Diary Manager

Department 
Admin
Location(s) 
Cheltenham, Scarborough
Salary 
£27,161, comprising a base salary of £24,503 and an additional £2,658 concessionary payment

Job description 

Flexible working: We offer options such as full-time, part-time, compressed hours, job sharing and flexitime, subject to business needs. Flexibility is available across the role, but the level of flexibility may vary depending on the business area and responsibilities. Some areas may require regular on-site attendance at set times, while others may offer hybrid, remote or more flexible working arrangements.

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 Diary Manager, you’ll play a key role in supporting senior colleagues, from  organising meetings to managing busy inboxes. As a vital member of the team, your work helps ensure senior managers can carry out their critical responsibilities effectively, while offering valuable insight into how the organisation operates.

Your core responsibilities include managing the inboxes and diaries of one or more senior members of staff, scheduling meetings, coordinating travel and logistics for senior colleagues, arranging and hosting visits from external partners, and acting as a first point of contact for both internal and external stakeholders.

The role also includes compiling daily document packs, supporting information and record management, following up on tasks and deadlines, and handling a range of administrative duties, including expenses. Confidentiality and discretion are essential, as sensitive information is handled regularly. Depending on the area, some travel to Manchester or other UK sites may be required.

This is a fast-paced role where no two days are the same, but you won’t face it alone. With a clear career pathway and a tight-knit, supportive community around you, there’s plenty of scope to learn, grow and feel supported every step of the way. You’ll work closely with different parts of the organisation, anticipating needs, managing priorities and enabling effective leadership across critical business areas.

About you

You don’t need any specific background or experience to apply; we’re more interested in your skills, attitude and willingness to learn. You might be looking for your first role, changing career, or returning to work. While formal GCSE qualifications aren’t required, the role does call for a good level of English and maths, along with confidence using Microsoft Office applications and a basic familiarity with using a desktop computer.

A proactive approach is important, as the work involves organising multiple priorities and using your initiative to keep things running smoothly. Attention to detail will help you manage inboxes, schedule meetings and handle administrative tasks accurately. Good communication and teamwork skills will enable you to collaborate effectively with colleagues from a range of backgrounds and seniority levels. Being comfortable managing your own time and workload will also help you thrive in this fast-paced environment.

Training and development

When you start, you’ll receive an organisation-wide induction and a buddy to help you settle in. We’re proud to offer an inclusive, supportive environment and are committed to helping you fulfil your potential.

You’ll get full on-the-job training to build skills in areas such as administration, organisation, communication and stakeholder management. A tailored six-month development plan will guide you through your early months, followed by personalised goals and ongoing support.

Progression can happen quickly for those with the motivation and desire to learn, in some cases as early as 18 months. Success isn’t about your background, but your drive.

This role has clear competencies and development levels, along with structured guidance to support your progression and help you take the next steps that are right for you, whatever that may look like. Performance is recognised through annual appraisals and in-year awards, with opportunities to develop further within a few years.

Rewards and benefits

You’ll receive a starting salary of £27,161, plus a range of additional benefits, including:

•    25 days’ annual leave, automatically rising 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
•    the 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: people with different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking, and people with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We therefore welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from groups currently under-represented in our workforce such as women, people from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

We’re 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 to take action to improve how they recruit, retain and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident Leader, we aim to ensure that a fair and proportionate number of disabled applicants who best meet the essential minimum criteria for this position will be offered an interview, where it is practical for us to do so. (This is known as the Offer of an interview). To secure an interview for this role, the minimum criteria (in order of application process) are:

•    Demonstrating a good level of English and maths
•    Demonstrating experience with Microsoft Office applications
•    Achieving the minimum pass mark on the assessment questions

There is a wide range of extra support available throughout the recruitment process to enable you to do your best, see our website 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.    situational judgement test
2.    application sift, assessing your motivation for the role and organisation
3.    virtual interview
4.    if successful, you’ll receive a conditional offer of employment

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 the full eligibility criteria.

This role requires the highest level of security clearance, known as Developed Vetting (DV). It’s something everyone in the UK Intelligence Community undertakes. 

Please note we have a strict drugs policy. Once you begin your application, you must not take any recreational drugs, and you’ll need to declare your previous drug usage at the relevant stage.

Before applying, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having identifying features in your email address, such as your first or surname or your date of birth. This is good practice and will help you manage your application with us more securely.

The role is based in Cheltenham or Scarborough, 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.

Please note that you should only launch your application from within the UK. If you are based overseas, you should wait until you are visiting the UK before starting an 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 close applications once a certain number have been received. Please submit your application as soon as possible to avoid missing out. If you have a disability (as defined under the Equality Act 2010) and need additional time to complete your application, please submit your initial application. Then contact us via the email provided as soon as possible, using the subject line "Reasonable adjustments extension" and briefly outline the support you require.