Job Description
Job Title: Director of Cyber Operations
Location: UK – Cambridge – 2 Days a week
Salary - £140,000 to £160,000 + Package
About the Role:
We are seeking a seasoned and visionary cybersecurity leader to head global security operations at an innovative, fast-paced technology organisation. This role will drive the strategic and operational excellence of our threat detection, incident response, and vulnerability management functions across a globally distributed digital estate.
Reporting directly to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), this high-impact position is responsible for setting and executing the direction of our detection and response capabilities—ensuring our resilience against ever-evolving cyber threats. You’ll also play a central role in executive-level crisis planning, team growth, and cybersecurity thought leadership across the business.
What You’ll Be Doing:
* Shape and deliver the long-term roadmap for detection and response aligned with business strategy and threat landscape. Lead a highly skilled global team in building scalable, responsive, and intelligence-driven capabilities.
* Evolve functions such as Threat Intelligence, Security Testing, and Analytics to deliver maximum situational awareness and actionable insights to operations.
* Embed advanced automation and detection-as-code practices to enhance operational agility and data-driven decision-making.
* Act as a key bridge between security operations, enterprise IT, technology leadership, and external partners—ensuring alignment of security goals with broader business priorities.
* Implement and oversee operational metrics, governance processes, and risk validation methods to ensure performance against SLAs and regulatory expectations.
* Foster a culture of continuous improvement, development, and wellbeing across your team. Lead by example in cultivating a high-trust, high-performance environment.
* Stay at the forefront of security innovation and emerging technologies, including AI and ML in the cyber domain.
What We’re Looking For:
* A minimum of 10 years' experience across the security lifecycle, ideally with proven success leading cyber operations within a complex, global enterprise.
* Strong executive communication skills, with the ability to translate complex risk issues into business-relevant insight and strategy.
* A strategic thinker with deep domain knowledge across enterprise security, threat intelligence, and incident response, and who can effectively influence C-Suite stakeholders.
* Demonstrated experience leading and mentoring cross-functional, high-performing teams with a focus on development and psychological safety.
Preferred Qualifications:
* Degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or a related discipline—or equivalent practical experience.
* Industry-recognised certifications (e.g., CISSP, GIAC, GCIH, GCFE, GREM) a plus.
* Familiarity with ITIL and enterprise project management practices.
* Experience managing third-party vendors and security transformation initiatives in large-scale, digitally complex organisations.