Head of Cyber Security
Senior cyber security leadership role at UKAEA (UK's fusion energy lab): set the organisation-wide cyber strategy, governance and enterprise risk approach, and lead a multidisciplinary security function spanning enterprise IT, scientific computing and operational technology. Requires heavyweight enterprise security leadership experience and UK Security Clearance.
- Compensation
- £81.1K / yr
- Location
- Abingdon, Oxfordshire, gb
- Work setup
- Hybrid
- Seniority
- C level
- Employment
- Not specified
- Experience
- Not specified
- Category
- Security
- Posted
Skills
Must have
- Degree or equivalent professional experience in Cyber Security, IT, Engineering, Computer Science or related discipline
- Significant experience leading an enterprise cyber security, information security, technology risk or cyber governance function
- Experience developing and delivering cyber security strategies and organisational roadmaps
- Experience leading multidisciplinary teams and driving organisational change
- Experience advising executive leaders, Boards and Audit Committees on cyber risk, risk appetite and investment
- Experience managing significant budgets, suppliers, contracts and external partnerships
- Demonstrable experience delivering organisational security maturity improvement across complex environments
- Significant experience operating within regulated, government, scientific research, defence, critical national infrastructure or similarly complex organisations
- Must hold or be able to achieve UK Security Vetting (Security Clearance, SC), including DBS checks; SC residency criteria: 2 of last 5 years UK residency
- Regular onsite presence (usually 3-5 days per week) in Abingdon
Nice to have
- Chartered professional status
- CISSP, CISM, CRISC, SABSA, CCSP or equivalent advanced cyber security qualification
- Experience representing organisations in national or international technical, cyber security or professional forums
Full description
About us
Fusion, the process that powers the sun and stars, is one of the most promising options for generating the cleaner, carbon-free energy that our world badly needs. UKAEA leads the way in realizing fusion energy, partnering with industry and research organisations to achieve ground-breaking advancements. Our goal is to bring fusion electricity to the grid by developing the power stations of tomorrow and the skilled workforce to deliver them.
About the jobShape the cyber security strategy and resilience of one of the UK’s most ambitious national laboratories.
UKAEA is seeking a senior cyber security leader to set the strategic direction for our organisation-wide approach to cyber security, resilience and risk.
As Head of Cyber Security, you will act as UKAEA’s principal cyber security adviser and technical authority, setting cyber strategy and providing independent, authoritative advice to executive leadership and governance bodies across a complex environment spanning enterprise IT, scientific computing, research and operational technology.
You will lead a multidisciplinary cyber security function, own the cyber governance framework and maintain oversight of UKAEA’s enterprise cyber risk posture, security assurance, resilience and cyber operations. You will influence major technology and investment decisions, embed Secure by Design across organisational change, and represent UKAEA with government, regulators, the NCSC, research institutions and industry partners.
This is a senior leadership opportunity for an experienced cyber professional who can operate credibly at executive level across strategy, enterprise risk, governance and assurance, while retaining the technical depth needed to lead cyber security across a highly complex scientific and technology organisation.
If you have experience operating in complex or regulated environments and engaging with senior leaders, government, regulators or national cyber security organisations, we would like to hear from you.
What You’ll Be DoingCyber Security Strategy, Governance & Risk
- Develop and deliver UKAEA’s cyber security strategy, priorities and multi-year roadmap, aligned with organisational objectives, Computing strategy and business needs.
- Lead the cyber security function and own the governance framework, policies, standards and operating principles.
- Oversee enterprise cyber risk, advising senior leaders, ARAC and Executive Committees on risk appetite, risk treatment, investment priorities and strategic decisions.
Security Assurance, Compliance & Resilience
- Lead cyber assurance, regulatory compliance and security improvement, ensuring implementation of GovAssure, CAF, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus and Secure by Design.
- Oversee audits, cyber resilience, disaster recovery and incident recovery, applying lessons learned and ensuring proportionate security across IT, scientific computing, operational technology and research environments.