
your interview or assessment invitation. Reimbursement is discretionary and will only be
made in line with the Candidate Expenses Policy, as amended from time to time. Candidates
must book their own travel, using the most economical option, and provide original hard copy
receipts for reimbursement.
Please note, you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based
overseas, you should wait until you visit the UK to begin your application. Applying from
outside the UK will affect our ability to progress your application. You should not discuss your
application, other than with your partner or a close family member.
Right to withdraw statement:
Please be aware that we reserve the right to bring forward the closing date for this role once
a certain number of applications have been received. xohmjla Please be mindful of this
and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.