NCSC Senior AI Technologist

Job description 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 a strong 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 aims to make the UK the safest place to live and work online.

AI is transforming how organisations design, build and defend technology — and the NCSC is looking for outstanding technical talent to help protect the UK in ways that only we can. Join us to research, develop and deploy agentic solutions that strengthen the nation’s cyber security and resilience.

We’re looking for talented AI technologists to join us across a variety of departments at the NCSC. You’ll be at the forefront of applying AI to some of the UK’s most important cyber security and resilience challenges. You’ll help explore how increasingly capable AI systems can strengthen defence, improve security outcomes and enhance our understanding of adversaries. You’ll also support organisations across the public and private sectors to adopt AI confidence and contribute to the development of secure, resilient and innovative technology.

Working in highly specialised and classified environments, you’ll help design, build, deploy and scale intelligent solutions that transform how people work, learn and interact with technology. You’ll work alongside multidisciplinary teams and some of the world’s leading cyber experts to advance AI capabilities and turn breakthrough ideas into production‑ready systems that support some of the UK’s most important national security missions.

These roles support a wide range of GCHQ and NCSC missions, offering opportunities across engineering, cyber operations and AI security and applied research. Depending on your expertise, you could develop AI‑enabled systems and agents, assess and secure AI technologies, apply AI to complex cyber security challenges and build and deploy innovative capabilities, or conduct research into emerging technologies and threats.

We’re looking for individuals who can demonstrate experience delivering impactful outcomes through the application of AI technologies and/or agent development, ideally within a small team environment.

You should have experience contributing to the delivery of technical solutions or research objectives, working collaboratively as part of a wider project team. You’ll have a genuine interest in cyber security and an enthusiasm for learning about a broad range of topics across the field. This may be demonstrated through personal projects, technical communities, research activities, or participation in activities such as Capture the Flag (CTF) challenges.

You’ll be able to quickly understand and apply new technologies, with experience in one or more of the following areas: software development, systems architecture design and build, or technical research and analysis.

The ideal candidate will enjoy working across technical disciplines, collaborating with colleagues from a range of backgrounds and specialisms, and continuously developing and applying new skills. You’ll thrive in a fast‑paced environment, adapt to changing priorities, and demonstrate a commitment to equality, diversity and inclusion.

We welcome applications from people of all educational and professional backgrounds and have no formal qualification requirements. Instead, we’re interested in evidence of your technical ability, potential and achievements. Depending on the role and your skills, you may be eligible for specialist pay. These roles require 80% office attendance, depending on the role and business needs.

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