Interim Chief Information Security Officer - Classified Network Security Programme
Job Title: Interim Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) - Classified Network Security Programme
Location: UK Hybrid
Clearance Required: Active Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV) preferred. Minimum active Developed Vetting (DV)
Contract Type: Interim/Contract (12-18 months initial, high likelihood of extension) - Outside IR35
Day Rate: DOE
Position Overview: Interim Chief Information Security Officer required for a high-stakes classified UK Defence project. This role leads the Network Security initiative, ensuring robust protection of sensitive assets in a secure environment. Reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), you will drive security strategy, compliance, and risk mitigation to safeguard mission-critical operations.
Key Responsibilities:
Lead the design, implementation, and oversight of Network Security architecture for classified systems, including firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention, encryption protocols, and secure access controls.
Conduct risk assessments, vulnerability management, and incident response planning tailored to defence-grade threats, ensuring alignment with NCSC and CPNI standards.
Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, ops, intel) to integrate security-by-design into project deliverables, focusing on zero-trust models and SASE frameworks.
Advise the CIO on emerging cyber threats, regulatory changes and strategic security enhancements to maintain project integrity.
Oversee compliance audits, security clearances for team members, and reporting on security metrics to senior stakeholders.
Manage third-party vendor security risks and ensure all protocols meet classified information handling requirements.
Drive rapid incident resolution and post-event analysis to minimise downtime in high-sensitivity operations.
Essential Requirements:
Active Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV) or Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.
10+ years in Senior Information Security Roles, with proven leadership in UK Defence or Intelligence Community projects.
Expertise in Network Security technologies (e.g., PKI, cryptography, secure cloud architectures on AWS/Azure/GCP with defence integrations).
Strong background in classified environments.
Demonstrable experience leading security teams on time-bound projects, with a track record of delivering under pressure.
Professional certifications: CISSP, CISM, or equivalent; NCSC/CLAS consultancy experience highly desirable.
Desirable Skills:
Offensive cyber/red teaming knowledge (CHECK/CREST/Tiger Scheme).
Experience with SOC operations, threat intelligence, or DevSecOps in secure-by-design pipelines.
Familiarity with defence primes (e.g., BAE, QinetiQ) and framework agreements.
Next Steps:
If interested, please send me your most recent CV to me so that we can speak in more detail.
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