NIS Programme Manager

Queen Square Recruitment; Snodland; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Queen Square Recruitment Ltd seeks an NIS Programme Manager for a 6-month contract in Snodland, UK. The role drives end-to-end accountability for South East Water’s Network and Information Systems programme, bridging IT, OT engineering and risk with a focus on regulatory compliance and cyber maturity.

You will coordinate capital deployments, governance, and external assurance efforts to meet DWI and CAF targets, working with industrial vendors and auditors.

Qualifications

• Proven track record leading IT/OT convergence or transformation programmes in CNI or regulated utilities.
• Deep knowledge of UK NIS Regulations and CAF v4 requirements.
• Experience with Purdue model segmentation, SCADA, PLCs and telemetry networks.
• Ability to build robust compliance frameworks translating deployments into audit evidence.
• Experience managing complex vendor relationships with SLAs and regulators.

Responsibilities

• Provide end-to-end accountability for the NIS Programme across IT, OT Engineering, Operations and Risk.
• Bridging IT, OT, Operations and Corporate Risk to drive cyber maturity.
• Oversee capital deployments (site modernisations, PLC changes, network segmentation) and base operational initiatives (BC, supply chain resilience).
• Ensure deliverables meet DWI regulatory notices and CAF sector-specific profile.
• Manage governance artifacts and evidence repositories for external assurance partners and regulators.

Skills

Critical Infrastructure Leadership

Regulatory Expertise

OT Architecture & Field Delivery

Governance & Evidence Engine

Industrial Vendor Management

Enterprise Cyber Maturation

Job description

New Exciting contract for the role of NIS Programme Manager

Location: Snodland, UK (1-2 days in office)

Contract Duration: 6 Months

IR35 Status: Inside IR35

The Role

This role holds end-to-end accountability for South East Water’s Network and Information Systems (NIS) Programme, protecting ring-fenced AMP8 capital funding while simultaneously driving the broader maturation of our enterprise-wide cyber security posture. Operating as the central bridge between IT, OT Engineering, Operations, and Corporate Risk, this role oversees a complex, blended portfolio. You will manage both Enhanced technical capital deployments (e.g., site modernisations, PLC replacements, network segmentation) and 'Base' operational initiatives (e.g., business continuity overhauls, supply chain cyber resilience, and governance). Your ultimate mandate is to ensure all physical, logical, and procedural deliverables collectively meet the stringent targets of the DWI Regulatory Notice and the eCAF Sector-Specific Profile.

Your Profile

Essential skills/experience:

• Critical Infrastructure Leadership: A proven track record of successfully leading complex IT/OT convergence or transformation programmes within Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) or heavily regulated utility environments.
• Sector-Specific Regulatory Expertise: Deep practical knowledge of the UK NIS Regulations and a demonstrated track record of delivering compliance against the enhanced CAF sector-specific profile of the NIS CAF v4. Familiarity with ISA/IEC 62443 industrial automation security standards is highly desirable.
• OT Architecture & Field Delivery: Evidence of operating within structured Operational Technology environments, possessing a firm grasp of Purdue Model segmentation, SCADA systems, PLCs, and telemetry network modernisations.
• Governance & Evidence Engine Management: Experience building and managing robust compliance frameworks (e.g., Master Action Trackers, evidence repositories) that translate technical field deployments into robust audit evidence for external technical assurance partners and regulators (e.g., DWI, Ofwat).
• Industrial Vendor Management: Experience managing complex relationships with Tier-1 industrial engineering partners, OT framework vendors (e.g., Siemens, Ovarro), and external assurance auditors, navigating high-stakes SLAs and strict compliance deliverables.
• Enterprise Cyber Maturation: Experience elevating an organisation's holistic cyber posture beyond just technical hardware, including leading business continuity overhauls, driving third-party supply chain resilience, and executing enterprise-wide cyber culture campaigns.