Security Architect Contract Opportunity! - London (1 day per month - may be more frequent) - £800 - £825 Inside IR35 Morson Edge have partnered with a major UK retail client to recruit an experienced Security Architect to play a pivotal role in a high-profile Cyber Security Maturity Programme within the CISO function. This a great opportunity to shape and elevate enterprise-wide cyber maturity, influence strategic direction, and drive meaningful, measurable improvements to security resilience across a complex technology estate. You'll act as a security champion, working at the heart of architecture, engineering, and business teams to embed secure-by-design principles and deliver a forward-looking security architecture that evolves with both business priorities and the threat landscape. What You'll Be Doing Lead the design and evolution of target-state security architectures aligned to maturity goals Drive cyber security maturity uplift, translating strategy into actionable roadmaps Produce and assure high-level security designs across programme initiatives Ensure solutions align with enterprise security principles, standards, and governance Conduct security architecture assessments, identifying risks and recommending improvements Collaborate across business, engineering, architecture, and third parties to embed security best practice Champion secure-by-design and secure coding principles across delivery teams Support the development of a robust enterprise security architecture framework What We're Looking For Experience 5 years in cyber security, with strong security architecture experience in large-scale environments Proven experience across cloud (public/hybrid), digital platforms, APIs, and enterprise systems Track record of delivering pragmatic, risk-based security solutions Experience working with enterprise architecture and governance frameworks Technical Expertise Strong knowledge of frameworks such as NIST, ISO, PCI DSS, NCSC CAF, CSA Experience with: Cloud & hybrid security architectures Network, endpoint, and data security Zero Trust principles Security tooling (SIEM, WAF, IPS, vulnerability management, etc.) Solid understanding of threat modelling and risk mitigation strategies Broad knowledge of full-stack infrastructure and well-architected frameworks What Sets You Apart Ability to translate complex security concepts into clear business value Strong stakeholder engagement skills from engineers to board-level leaders A pragmatic mindset balancing delivery pressures with long-term architecture integrity Proven ability to influence, guide, and mentor teams A growth mindset with a passion for continuous improvement and innovation This is a great opportunity to be at the forefront of a large-scale cyber transformation programme, influencing enterprise-wide security strategy and architecture. If this sounds of interest please apply to hear more!