Principal Cyber Security Analyst

Scottish Government; Glasgow; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 100,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

GDD pay supplement £4,000 annually

Job summary

Disclosure Scotland is seeking a Principal Cyber Security Analyst to lead the cyber security agenda for a critical public service and enable secure digital transformation.

You will provide strategic leadership across the organisation, advising senior leaders and partners, embedding security into services, systems and decision-making processes, and ensuring protection of sensitive information while enabling modern, trusted public services.

Qualifications

• Lead criteria: experience in leading and developing cyber security teams, designing and improving security operations.
• Experience advising on organisational/technical responses to cyber incidents and driving policy development.
• Expert knowledge of system architectures and vulnerability impact on services and designs.

Responsibilities

• Lead engagement with key stakeholders for cyber security matters across Disclosure Scotland and the Scottish Government.
• Provide expert cyber security guidance to implement and operate security controls.
• Develop understanding of user needs and emerging technologies to align policies with business requirements.
• Deliver initiatives from the Cyber Security Strategy and manage cyber risk.
• Lead development/improvement of security incident management, investigations and response capabilities.
• Assess cyber threats and vulnerabilities and implement controls to protect systems and data.
• Conduct cyber security risk assessments and provide actionable recommendations.
• Oversee penetration testing and security assurance activities and drive improvements.
• Lead security testing planning, delivery and evaluation in line with policies and standards.
• Develop and maintain cyber security policies, standards and guidance.

Skills

Cyber security leadership

Security operations

Threat detection

Incident response

Risk assessment

Job description

Job Description

Lead the cyber security agenda for a critical public service, protecting sensitive information while enabling digital transformation across Disclosure Scotland.

Disclosure Scotland is an executive agency of the Scottish Government, supporting safer recruitment and helping to protect vulnerable groups through trusted disclosure services. As the Principal Cyber Security Analyst, you will join our Digital team at a pivotal point in our transformation journey, leading a specialist team whose mission is to enable secure, resilient, and accessible digital services that meet the needs of citizens, organisations, and government.

In this role, you will provide strategic leadership for cyber security across the organisation, working collaboratively with senior leaders, delivery teams, and external partners to embed security into our services, systems, and decision-making processes. Your primary objective will be to ensure that cyber security supports and enables organisational goals, protecting critical services and information while helping Disclosure Scotland deliver its vision for modern, innovative, and trusted public services.

Responsibilities

• Lead engagement with key stakeholders across Disclosure Scotland and the wider Scottish Government, acting as the primary point of contact for cyber security matters.
• Provide expert cyber security advice and guidance, supporting the effective implementation and operation of security controls across the organisation.
• Develop a strong understanding of user needs and emerging technologies, ensuring cyber security policies and controls align with business requirements.
• Deliver cyber security initiatives arising from the Cyber Security Strategy, supporting the effective management of cyber risk and information protection requirements.
• Lead the development and continuous improvement of cyber incident management, investigation and response capabilities, processes and procedures.
• Manage the assessment of cyber threats and vulnerabilities, implementing appropriate controls to protect organisational systems, information and services.
• Conduct and oversee cyber security risk assessments, providing recommendations to support effective risk management and informed decision-making.
• Manage the delivery of penetration testing and security assurance activities, ensuring findings are addressed and drive continuous improvement in organisational security.
• Lead multidisciplinary teams through the planning, delivery and evaluation of security testing activities in line with organisational policies, standards and best practice.
• Develop and maintain cyber security policies, standards and guidance in line with business needs, legislative requirements and industry best practice.

Success profile

Success profiles are specific to each job and they include the mix of behaviours, experience and technical criteria (if applicable) that candidates will be assessed on.

Experience

• Lead criteria - Experience of leading and developing cyber security teams, with the ability to design, implement and continuously improve Security Operations capabilities, including threat detection, automation, orchestration and the development of security processes and procedures to meet evolving business and threat requirements.
• Experience of advising on organisational and technical responses to cyber security incidents, with responsibility for developing and driving incident investigation, response policies, processes and procedures.
• Expert knowledge of system architectures, with the ability to assess and articulate the impact of vulnerabilities on existing and future systems, services and designs.
• Experience of working in a multidisciplinary team environment, and delivering quality security objectives in a timely manner, among other competing digital priorities.

Technical Skills

This role is aligned to the Cyber Security Analyst role in the Digital, Data and Technology Profession.

These skills will be tested during the Technical Assessment if you are successful at sift stage. They will be not be assessed at application stage. Please review the following to understand the skill expectations Cyber Security Operations - Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework.

Recruitment Principles

As a government organisation, we adhere to the Civil Service Commission Recruitment Principles and we investigate any complaints received in relation to recruitment cases.

About us

Disclosure Scotland is an Executive Agency of the Scottish Government working on behalf of Scottish Ministers. You will be part of a trusted team delivering essential public protection services. Our mission is to safeguard people and support national priorities, including Children and Young People, Fair Work, Communities, Human Rights and the wider economy.

Our staff are part of the UK Civil Service, observing the Civil Service Code and working for Ministers and senior stakeholders to deliver vital public services which improve the lives of the people of Scotland.

We offer a supportive and inclusive working environment along with a wide range of employee benefits. Find out more about what we offer.

As part of the UK Civil Service, we uphold the Civil Service Nationality Rules.

Working pattern

Our standard hours are 35 hours per week and we offer a range of flexible working options depending on the needs of the role, including Flexi-leave. Scottish Government staff in hybrid-compatible roles will be expected to attend the office 2 days per week. If you have specific questions about the role you are applying for, please contact us.

Security checks

Successful candidates must complete the Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS), before they can be appointed. BPSS is comprised of four main pre-employment checks - Identity, Right to work, Employment History and a Criminal Record check (unspent convictions).

You can find out more about BPSS on the UK Government website, or read about the different levels of security checks in our Candidate Guide.

Successful candidates must be willing to obtain Security Check (SC) clearance if necessary. You can find out more about SC clearance here: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#security-check-sc

Pay supplement

This post is part of the Government Digital and Data (GDD) profession and currently attracts a £4000 annual GDD pay supplement, which is paid monthly - pay supplements are reviewed regularly.

Equality statement

We are committed to equality and inclusion and we aim to recruit a diverse workforce that reflects the population of our nation.

Find out more about our commitment to diversity and how we offer and support recruitment adjustments for anyone who needs them.

Further information

Find out more about our organisation, what we offer staff members and how to apply on our Careers Website.

Read our Candidate Guide for further information on our recruitment and application processes.