European Language Specialist – French / German

Department Languages
Location(s) Cheltenham
Salary £33,750, plus a concessionary payment of £2,658

Job description 

Flexible working: While our roles are typically office-based, we offer flexible working options to support our employees’ work-life balance. These may include flexible hours, part-time working or compressed hours, subject to business needs. We can discuss your needs and explore options that work for you. 

About us

At GCHQ, we unlock the complex world of data and communications to keep the UK and its citizens safe, both in the real world and online. Working closely with our British Intelligence partners in MI5 and MI6, we protect the UK from threats such as serious organised crime, terrorism, and cyber-attacks. A role in GCHQ means you’ll have varied and fascinating work in a supportive and encouraging environment that puts the emphasis on teamwork.

The role

As a Language Specialist, you’ll apply your linguistic expertise to translate and extract key information from a range of foreign materials, some of which may be technical or specialised in nature. But this role goes far beyond translation. You’ll also develop analytical and technical skills and an understanding of communication technologies to support key aspects of our work. Day-to-day, you’ll combine your translation skills with drafting, analytical, and technical skills, applying your deep understanding of language and cultural nuances to produce in-depth analysis and write reports that will accurately inform live operations. Given the dynamic nature of our work, the amount of focus on each of these skills can vary. 

This is a role with significant influence. Your cultural expertise will be invaluable in supporting our operational teams, providing critical insights and intelligence that inform their work. As a subject matter expert, you’ll also contribute to high-level discussions and forums, helping to shape our understanding of key issues. 

You won’t be working alone. Our thriving language community at GCHQ brings together hundreds of language specialists, creating a rich environment where you can learn, grow, and thrive surrounded by like-minded individuals who share your passion for language, you’ll have access to a wealth of expertise and feedback to support your continued development. 

Opportunities to retrain in another language may be available, depending on business needs.

About you

You don’t need any previous experience or a formal qualification in French or German to apply, but you should have proficiency in either language to at least CEFR C1 level across all disciplines: reading, writing, speaking, and listening (see explanation below). This should be complemented by a deep understanding of the cultural context associated with the language, including the countries and regions where French or German are spoken. This encompasses aspects such as culture, history, religion, and politics. You should be fluent in English and able to translate French or German language materials into accurate and idiomatic English. As part of our recruitment process, we’ll assess your proficiency in written and spoken French or German. If you have skills in other modern foreign languages, we encourage you to highlight them as we’re interested in hearing about your additional language capabilities.  

At C1 level or higher, you’re able to:

understand a wide range of longer and more demanding texts and conversations
express ideas fluently without excessive searching for words
use the language effectively in social, academic, or professional situations
produce well-structured, detailed texts on complex topics
You can also access the CEFR self-assessment grid for more information on our requirements.

You don’t need any analytical experience, but you’ll be curious and enjoy putting the pieces of a puzzle together to unlock a bigger picture. You’re someone who brings attention to detail and a can-do attitude to your work, and you’re confident communicating with others. 

Training and development

At GCHQ, we’re passionate about supporting your growth and development as a Language Specialist. From the very start, you’ll have a dedicated mentor to help you settle into your new role and provide guidance every step of the way. Plus, you’ll receive comprehensive training and support to get you up to speed on technical aspects of the job.

We’re committed to helping you build a fulfilling career in national security, and we’re excited to offer opportunities for growth and development. Within the first five years with us, you’ll have the opportunity to join the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CloL®) and work towards recognised professional linguist qualifications. We’re proud to invest in our people, and we’re confident that you’ll thrive in our supportive and collaborative environment. 

Rewards and benefits 

You’ll receive a starting salary of £36,408 plus other benefits including:

25 days’ annual leave, rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days’ public and privilege holidays
opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme
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 diverse workforce that reflects the society we serve. This includes diversity in every sense: different backgrounds, ages, ethnicities, gender identities, sexual orientations, ways of thinking, and individuals with disabilities or neurodivergent conditions. We welcome and encourage applications from everyone, including those from under-represented groups, such as women, individuals from ethnic minority backgrounds, people with disabilities, and those from low socio-economic backgrounds.

Find out more about our culture, working environment and diversity on our website.

We’re disability confident

GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the Department for Work and Pensions Disability Confident scheme. This initiative encourages employers to think differently about disability and take action to improve how they recruit, retain, and develop disabled people. As a Disability Confident employer, we aim to offer a fair and proportionate number of person-to-person interviews to candidates who self-identify as disabled and meet essential criteria for the role. This is part of our ‘Offer of Interview’ (OOI) scheme’. 

To secure an interview for this vacancy, you must meet the essential criteria, which will be assessed at the application from sift stage.

These criteria are: 

a genuine motivation and commitment to work for the UK intelligence agencies assessed at application form sift
a high level of proficiency in French, German, or both (by achieving a pass in the language tests) 
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’s a brief overview of each stage:

Initial application and eligibility sift 
In-person language tests in French or German in London
An online Digital Analysis Test
An in-person interview and Language Aptitude Test in Cheltenham 
Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 9 to 12 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 on our website. 

Please note that 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 you apply, we advise you to consider setting up a separate email address for your contact with us, to ensure that your personal and application correspondence remain separate. Try to avoid having 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 discreetly.

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.

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 launch an application. Applying from outside the UK will impact on 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 from the original closing date once a certain number of applications have been received. Please be mindful of this and submit your application at your earliest convenience to avoid disappointment.