Maths and Cryptography Internship
GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters) is the United Kingdom's intelligence, security and cyber agency.
About GCHQ
A UK government executive agency responsible for foreign-focused signals intelligence and cyber security work. It operates the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC), which provides public-facing cyber-security guidance, tools, frameworks and incident-response services.
Skills
Candidate Availability
Required and preferred rules are kept separate and reflect the wording in the original posting.
About the Role
You will conduct technical research with other undergraduate students during a nine-week internship. You will work on projects involving cryptographic algorithms, complex data sets, statistical tools, machine learning, high-performance computing, and mathematical research. Training will develop the mathematics and programming skills needed for the work.
Requirements
- Be studying for an undergraduate degree in mathematics or a joint honours degree with mathematics as the main component
- Have completed at least two taught years of the degree by June 2027
- Be on track to achieve a 2:1 qualification
- Hold at least an A in A-level mathematics or an equivalent qualification
- Demonstrate sound mathematical grounding and ability
- Be a British citizen or hold dual British nationality
- Pass Developed Vetting security clearance
Responsibilities
- Conduct collaborative technical research
- Assess cryptographic algorithms
- Analyse complex data sets
- Develop statistical tools
- Apply machine learning and conduct machine learning research
- Program high-performance computers
- Conduct mathematical research
Benefits
- 4.5 paid days off during the internship
- Flexible working hours for most of the summer
- Subsidised gym and restaurant
- On-site coffee bars
- Reasonable reimbursement of travel costs for in-person recruitment and vetting appointments
Hiring Process
Initial online application and eligibility pre-screening → online Situational Judgement Test → full application form → application sift → virtual interview with technical presentation, competency questions, and mathematics questions → vetting.