Information Technology Security Specialist

Xpertise Recruitment; Nottingham; Hybrid; GBP 77,000 - 94,000; Full time

Job summary

Xpertise Recruitment in Nottingham is seeking an experienced IT Security Specialist to own our cybersecurity strategy end-to-end, from policy definition to hands-on incident response. You will act as the primary security interface for external partners and play a critical role in embedding a security-conscious culture across the organisation.

The role is based in Nottingham with 2-3 days per week in the office, and carries a total remuneration up to 85k, reflecting seniority and scope.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading cybersecurity strategy end-to-end.
• Strong governance, risk management and compliance capabilities.
• Hands-on incident response and coordination with external partners.

Responsibilities

• Define and own cybersecurity strategy, roadmap and policies.
• Monitor, detect and respond to security incidents and threats.
• Lead security governance, risk management and regulatory compliance.
• Oversee IAM policies and tooling and security standards across infra, cloud and apps.
• Coordinate with external testers, partners, vendors and auditors.
• Design security awareness programs for the organisation.
• Support audits, certifications and regulatory assessments.

Skills

Security policy

Cybersecurity governance

Risk management

Incident response

IAM

Regulatory compliance (GDPR)

Vendor management

Communication with leadership

Job description

Nottingham (2-3 days per week in the office)

Up to 85k

Job Summary

We are looking for an experienced IT Security Specialist. You will own our cybersecurity strategy end-to-end, from defining policy and architecture to hands-on incident response. You will act as the primary security interface for external partners. You will play a critical role in building a security-conscious culture throughout the organisation, ensuring that colleagues at every level understand their responsibilities and the part they play in keeping our business safe.

Specific Responsibilities

Cybersecurity Strategy & Governance

• Define, own and continuously improve the organisation's cybersecurity strategy, roadmap and policies.
• Assess and manage cyber risk across all business areas, maintaining a live risk register.
• Ensure compliance with relevant regulations and frameworks (e.g. GDPR).
• Report on security posture and key metrics to senior leadership on a regular basis.
• Lead on the creation and maintenance of Business Continuity and Incident Response plans.

Security Operations & Technical Oversight

• Monitor, detect and respond to security incidents and threats across the IT estate.
• Oversee penetration testing and remediation programmes.
• Define and enforce security standards for infrastructure, endpoints, cloud services and applications.
• Manage identity and access management (IAM) policies and tooling.
• Act as the primary point of contact for managed security service providers, security tool vendors and external auditors.
• Lead security due diligence for third-party suppliers and technology partners.
• Collaborate with external penetration testers and create and maintain relationships with industry bodies.

Education, Awareness & Culture

• Design and deliver a security awareness programme tailored to the needs of head office teams.
• Develop engaging, role-appropriate training materials — from shop floor phishing simulations to technical briefings for IT colleagues.
• Act as a trusted advisor to department heads and business leaders on security topics.
• Embed a 'security by default' mindset across the IT team, influencing how projects and changes are delivered.

Project & Change Involvement

• Provide security input and sign-off as required across the project portfolio.
• Evaluate emerging technologies and recommend security controls for adoption.
• Support audits, certifications and regulatory assessments as required.
• Any other related duties ,not specified above, as requested, by your Line Manager.