Head of Cyber Security

The Methodist Church in Britain; Manchester; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 140,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service Pension

Hybrid working

Volunteering leave

Flexible working

Employee Assistance Programme

Learning and development

Professional memberships paid

Job summary

The Public Service Ombudsman seeks a Head of Cyber Security to set the cyber strategy, lead security operations and direct incident response. The role blends strategic oversight with hands-on work across vulnerabilities and secure service design, with hybrid working and regular presence in Manchester or London offices.

The postholder will act as Chief Information Security Officer, shaping security controls, advising senior leaders and ensuring secure development practices across digital services

Qualifications

• Experience building effective security capabilities.
• Experience holding suppliers to account.
• Strategic governance and security operations leadership.

Responsibilities

• Set the organisation's cyber security approach and strategy.
• Oversee day-to-day security operations.
• Lead the response to significant security incidents.
• Manage vulnerabilities across digital services and cloud platforms.
• Review security controls across systems and services.
• Ensure security is considered in new services and systems development.
• Collaborate with architecture, engineering, product and delivery teams.
• Balance cyber risk with priorities and resources.
• Develop the organisation's cyber security capability.
• Promote good security practice across the organisation.
• Provide cyber security guidance to senior leaders.
• Act as the organisation's Chief Information Security Officer.

Skills

Leadership

Risk management

Ownership & accountability

Clear communication

Job description

The Head of Cyber Security post at the Public Service Ombudsman secures the organisation's digital estate, cloud environments and confidential information. The postholder is the Chief Information Security Officer, setting the cyber approach, running security operations and leading the response to significant incidents. The role blends strategy with hands-on work on vulnerabilities, security controls and secure service design, with hybrid working and around 40% of the week in the Manchester or London office. Interviews are held onsite, and visa sponsorship is not available.

What the job involves

• Set the organisation's cyber security approach and strategy
• Oversee day-to-day security operations
• Lead the response to significant security incidents
• Manage vulnerabilities across digital services, cloud platforms and systems
• Review security controls
• Make sure security is considered when new services and systems are developed
• Work with architecture, engineering, product and delivery colleagues
• Balance cyber risks against organisational priorities and available resources
• Develop the organisation's cyber security capability
• Support good security practice across the organisation
• Provide clear cyber security advice to senior leaders
• Act as the organisation's Chief Information Security Officer

Experience

• Experience of building effective security capabilities
• Experience of holding suppliers to account

Skills & knowledge

• Forward-thinking leadership that turns strategy into practical action
• Judgement in balancing cyber risk, organisational priorities and resources
• Ability to create ownership and drive improvement across organisational boundaries
• Clear, credible communication that influences Board and executive decisions

Checks & eligibility

• Right to work in the UK

Nice to have

• Lived experience of complaining about a public body

What’s offered

• Civil Service Pension scheme
• 32.5 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Hybrid working with about 40% office based
• One day paid volunteering leave per year
• Flexible working
• Free, confidential Employee Assistance Programme offering 24/7 support
• Comprehensive learning and development programme
• Professional memberships paid for