Business Information Security Officer

Avnet; Leeds; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Farnell, an Avnet company, is a global high-service distributor of technology products, services and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair. The Business Information Security Officer (BISO) partners with global business operations to enable secure growth and trusted customer engagement.

The BISO leads as a security adviser to business units, translating risk into pragmatic actions and aligning security with enterprise strategy across IT, engineering and operations.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in information security, cybersecurity, IT risk or governance.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity frameworks and risk management principles.
• Ability to translate technical concepts into business language for diverse audiences.
• Experience engaging with senior stakeholders and executive leaders.
• Knowledge of ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, NIST or CIS frameworks.
• Experience balancing business priorities with risk management.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary cybersecurity advisor to assigned business units.
• Partner with stakeholders to embed security early in initiatives and projects.
• Translate complex cybersecurity risks into clear business impacts and actionable recommendations.
• Support risk assessments, control selection and vulnerability management.
• Establish governance forums and provide visibility of security posture, risks and compliance.
• Represent business priorities in cybersecurity discussions and advocate for pragmatic solutions.
• Support compliance and certification programmes including ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, NIS2, GDPR, PCI and other relevant frameworks.
• Work with IT, Engineering and Operations to drive remediation and secure standards.
• Support customer-facing activities, including sales engagements, customer trust discussions, audits and security responses.
• Help strengthen operational resilience and risk ownership.

Skills

Stakeholder management

Security strategy

Risk management

Governance

Cloud security

Cybersecurity frameworks

Communication

Education

Bachelor’s degree in IT or related field

CISSP certification

CISM certification

Job description

Farnell

Farnell, an Avnet company, is a global high-service distributor of technology products, services and solutions for electronic system design, maintenance and repair.

Job Title- Business Information Security Officer (BISO)

Location- Leeds (Hybrid, 3 days per week office)

The Business Information Security Officer (BISO), internally referred to as a Business Information Security Partner (BISP), serves as a strategic partner to Avnet’s global business operations - enabling the business to operate securely, grow confidently, and deliver value to customers.

Acting as a trusted advisor and embedded security leader, the BISO works across business, technology, and cybersecurity teams to ensure security is seamlessly integrated into business processes, decision-making, and innovation. This role focuses on reducing friction, clarifying risk, and accelerating secure outcomes while aligning to enterprise cybersecurity strategy.

The BISO partners with the business to balance risk, speed, and opportunity, helping teams move forward with revenue growth opportunities.

What’s in it for you?

• Opportunity to shape and influence cybersecurity strategy across a global technology organisation.
• A highly collaborative role partnering directly with senior business leaders and cybersecurity teams.
• Exposure to a broad range of technologies, business functions and international stakeholders.
• The chance to position security as a business enabler rather than a barrier.
• Career development opportunities within a global Fortune 500 organisation.
• Competitive salary and comprehensive benefits package.

What you’ll be doing

• Act as the primary cybersecurity advisor to assigned business units, building trusted relationships with business leaders.
• Partner with stakeholders to understand business objectives and ensure security is embedded early in initiatives and projects.
• Translate complex cybersecurity risks into clear business impacts and actionable recommendations.
• Support risk assessments, control selection and vulnerability management activities using a practical, risk-based approach.
• Establish governance forums and provide visibility of security posture, risks and compliance obligations.
• Represent business priorities within enterprise cybersecurity discussions and advocate for pragmatic security solutions.
• Support business units with compliance and certification programmes including ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, NIS2, GDPR, PCI and other relevant frameworks and regulations.
• Work closely with IT, Engineering and Operations teams to drive remediation activities and adoption of secure standards.
• Support customer-facing activities, including sales engagements, customer trust discussions, audits and security-related responses.
• Help strengthen operational resilience, improve risk ownership and enable secure business growth.

Strategic Impact

The BISO plays a foundational role in Avnet’s IT governance by:

• Embedding security into business operations to support growth and innovation
• Reducing friction between security requirements and business delivery
• Improving clarity and ownership of risk across the organization
• Strengthening customer trust and regulatory confidence
• Aligning security investments with business priorities and outcomes
• Driving uniform adoption of cybersecurity policies and controls.
• Elevating vulnerability management execution and secure baseline consistency across decentralized environments.

What about you?

• Significant experience within information security, cybersecurity, IT risk or governance roles.
• Strong understanding of cybersecurity frameworks, risk management principles and security control implementation.
• Ability to translate technical concepts into clear, business-focused language for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience engaging and influencing senior stakeholders and executive leaders.
• Knowledge of compliance, audit and regulatory requirements such as ISO 27001, GDPR, PCI DSS, NIST or CIS frameworks.
• Experience balancing business priorities with effective risk management.
• Strong communication, relationship-building and stakeholder management skills.
• Familiarity with cloud technologies, infrastructure, applications and modern security practices.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM or CRISC are advantageous.
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience preferred.

If you’re passionate about enabling business success through effective cybersecurity and enjoy working as a trusted advisor to senior leaders, we’d love to hear from you.

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The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills.

Avnet is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or protected veteran status and will not be discriminated against on the basis of disability.