What you’ll be doing
as the Head of Security Architecture
Security Architecture Leadership
1. Own, define and continuously evolve the Security Architecture Strategy and its supporting frameworks.
2. Embed secure-by-design principles across Digital, ensuring security requirements are incorporated through delivery and into operations.
3. Lead the development, governance and optimisation of security controls across all programs, [and support elsewhere], ensuring they are effective, measurable and aligned to recognised industry frameworks and regulatory expectations, which are in turn, mapped to internal Information Security Standards.
4. Oversee the integration of threat modelling, risk assessment and secure design principles into Digital programmes, projects and service lifecycles.
Strategic Influence & Cross Digital Collaboration
5. Act as a senior strategic advisor within the Extended Leadership Team, advocating for security informed decision making and helping shape Digital’s technology direction.
6. Build strong relationships with Enterprise Architecture, Enterprise Security Architecture, Engineering, Delivery, Operations and business leaders to ensure security architecture is understood, adopted and aligned to organisational objectives.
7. Provide architectural steer and security assurance into major transformation initiatives, technology roadmaps, procurement activity and third-party engagements.
Technology and Information Security and Standards
8. Ensure technical standards align to and address Information Security and Cyber requirements, controls and strategy
9. Support and guide the development and maintenance of security architecture patterns, standards and reference models.
10. Support and guide the evaluation and selection of security technologies, ensuring they integrate effectively into the wider architecture landscape.
11. Ensure the organisation’s security architecture remains current with evolving threats, technologies and industry practices.
Risk Management & Control Assurance
12. Oversee and enhance processes for risk-based architecture decision making, ensuring transparency and accountability across Digital.
13. Drive the assessment of control effectiveness and lead architectural strategies to address control gaps, vulnerabilities and emerging threats.
14. Partner closely with Information Security Governance, Cyber Operations, Security Engineering and other teams to provide holistic risk visibility across Digital services.
Leadership & Team Development
15. Lead, mentor and inspire the security architecture team, cultivating technical excellence, critical thinking and a collaborative culture.
16. Demonstrate visible personal leadership, modelling the behaviours expected across Digital and championing a mature, business aligned security culture.
17. Build capability across Digital by promoting knowledge sharing, architectural consistency and secure design thinking.
Base location – Hybrid – Clear Water Court Reading
Working hours – 36 hours
Necessary requirements for the role – Security Clearance is required (must be completed prior to start date)
What you should bring to the role
The essential criteria to help you succeed in this role is:
18. Proven leadership in security architecture within a complex enterprise environment
19. Experience in critical infrastructure, utilities or the public sector
20. Deep, holistic knowledge of cyber / information security
21. Strong understanding of secure design, threat modelling, cloud and on-prem architectures, identity platforms
22. Demonstrated ability to influence senior stakeholders and lead teams
Technical Skills
23. Strong familiarity with frameworks such as NIST, ISO 27001, SABSA, TOGAF
24. Broad experience across cyber security domains (e.g. IAM/IDAM)
Extra qualities that would be a great fit for our team:
25. Experience working with vendors, procurement and contract management
26. Experience supporting regulatory and compliance frameworks (e.g. SEMD, CAF)
27. Relevant degree and certifications (CISSP, CISM, CCSP, SABSA, TOGAF)
What’s in it for you?
28. Competitive salary of up to £105,000 per annum depending on experience
29. Annual Leave - 26 days holiday per year increasing to 30 with the length of service (plus bank holidays)
30. Car Allowance
31. Performance-related pay plan directly linked to company performance measures and targets
32. Generous Pension Scheme through AON
33. Private Medical Health Care
34. Access to lots of benefits to help you take care of you and your family’s health and wellbeing, and your finances – from annual health MOTs and access to physiotherapy and counselling, to Cycle to Work schemes, shopping vouchers and life assurance.