Infrastructure Engineer (Identity Access Management)
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 emphasises teamwork.
Salary : £44,404, including a concessionary payment of £2,658. You may also qualify for a skills payment ranging from £4,513 to £9,812 and a recruitment bonus of £3,500, both dependent on technical ability and successful assessment during the interview process.
The role
As an Infrastructure Engineer within Identity and Access Management, you’ll join a technically specialised capability that underpins secure access across the UK’s security services. Working across a wide range of systems and environments, the position ensures identity and access services remain stable, secure, and compliant. This work supports both national and international partners, safeguarding the integrity of mission-critical systems.
In this technical role, you will be part of one or more product teams delivering and running identity services, supporting large and complex strategic programmes across the intelligence community. Responsibilities include acting as a product Subject Matter Expert (SME) working with stakeholders with a focus on maintaining existing capabilities and working with your peers to develop new ones for future initiatives. Depending on team alignment, you may also deepen your technical expertise or support colleague development.
Day-to-day work covers identity operations, incident resolution, and dealing with service requests across multiple platforms and technologies. Active participation in product development and roadmap planning ensures alignment with key initiatives and platform improvements. Collaboration is essential, requiring close engagement with internal and external stakeholders to strengthen access management and maintain compliance and reliability. Knowledge sharing is equally important, including mentoring and training to promote secure access practices and technical excellence. Occasional travel to Cheltenham and London will be required, with some limited opportunities for international travel.
About you
You’ll bring technical knowledge and practical experience in identity and access management, supported by a solid infrastructure background in either Windows or Linux environments. The role requires confidence in working with core identity technologies and security components, such as directory services, public key infrastructure, identity providers, authentication mechanisms, and privileged access solutions, ensuring robust and secure access across complex environments.
Comfort with solving complex problems and communicating technical concepts to a wide range of stakeholders, including senior leaders and non-specialist users, is essential. Experience working across geographically dispersed teams is also important, as the role demands balancing operational support with strategic delivery. Most importantly, initiative, knowledge sharing, and a positive contribution to team culture are key in a high-trust, mission critical environment.
Learning and development
From day one, you’ll be supported by a structured induction and a tailored development plan designed to help you grow into the role. Bringing your experience in identity and access management, you’ll enhance your skills through advanced training, formal learning, and opportunities to share knowledge with peers.
Building on your experience, we’ll provide advanced development opportunities across technical delivery, professional growth, and collaboration:
- Technical delivery : gaining practical experience and guidance from experienced mentors
- Professional development : pursuing certifications from Microsoft, Linux, CyberArk and more
- Collaboration : engaging with colleagues across teams and participating in cross-organisational initiatives
- Continuous learning : accessing workshops, reading groups, internal conferences, and recognition schemes
As your expertise grows, there are opportunities to take on more responsibility, whether through technical leadership, mentoring or wider engagement across the organisation. Our culture champions autonomy, collaboration, and continuous learning.
Some of our benefits
You will enjoy 25 days annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, alongside 8 bank holidays and 2.5 additional leave days (set dates through 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. Discover more about our .