Job Description

Flexible Working:

Full-time, part-time, and compressed hours are possible. Home working is available up to one day per week, but beyond that, it is an office-based role. Remote working from another location is not initially available but may be possible after 18-24 months, at which point you may have the opportunity to work from any of our offices in Cheltenham, London, or Manchester.


Your knowledge of Dari and Pashto could unlock a career in intelligence. By joining GCHQ, you can play your part in protecting the UK.

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.

The Role

If you have a passion for languages, working as a language specialist for the UK intelligence agencies presents a truly unique opportunity. You'll be at the heart of our mission, supporting high-value activities that will keep the country safe. We're looking for Dari and Pashto linguists for a role that goes well beyond translation and transcription - this role is about more than words. Your knowledge of the Dari and Pashto languages, along with your in-depth understanding of Afghan and Pashtun cultures, ideology, and politics, will be a significant asset in helping to safeguard the UK.


Forming part of both mission and language teams, you'll be supported by a strong network of collaboration. The work is challenging, involving piecing together bits of a puzzle, sifting through material, and producing intelligence as a team effort. Language technology will be used, with the potential to develop new solutions. It's crucial to understand that we're language analysts, not just translators; we identify the right material, fit it into the intelligence narrative, and help customers make informed decisions.


With adept knowledge of the Dari and Pashto languages and surrounding cultures, you'll be able to identify nuances, seek out key information from spoken and written materials, contextualise it, and make the information accessible and understandable to others. Every step of the way, you'll have plenty of opportunities to develop your career path, focusing on the areas that interest you most. Whatever you're doing, you'll enjoy varied, unique work using language skills you never considered could create such an impact.


You'll engage in a mix of individual work and group projects, with plenty of cross-team collaboration. You may also mentor other linguists, form working groups, or enhance your analytical, reporting or technical skills. This role offers significant opportunities for learning, development, and knowledge-sharing.

About you

You don't need experience or qualifications to be a Dari and Pashto Language Specialist with us. However, you must have passive language skills in Dari and Pashto, to the equivalent of a C1 level in reading and listening. Additionally, you should have excellent written English a good knowledge of Dari and Pashto culture, history, religion, and politics. Essentially, you'll be passionate about the language and a proficient user (at a C1 level on the CEFR framework or equivalent, see explanation below) of the Dari and Pashto languages.


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

Understand a wide range of longer and more demanding texts or conversations. Express ideas without too much searching. Effectively use the language for social, academic, or professional situations. Create well-structured and detailed texts on complex topics.
You can also access the CEFR self-assessment grid for more information on our requirements.


Your proficiency could come from growing up in a multilingual family, undergoing language training in the military, or studying Dari and Pashto to a high level academically. Whatever your route into the language, you'll be inquisitive, curious, and a keen problem-solver. You won't take things at face value: you'll ask questions and think analytically to find solutions. Working with others will be enjoyable for you, you're a confident communicator both verbally and in writing, and you'll take pride in the insights you can bring.


During the interview process, you'll need to pass a language proficiency test by reading and translating newspaper articles and broadcasts, as well as listening to and interpreting audio materials. The results will be considered alongside the role requirements on a case-by-case basis.

Training and Development

When you join, you'll receive a thorough induction on our tools, methods and ways of working. We understand that starting a new role can be challenging, so we don't expect you to be fully prepared from day one. We'll provide comprehensive training to ensure you have all the skills and knowledge needed to excel in your role. Initial training will be provided on tools, the job, the context, and everything you need to know beyond the language.


You'll also be assigned a 'buddy' to help you settle into life at the organisation, as well as a language mentor who'll provide role-based support. Other language training will be provided through corporate training providers and in-house. Whether it's the technologies we use or the context of the work, we'll provide all the training you need to thrive in your role. We value and nurture talent, and we're committed to ensuring you have the support and guidance to build a rewarding career at the heart of national security.


Additionally, we offer maintenance training to keep your language skills up to date. You'll also be encouraged to pursue areas of interest to you. These might be management, enhancing your deep language skills, or your analytical and reporting capabilities. We'll work with you to facilitate your needs. Other types of professional and personal development training, as well as other types of skills training, are available as part of your career development, including CertTrans and DipTrans exams. At GCHQ, you'll have all the support you need to explore new opportunities, further your knowledge, and build a rewarding career.

Rewards and Benefits

At GCHQ, you'll receive a starting salary of 36,408. After successful completion of the 6-month probationary period, you'll be eligible for an additional payment of 3,120 per annum in recognition of your language skills.


Other benefits include:

25 days' annual leave, automatically rising to 30 days after 5 years' service, and an additional 10.5 days of public and privilege holidays. Opportunities to be recognised through our employee performance scheme. Opportunities to work flexibly, subject to business needs. Interest-free season ticket loan. Excellent pension scheme. Cycle to work scheme. Facilities such as a gym, restaurant, and on-site coffee bars. 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: those with 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 those from groups that are underrepresented in our workforce, 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 commitment to diversity on our website: https://www.GCHQ-careers.co.uk/life-at-GCHQ/diversity-inclusion.html

We're Disability Confident

GCHQ is proud to have achieved Leader status within the DWP's Disability Confident scheme. This scheme aims to encourage 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 any candidate who self-identifies as disabled and meets the essential criteria for the role. This is our 'Offer of Interview' (OOI). To secure an interview for this vacancy, the essential criteria (in order of application process) are:

Demonstrate a strong motivation and commitment to work for the UK intelligence agencies, assessed at application form sift. Achieve a pass in the Dari and Pashto language tests.

What to Expect

Our recruitment process is fair, transparent, and based on merit. Here is a brief overview of each stage, in order:

Initial application and eligibility sift. In-person language tests in Cheltenham. An in-person interview and assessment centre.
You may also be required to undergo a hearing test for this role. We regret that we're unable to reimburse travel expenses.

Please note, you must successfully pass each stage of the process to progress to the next. Your application may take around 9-12 months to process, including vetting, so we advise you to continue any current employment until you have received your final job offer.

Before You Apply

To work at GCHQ, you need to be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality. You can read our full eligibility criteria here: https://www.GCHQ-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html


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


You can find out more about the vetting process here: https://www.GCHQ-careers.co.uk/how-to-apply.html


Please note, we have a strict drugs policy. 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 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 to manage your application more securely.


This 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 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.