Head of Information Security

Home Limited; Cheadle; Hybrid; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Pets at Home is seeking a Head of Information Security to lead our security agenda across a multi-site group including Pets, Vets, Insurance, Distribution Center and Support Office. Hybrid role from Handforth with occasional site visits will be required to partner across Technology and the business.

You will translate cyber strategy into a practical programme, balance protection with customer experience, and drive risk-informed decisions to enable growth while maintaining resilience.

Qualifications

• Experience leading information security in a complex, multi-site organisation.
• Knowledge of cloud, SaaS, and enterprise infrastructure.
• Professional standing such as CISSP or CISM preferred.
• Ability to translate security risks into business outcomes.

Responsibilities

• Shape and deliver the information security strategy and multi-year roadmap.
• Embed security-by-design across Architecture, Engineering, Product and Change.
• Strengthen monitoring, detection, response and incident preparedness.
• Turn emerging threats and vulnerabilities into clear, prioritised action.
• Give senior leaders meaningful insight into cyber risk and business choices.
• Strengthen supplier and third-party security assurance.
• Build a security-conscious culture and develop internal capability.

Skills

Security leadership

Security operations

Incident response

Vulnerability management

Third-party risk

Cloud & SaaS

Identity & network

Tools

NIST CSF

ISO/IEC 27001

Job description

Hybrid working from our Support Office in Handforth, Cheshire, with requirement to visit other sites/locations

Salary up to £90k, dependent upon experience, plus car allowance, bonus, 36 days holiday, PHI and supporting colleague benefits

Help us stay one step ahead!

At Pets at Home, technology is transforming how we care for pets, support pet owners and run our business. As our digital world evolves, so does the challenge of protecting it.

We’re looking for a Head of Information Security who can do more than defend against cyber threats. You’ll help us innovate securely, make smart risk decisions and build security into the way we work, change and grow.

Reporting to the Director of Cyber Security and IT Services, you’ll lead our information security agenda across a diverse Group spanning Pets, Vets, Insurance, Distribution Center and Support Office.

Security with Influence

You’ll turn cyber strategy and risk appetite into a clear, practical and measurable programme, bringing teams together around one ambition: enabling the business to move forward with confidence.

From security operations, incident preparedness and vulnerability management to governance, third-party risk and security-by-design, you’ll balance protection with customer experience, resilience and commercial priorities.

What you’ll make happen

• Shaping and delivering our information security strategy and multi-year roadmap
• Embedding security-by-design across Architecture, Engineering, Product and Change
• Strengthening security monitoring, detection, response and incident preparedness
• Turning emerging threats and vulnerabilities into clear, prioritised action
• Giving senior leaders meaningful insight into cyber risk and business choices
• Strengthening supplier and third-party security assurance
• Building a security-conscious culture and develop brilliant internal capability

What you’ll bring

You’ll be an accomplished information or cyber security leader with experience in a complex, multi-site and digitally enabled organisation. You’ll combine strong technical credibility with commercial judgement and know how to turn security frameworks into practical business outcomes, balancing pragmatism and commercial approach to ensure our business keeps operating, whilst supporting growth and development.

You’ll bring experience across security operations, incident response, vulnerability management, assurance and third-party risk, with an understanding of modern cloud, SaaS, application, infrastructure, identity and network environments. Knowledge of NIST CSF and ISO/IEC 27001 is important, and professional standing such as CISSP, CISM or equivalent would be valuable.

Most importantly, you’ll influence rather than dictate. You’ll make complex cyber risks understandable, challenge constructively and build trusted relationships across Technology and the wider business.

Why Pets at Home?

Because complexity makes this role interesting. Retail. Digital. Vets. Insurance. Distribution. Data. Technology. Stores and Support Office.

You’ll have the opportunity to shape security maturity, influence major technology and business change and create an environment where security enables progress rather than standing in its way.

Pets just see people. They aren’t biased and they don’t discriminate. We take our inspiration from pets, and we value and respect difference in all its forms. Our aim is to reflect the diversity of the communities we operate in, and every colleague can help us achieve this. We encourage our people to be themselves so even if your skills and experience don’t perfectly align, if you think you can make a unique contribution through your values and behaviours.