Chief Security Officer

Department for Work and Pensions; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

A government department in the UK is seeking a talented leader to set the strategic direction for Security and Data Protection. The successful candidate will oversee the security team and ensure the alignment of services with organizational objectives. The role requires extensive experience in managing security operations and influencing Board-level stakeholders. The position offers a chance to deliver innovative security services within a complex environment.

Qualifications

• Prior experience of influencing corporate Board-level stakeholders.
• Extensive experience in the security profession.
• Track record of delivering policy and culture change in a large organization.
• Ability to make timely decisions considering various factors.
• Evidence of resilience and providing clear advice under pressure.
• Experience in successful team management.
• Proven ability to build high-performing teams.

Responsibilities

• Set the security and data protection vision and direction.
• Oversee the identification and mitigation of risks.
• Design and implement security policies and cultural changes.
• Deliver cross Government services in Security Education.
• Strengthen personnel and physical security position.
• Ensure appropriate response to security incidents.

Skills

Influencing corporate Board-level stakeholders

Managing security operations at pace

Delivering policy and culture change

Decision making under pressure

Resilience

Team management

Collaborative leadership

Job description

Set the strategic direction for Security and Data Protection in DWP

• Lead, motivate, and develop the skills necessary in a modern high performing security team (approx. 350), while building the right culture to deliver customer-centric, effective and coherent security arrangements.
• Set the security and data protection vision, direction, ensuring that Security and Data Protection services are aligned with organisational objectives.
• Oversee the identification, assessment and mitigation of security and data protection risks while supporting and advancing business objectives.
• Design and Implement security and data protection policy and culture changes across DWP and wider government by being a credible and visible leader.
• Provide coherent cross Government services in Security Education and Awareness and recruitment and development for future professionals.
• Deliver innovative, risk-based Security and Data Protection services.
• With Departmental colleagues in the Digital, Property and HR Functions deliver a set of technical security services to internal customers and programmes in a way that is agile, and risk informed.
• Strengthen DWP’s personnel and physical security position by designing and implementing an appropriate security frameworks.
• Establish and maintain longer term security programmes to ensure that the department and its customers are adequately protected against future threats.
• Ensure security and privacy is by design and that appropriate controls are in existence throughout the organisation and the wider DWP business.
• Ensure appropriate response to security incidents and drive continuous improvements by learning from them.
• Assure Senior Leaders that Security and Data Protection is fit for purpose
• Facilitate an appropriate security governance structure; provide regular reporting on the current status of security and data protection risks and the effectiveness of our controls to senior leaders.
• Deliver a second line security assurance function to provide an independent perspective on the delivery of security and data protection controls across DWP.
• Provide an assurance function for suppliers, ALBs, Local Authorities that ensures DWP assets are protected by partners in the same way that they are within DWP.

Person specification

• Prior experience of influencing corporate Board-level stakeholders. The post holder will brief Ministers, members of the Executive Board and the Departmental Audit, Risk and Assurance Committee on all aspects of security and data protection including cyber.
• Evidence of successfully managing security operations at pace, with extensive experience in the security profession.
• A track record of delivering significant policy and culture change in a large, complex organisation.
• Evidence of decision making – making decisions at the appropriate time, considering the needs of the situation, priorities, constraints, known risks, and the availability of necessary information and resources.
• Evidence of resilience, including the ability to take a robust stance under pressure where necessary and provide clear and unambiguous advice when called upon.
• A leader with a track record of successful and inclusive team management.
• Extensive experience of providing visible and collaborative leadership within a complex organisation with a proven ability to build high performing teams – growing confidence and capability, employee engagement, and an inclusive culture.