Head of Information Security

Mattioli Woods plc; Leicester; Hybrid; GBP 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Full-time hybrid working

Life assurance 4x salary

Health cash plan

25 days’ holiday

CPD support

Direct access to CIO/ExCo

Group pension contributions

Job summary

Mattioli Woods plc is seeking a seasoned Head of Information Security to own the Group's information and cyber security strategy. This senior appointment requires credible engagement with ExCo and engineering teams to drive risk-aware decisions.

You will lead vulnerability management, incident response, and governance across acquisitions, ensuring FCA/regulatory expectations and enabling secure AI, data, and automation initiatives.

Qualifications

• Proven experience as a security leader with hands-on delivery.
• Ability to engage ExCo and engineering teams to resolve issues.
• Strong governance, policy and incident response expertise.
• Experience in financial services or another regulated environment is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the Group information and cybersecurity strategy and roadmap.
• Strengthen and standardise security controls across identity, access, endpoint, infrastructure, cloud, application and data.
• Establish effective vulnerability management, monitoring, incident response and cyber resilience.
• Ensure security is embedded into the enterprise architecture and change lifecycle.
• Support secure adoption of AI, data and automation, balancing innovation with controls, and own third-party security risk.
• Translate cyber risk into clear decisions for CIO, ExCo and senior leaders; ensure FCA/UK regulatory expectations are met.

Skills

Security leadership

Risk management

Cyber strategy

Incident response

Cloud security

Regulatory compliance

Job description

Head of Information Security

Mattioli Woods Group | Full time | Hybrid

Mattioli Woods is looking for a seasoned security leader to take ownership of information and cyber security across the Group. This is a senior, Group-level appointment — you will define and execute our security strategy, lead our response to cyber risk, and position security as an enabler of a simpler, scalable and trusted business rather than a function that sits around it.

The Group operates in an FCA-regulated environment, continues to grow through acquisition, and is actively adopting AI, data and automation across its operations. We need someone with the judgement to focus on what genuinely matters, the credibility to engage both ExCo and engineering teams, and the delivery capability to drive remediation through to completion. This is a role for a practitioner, not a policy writer.

What you’ll be doing

• Define and execute the Group information and cybersecurity strategy and roadmap, establishing a clear, evidence-based view of current maturity and risk exposure
• Strengthen and standardise security controls — across identity, access, endpoint, infrastructure, cloud, application and data — across businesses brought together through acquisition
• Establish effective vulnerability management, monitoring, incident response and cyber resilience, including independent testing and assurance exercises
• Ensure security is embedded into the future enterprise architecture and technology change lifecycle, working closely with Enterprise Architecture and technology teams
• Support the secure adoption of AI, data and automation, balancing innovation with appropriate controls, and own third-party and supplier security risk
• Translate technical cyber risk into clear decisions for the CIO, ExCo and senior business leaders, and ensure the Group meets FCA and UK regulatory expectations including relevant certifications

What we’re looking for

• Proven experience as a security leader, combining strong risk judgement with hands‑on delivery capability
• The ability to assess an environment quickly, distinguish genuine business risk from noise, and focus resources on the controls that materially improve resilience
• Comfortable engaging ExCo on cyber risk strategy while working directly with technology teams and suppliers to ensure issues get resolved
• Strong capability across identity, access, endpoint, infrastructure, cloud, application and data security, with a track record of building governance, policy and incident response frameworks
• Experience operating in financial services or another highly regulated environment; wealth management experience is advantageous but not essential
• A hands‑on, delivery‑focused approach — someone who identifies what matters most, prioritises it clearly and sees remediation through to completion

Why join us

Mattioli Woods offers a security challenge that is both broad and consequential. As a regulated wealth management group that has grown significantly through acquisition, we have real complexity to address — across multiple businesses, platforms, and control environments — and a clear mandate to address it properly. You will have the sponsorship of the CIO and the visibility of the Executive Committee to do so.

Security at Mattioli Woods sits at the intersection of an evolving technology landscape, active AI adoption and an FCA-regulated client base. This is not a steady‑state role. You will shape how security is embedded into our architecture, our change programmes and our future acquisitions — and build a team and practice capable of sustaining that as the Group continues to grow.

Perks and benefits

• competitive salary
• full-time hybrid working
• 4x salary life assurance and group income protection
• health cash plan (Core Level 1)
• 25 days’ holiday plus statutory (increasing with service)
• ongoing CPD support and training
• a senior technology leadership environment with direct access to the CIO and ExCo
• Benenden Healthcare (company-funded; includes 24/7 GP access, mental health support,medical diagnostics, and access to selected surgical treatments)
• 5% Employer and 5% Employee minimum Group Pension contribution (if you choose to contribute 6%, we will match this)