Head of Cyber Security Culture and Architecture

Allen Lane; Milton Keynes; Hybrid; GBP 69,500 - 90,600; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Civil Service pensioncheme

25 days annual leave

Specialist allowance up to £10,800

Job summary

A governmental department is seeking a Head of Cyber Security Culture and Architecture in Milton Keynes to define and lead secure architecture and cyber security culture. The role involves managing a team, influencing technology delivery, and ensuring resilient systems. Candidates should have leadership skills and relevant qualifications such as CISSP. Salary starts at £69,500 with benefits including a Civil Service pension.

Qualifications

• Experience in designing secure architectures compliant with organizational objectives.
• Ability to apply security principles to complex IT and OT systems.
• Expertise in developing cyber and information security policies.

Responsibilities

• Define and lead FCDO's secure architecture.
• Influence technology delivery and organizational behaviours.
• Lead and develop the information and cyber security culture.

Skills

Enterprise Security Architecture

Technical Security Architecture

Policy and Standards

Information Security Culture

Third Party Management

Management, Leadership and Influence

Education

CISSP, CCSP, SABSA or CISM

Job description

Overview

This range is provided by Allen Lane. Your actual pay will be based on your skills and experience — talk with your recruiter to learn more.

Organisation: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

Location: Hanslope Park (Milton Keynes) or East Kilbride - hybrid, minimum 60% in the office

Terms: Permanent, Grade 6

Benefits: 25 days annual leave, Civil Service pension scheme (28.97%)

Role summary

The Head of Cyber Security Culture and Architecture is responsible to the Chief Information Security Officer to define, lead and deliver, through their team, the FCDO’s secure architecture and its internal cyber security culture. The role ensures that secure design is embedded across systems and services while fostering a workforce that understands, values and upholds security principles.

You will lead a team of security architects who will influence technology delivery, organisational behaviours and leadership decision making. You will ensure that architecture, awareness and cultural resilience are delivered in a coordinated way, aligning secure by design principles with secure behavioural outcomes.

The Head of Cyber Security Culture and Architecture will work in partnership with business, digital and security stakeholders, providing the leadership required to drive continuous development in the following areas:

• Information and Cyber Security Culture
• Information and Cyber Security Practices
• Information and Cyber Security Architecture
• Architectural Roadmap for Information Security

The Head of Cyber Security Culture and Architecture will be a member of the ICSD Senior Leadership team and IDD Extended Leadership Group; and is expected to lead engagement and reporting for their workstreams, working across the IDD to improve ways of working both internally and externally. The successful candidate will be expected to represent the CISO at various HMG and external events where necessary.

Full details of the duties and responsibilities for this position are detailed in the candidate pack.

Minimum Criteria

• Enterprise Security Architecture: Leading the design and assurance of enterprise security architecture, applying recognised frameworks and principles to ensure solutions are resilient, compliant and aligned with organisational objectives, while advising and guiding senior stakeholders.
• Technical Security Architecture: Applying security architectural principles to complex IT and operational technology (OT) systems, addressing vulnerabilities, bringing structure to diverse environments, while supervising practitioners and influencing senior stakeholders to adopt secure design.
• Policy and Standards: Providing subject matter expertise in developing and interpreting cyber and information security policies and standards to guide complex or precedent-setting decisions.
• Information Security Culture: Baselining the future vision for the FCDO’s information and cyber security culture, defining and assuring delivery of change levers and reporting mechanisms to effect cultural change.
• Third Party Management: Leading the definition and assurance of cyber and information security requirements for third-party relationships, advising senior stakeholders and ensuring suppliers deliver against compliance and risk management expectations.
• Management, Leadership and Influence: Embedding a security-first culture and influencing behaviours at all levels to reduce risk and improve resilience. Shaping Cyber and Information security leadership, strong stakeholder influence, and the management of high performing teams, while championing professional development.

Qualifications

Qualifications encouraged: CISSP, CCSP, SABSA or CISM.

The FCDO is a corporate member of CIISec and we actively encourage all staff to engage with its professional standards and work towards recognised accreditation to support ongoing development.

How to apply

You will be required to complete and submit an application to [e-mail] by the closing date of Monday November 3rd at 09:00.

This must include a CV detailing your career history (including any relevant qualifications). CVs will be assessed against the Minimum Criteria outlined in the Person Specification section of this Pack. You should also provide a Personal Statement of up to 1,000 words, and a completed online diversity monitoring form.

Your Personal Statement should explain how your skills, qualities and experience provide evidence of your suitability for the role, with specific reference to the Minimum Criteria. We are looking for those who are able to engage on all of the Criteria with the potential to develop further in some areas. These responses will be explored further during the interview process for shortlisted candidates.

This role can be based at one of our offices in Hanslope Park (Milton Keynes) or East Kilbride. Hybrid working is available, there is an expectation of 60% office time as a minimum.

The salary for this role at Grade 6 starts at £69,500 per annum. If based in Milton Keynes, there will be an additional, non-pensionable, non-consolidated location allowance of £1,750. A specialist allowance of up to £10,800 per annum (non-contractual, non-consolidated and non-pensionable) may be offered based on the candidate’s demonstrated skills, competence and experience at interview. This allowance will be subject to regular review and may be changed or removed with written notice. The maximum total remuneration for this role will not exceed £90,600 per annum.

The terms of the employment include access to the Civil Service pension scheme (employer contribution of 28.97%) and annual leave starting at 25 days leave per annum.

If successful you must hold, or be willing to obtain, security clearance to DV level. All offers of appointment will be subject to achieving DV level clearance. You must have been resident in the UK for five out of the last ten years immediately prior to your application.

We want the modern FCDO to reflect the very best of 21st century Britain. We encourage applications from all suitably qualified applicants, irrespective of background or circumstances.

How we evaluate

We are looking for those who are able to engage on all of the Minimum Criteria with the potential to develop further in some areas. These responses will be explored further during the interview process for shortlisted candidates.