Digital Risk and Resilience Manager

The University of Sheffield; Sheffield; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 59,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

41 days annual leave

Hybrid working

Generous pension

Job summary

The University of Sheffield IT Services seeks a Digital Risk and Resilience Manager to lead governance, assurance and BC/DR activities across the department, ensuring risks are identified, managed and resilience maintained in line with university plans.

Reporting to the Chief Information Security Officer, you will design and improve risk frameworks, chair governance groups, line-manage the Business Continuity Lead, and work with central Risk and BC teams to align IT Services with wider

Qualifications

• Experience of governance, assurance and risk management in a large, complex organisation.
• Understanding of risk governance and resilience including business continuity and disaster recovery.
• Practical experience of IT/digital service operations and applying ITIL to embed governance, risk and resilience.
• Experience establishing governance, risk and resilience frameworks in a complex organisation.
• Proven experience leading business continuity and disaster recovery planning, exercising and testing.
• Professional qualification in information security, risk management or business continuity (e.g. CISSP, CISM, MBCI) or equivalent experience.
• Experience of line management or leading teams.
• Ability to influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders to embed requirements into everyday work.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of risk, resilience and assurance processes across IT Services.
• Provide second line assurance to internal and external stakeholders.
• Lead internal and external audit activity in IT Services.
• Own risk and resilience across IT Services including BC/DR planning, exercising and testing.
• Line manage the Business Continuity Lead and develop the team.
• Collaborate with data protection, research data management and strategic planning teams.
• Promote governance, assurance, risk and resilience awareness across IT Services and the wider University.
• Carry out other duties commensurate with the grade.

Skills

Governance

Risk management

ITIL

Stakeholder management

Auditing

Education

Information security qualification

Job description

The University of Sheffield is a remarkable place to work. Our people are at the heart of everything we do. Their diverse backgrounds, abilities and beliefs make Sheffield a world-class university.

We offer a fantastic range of benefits including a highly competitive annual leave entitlement (with the ability to purchase more), a generous pensions scheme, flexible working opportunities, a commitment to your development and wellbeing, a wide range of retail discounts, and much more. Find out more about our benefits (opens in a new window) and join us to become part of something special.

Overview

IT Services at the University of Sheffield is seeking a Digital Risk and Resilience Manager to lead governance, assurance and business continuity/disaster recovery (BC/DR) activities across the department, ensuring we identify, manage and respond to risk effectively while remaining resilient to disruption.

Sitting within our Security & Assurance team and reporting to the Chief Information Security Officer, you will lead the design and continuous improvement of relevant frameworks, policies and procedures, chairing key governance and working groups, and acting as a trusted second line assurance function for internal and external stakeholders, including the Director of IT Services and Chief Operating Officer.

You will also take ownership of risk and resilience across IT Services, working closely with the University's central Risk and BC teams to ensure our risk processes comply with central policy, and that business continuity and disaster recovery arrangements are robust, tested and aligned with wider institutional plans. You will line manage our Business Continuity Lead, providing direction and support to embed resilience across our people, processes and technology.

This is a pivotal role for someone who enjoys working across governance, risk and resilience disciplines, who can build credibility with senior stakeholders, and who wants to make a tangible, department-wide impact. You will bring together assurance expertise with a strategic view of organisational resilience, helping IT Services anticipate, withstand and recover from disruption while supporting the University's wider ambitions.

Main duties and responsibilities

• Lead the design, implementation and continuous improvement of risk, resilience and assurance processes across IT Services, applying IT service management good practice (e.g. ITIL) so that governance, risk and resilience disciplines are embedded in how IT Services designs, delivers and operates its services
• Provide expert second line assurance to internal and external stakeholders, including the Director of IT Services and Chief Operating Officer
• Lead on internal and external audit activity in IT Services
• Own risk and resilience across IT Services, leading business continuity and disaster recovery (BC/DR) planning, exercising and testing, and working closely with the University's central Risk and BC teams to ensure IT Services arrangements are aligned with wider institutional plans
• Line manage the Business Continuity Lead, providing direction, support and professional development to embed resilience across people, process and technology
• Collaborate with colleagues in related disciplines, such as data protection, research data management, and strategic planning and change
• Work with colleagues across IT Services and the wider University to promote governance, assurance, risk and resilience awareness, skills and culture
• Carry out other duties, commensurate with the grade and remit of the post

Person Specification

Our diverse community of staff and students recognises the unique abilities, backgrounds, and beliefs of all. We foster a culture where everyone feels they belong and is respected. Even if your past experience doesn't match perfectly with this role's criteria, your contribution is valuable, and we encourage you to apply. Please ensure that you reference the application criteria in the application statement when you apply.

Criteria

• Experience of governance, assurance and risk management in a large, complex organisation | Essential | Application/interview
• Solid, demonstrable understanding of risk management, governance and resilience, including business continuity and disaster recovery | Essential | Application/interview
• Practical experience of IT/digital service operations and delivery, and applying relevant frameworks (e.g. ITIL) to embed governance, risk and resilience disciplines | Essential | Application/interview
• Experience establishing and embedding governance, risk and resilience frameworks within a complex organisation | Essential | Application/interview
• Proven experience leading or overseeing business continuity and/or disaster recovery planning, exercising and testing | Essential | Application/interview
• Relevant professional qualification in information security, risk management or business continuity (e.g. CISSP, CISM, MBCI) or equivalent professional experience | Essential | Application/interview
• Experience of line management, or leading and developing individuals or teams | Essential | Application/interview
• Ability to guide, influence and collaborate with colleagues and senior stakeholders to embed governance, risk and resilience requirements and best practice into everyday ways of working | Essential | Application/interview
• Familiarity with information security disciplines and how they relate to risk and resilience | Desirable | Application/interview
• Previous experience working in the Higher Education sector | Desirable | Application/interview
• Familiarity with related disciplines such as data protection (GDPR) and information management | Desirable | Application/interview

Further Information

• Grade 8
• Salary £49,798-£59,390 per annum with the potential to progress to £66,819 through sustained exceptional contribution
• Work arrangement Full-time
• Line manager Chief Information Security Officer
• Direct reports Business Continuity Lead
• Right to work in the UK If you do not currently hold the right to work in the UK, you can find more information here to help determine your visa eligibility. Additional guidance is also available on the UK Visa & Immigration website.
• Our website https://www.sheffield.ac.uk/it-services/about
• For informal enquiries about this job contact Tom Griffin, Chief Information Security Officer: at [e-mail]

Next steps in the recruitment process

We plan to let candidates know if they have progressed to the selection stage within two weeks of the closing date. If you need any support, equipment or adjustments to enable you to participate in any element of the recruitment process you can contact [e-mail]

Our vision and strategic plan

We are the University of Sheffield. This is our vision: sheffield.ac.uk/vision (opens in new window).

What we offer

• A minimum of 41 days annual leave including bank holiday and closure days (pro rata) with the ability to purchase more.
• Flexible working opportunities, including hybrid working for some roles.
• Generous pension scheme.
• A wide range of discounts and rewards on shopping, eating out and travel.
• A variety of staff networks, providing opportunities for social interaction, peer support and personal development (for example, Race Equality, LGBT+, Women's and Parent's networks).
• Recognition Awards to reward staff who go above and beyond in their role.
• A commitment to your development access to learning and mentoring schemes
• A range of generous family-friendly policies
  • paid time off for parenting and caring emergencies
  • access to menopause support in the workplace
  • paid time off and support for fertility treatment
  • and more

More details can be found on our benefits page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/benefits (opens in a new window).

We are a Disability Confident Leader (opens in a new window). If you have a disability and meet the essential criteria for this job you will be invited to take part in the next stage of the selection process.

Criminal record

A basic DBS check will be needed for this role. More details on the checks can be found on the Government website: gov.uk/criminal-record-checks-apply-role (opens in a new window).

Possession of a criminal record is not an automatic bar to employment at the University of Sheffield. We recognise the value of steady employment in the rehabilitation process and examine each case in its own right. More information can be found on our Information for candidates page: sheffield.ac.uk/jobs/candidates (opens in a new window).

Closing Date :25/10/2026

We are a research university with a global reputation for excellence. Our ideas and expertise change the world for the better, making a real difference to society. We know that when people come together with different views, approaches and insights it can lead to richer, more creative and innovative teaching and research and the highest levels of student experience. Our University Vision ( www.sheffield.ac.uk/vision ) outlines our commitment to building a diverse community of staff and students that recognises and values the abilities, backgrounds, beliefs and ways of living for everyone.