Deputy Chief Information Security Officer

UK Home Office; Manchester; On-site; GBP 81,000 - 99,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Learning and development

Flexible working options

Inclusive culture

Civil Service pension with employer 28

Job summary

UK Home Office is seeking a Deputy CISO (Cyber Operations) to lead enterprise cyber security outcomes and set the strategic direction for cyber operations across the organisation. The role oversees the CSOC functions and partners with senior digital, technology and business leaders, including cross-government collaborators.

You will drive governance, establish metrics, manage budgets, and develop cyber capability across Home Office Digital, ensuring rapid detection, response and recovery from

Qualifications

• Experience setting and delivering enterprise cyber operations strategy aligned to organisational priorities and risk appetite.
• Leading enterprise cyber capabilities, including monitoring, threat management, vulnerability management, incident response and security testing.
• Experience of managing significant delegated budgets, commercial relationships and supplier spend to deliver strategic outcomes.
• Developing and leading high-performing cyber security teams, building capability and inclusive culture.
• Influencing and partnering with senior stakeholders to prioritise cyber risk reduction and resilience across critical services.
• CISSP, CISM, CRISC or equivalent certifications.

Responsibilities

• Setting and maintaining the enterprise strategy and operating model for cyber operations, aligned to strategic priorities.
• Providing senior leadership, assurance and line management across cyber operations; developing senior operational leaders and standards.
• Leading an integrated cyber operations community across the Home Office and coordinating with directorates.
• Ensuring cyber operational tools deliver decision-grade insight for risk management.
• Overseeing enterprise incident management arrangements and continuous improvement after incidents.
• Building relationships with senior leaders across government and with cross-government cyber operations partners.
• Deputising for the CISO on SMT duties and supporting governance.

Skills

Cyber operations leadership

Threat management

Incident response

Security testing

Stakeholder management

Budget management

People leadership

Education

CISSP

CISM

CRISC

Job description

Location: Croydon | Manchester | London | Sheffield

Advert close: 11:55pm 1st November 2026

The Deputy CISO (Cyber Operations) is the senior accountable owner for Home Office cyber defence and operational cyber security outcomes. The postholder provides enterprise-wide leadership and assurance over cyber operations, ensuring threats are detected and addressed, incidents are handled effectively, and cyber risk to critical services is understood, prioritised and reduced in line with business priorities and risk appetite.

One of two SCS Deputy CISOs reporting directly to the CISO, the role sets the strategic direction and operating model for cyber operations and enables effective governance and decision-making through clear metrics, management information and risk-based prioritisation. The role provides leadership of the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) functions and is accountable for building an integrated cyber operations capability across the Home Office. Over time, the postholder will provide line management and leadership to cyber leads operating across Home Office Digital business areas, ensuring a consistent and coordinated approach to cyber operations across the organisation.

The role operates at significant scale, supporting over 55,000 staff and hundreds of public-facing digital services and critical national functions spanning borders, migration, policing and identity services. It works closely with senior digital, technology and business leaders and maintains strong links with NCSC and cross-government cyber operations partners to deliver a coordinated, threat-led and outcomes-focused defence.

This is a senior strategic leadership role with enterprise-wide accountability for cyber defence and operational cyber security outcomes across the Home Office. As the Deputy CISO (Cyber Operations), you will set the vision, strategy and operating model for cyber operations, ensuring the organisation can detect, prevent, respond to and recover from cyber threats in line with business priorities, threat intelligence and risk appetite. The role is accountable for the effectiveness of enterprise cyber operational capabilities.

As the cyber operating model matures, the role will also assume leadership and line management responsibility for cyber operational leads embedded across Home Office Digital business areas, driving consistency, collaboration and operational effectiveness across the cyber community.

You will provide senior leadership and direction across the full cyber operations lifecycle, including protective monitoring, vulnerability management, threat-led defence, incident management, security testing and human cyber risk interventions.

Key responsibilities

• Setting and maintaining the enterprise strategy and operating model for cyber operations, aligned to the overall Home Office cyber security strategy, threat intelligence, risk appetite and business priorities.
• Providing senior leadership, assurance and line management across cyber operations, including protective monitoring, threat management, vulnerability management, incident response, security testing and human cyber risk management; developing senior operational leaders, setting professional standards and building a high-performing learning culture that delivers measurable reductions in cyber risk.
• Leading an integrated cyber operations community across the Home Office, including the future line management and leadership of cyber leads operating across Policing, Migration and Corporate business areas, ensuring effective coordination, capability development and delivery of cyber operational outcomes.
• Ensuring cyber operational tools and platforms, including risk and monitoring systems, deliver decision-grade insight to support senior leaders and effective management of cyber risk.
• Overseeing enterprise incident management arrangements, including preparedness, response and continuous improvement following incidents.
• Leading operational readiness and surge arrangements for major cyber incidents and periods of heightened threat, including coordinating cross-directorate response, setting incident objectives and decision points, ensuring timely escalation and clear senior briefings, and maintaining effective links with relevant cross-government response structures.
• Building strong, trusted relationships with senior business, digital, technology and security leaders across the Home Office and wider government, including NCSC and cross-government cyber operations communities.
• Deputising for the CISO as required, including representing the function on the CISO Senior Management Team (SMT) and supporting senior decision-making and governance.

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:

• Experience of setting and delivering enterprise cyber operations strategy and operating models aligned to organisational priorities and risk appetite.
• Leading enterprise cyber capabilities, including monitoring, threat management, vulnerability management, incident response and security testing.
• Leading organisational responses to major cyber incidents, supporting senior decision-making and driving continuous improvement in cyber resilience.
• Influencing and partnering with senior stakeholders to prioritise cyber risk reduction and resilience across critical services and major programmes.
• Experience of managing significant delegated budgets, commercial relationships and supplier spend to deliver strategic outcomes and value for money.
• Developing and leading high-performing cyber security teams, building capability, professional excellence and an inclusive culture.
• CISSP, CISM, CRISC or similar.

Alongside your salary of £90,000, Home Office contributes £26,073 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%