Business Security Director

WPP; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

WPP is seeking a Business Security Services Director to partner with WPP Open, ensuring security, trust, resilience and client assurance as the platform scales. You will align security strategy with product and engineering teams, and drive governance, AI security, data protection and risk management across the platform.

You will lead secure software practices, govern AI capabilities, and work with stakeholders to maintain trust in WPP Open’s security posture. This is a hybrid role in the UK.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in cyber security, product security, platform security or security leadership.
• Experience partnering with product, engineering and business teams in fast-moving tech environments.
• Strong understanding of cloud-native platforms, SaaS products and modern software delivery.
• Knowledge of AI security, identity and access management, API security, data protection, and resilience.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• A pragmatic approach balancing security with product innovation and business goals.

Responsibilities

• Act as the primary security partner for WPP Open, building relationships with product, engineering, AI and architecture teams.
• Translate enterprise security strategy into practical platform-specific outcomes and enable innovation.
• Represent WPP Open within security governance and leadership forums.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to strengthen secure software development practices.
• Support governance of AI-enabled capabilities and agentic workflows.
• Drive a risk-based approach to AI misuse, prompt abuse and data protection.
• Ensure robust controls around client data protection, segregation and confidentiality.
• Support client assurance activities and security commitments for leading brands.
• Maintain trust in WPP Open’s security posture with internal stakeholders.
• Evolve modern identity and access security models across the platform.
• Contribute to platform resilience, continuity planning and recovery readiness.
• Work with cyber incident response teams on security events and risk management.
• Define and communicate security metrics, risk indicators and platform security trends to senior stakeholders.

Skills

Cyber security leadership

Security governance

Cloud security

AI security

Stakeholder management

Product security

Job description

Business Security Services Director

WPP is looking for a Business Security Services Director to partner with one of our most strategically important technology platforms, WPP Open. The role serves as the dedicated security leader ensuring security, trust, resilience, and client assurance are embedded as the platform evolves and scales.

What you’ll be doing

• Act as the primary security partner for WPP Open, building strong relationships across product, engineering, AI, and architecture teams.
• Translate enterprise security strategy into practical platform‑specific outcomes and champion security as an enabler of innovation.
• Represent WPP Open within broader security governance and leadership forums.
• Partner with product and engineering teams to strengthen secure software development practices.
• Support the evolution of platform, application and API security controls.
• Help shape the governance and assurance of AI‑enabled capabilities and agentic workflows.
• Drive a risk‑based approach to emerging challenges including AI misuse, prompt abuse and data protection.
• Help ensure robust controls around client data protection, segregation and confidentiality.
• Support client assurance activities and security commitments for leading brands.
• Partner with internal stakeholders to maintain trust and confidence in WPP Open’s security posture.
• Support the evolution of modern identity and access security models across the platform.
• Contribute to platform resilience, continuity planning and recovery readiness.
• Work closely with cyber incident response teams on security events, investigations and risk management activities.
• Help define and communicate security metrics, risk indicators and platform security trends to senior stakeholders.

What you’ll need

• Significant experience in cyber security, product security, platform security or business‑aligned security leadership roles.
• Experience partnering with engineering, product and business teams in fast‑moving technology environments.
• Strong understanding of security challenges associated with cloud‑native platforms, SaaS products and modern software delivery.
• Knowledge of AI security, identity and access management, API security, client data protection and platform resilience.
• Excellent stakeholder management, communication and influencing skills.
• A pragmatic approach, balancing security requirements with product innovation and business objectives.

Nice to have

• Experience securing AI‑enabled products, platforms or digital services.
• Familiarity with recognised security frameworks such as ISO 27001, ISO 42001, SOC2, NIST AI RMF or OWASP AI Top 10.
• Experience working with cloud environments including Azure, AWS or Google Cloud.
• Security certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CCSP or equivalent.

WPP operates a hybrid model, with teams in the office approx. four days a week. If you require accommodations or flexibility, please discuss this with the hiring team during the interview process.

WPP is an equal opportunity employer and considers applicants for all positions without discrimination or regard to particular characteristics. We are committed to fostering a culture of respect in which everyone feels they belong and has the same opportunities to progress in their careers.