Principal Cyber Security Consultant - Client Advisory & Solutions

I-confidential; City of Edinburgh; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

i-confidential is seeking an experienced cyber security professional for a senior client-facing consulting role in the UK. The role spans cyber security, technology risk and security transformation, requiring interaction with senior clients and the ability to shape proposals and solutions.

You will deliver advisory guidance, support pre-sales, and lead security programmes while maintaining a strong commercial outlook and ability to grow client relationships across engagements.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience across cyber security, technology risk and security transformation.
• Experience engaging with C-suite and senior technology, cyber and risk stakeholders.
• Proven ability to translate complex client problems into clear requirements and pragmatic solutions.
• Track record of leading or contributing to large security programmes or transformation initiatives.
• Strong commercial acumen with ability to grow client relationships and opportunities.

Responsibilities

• Engage CISOs, CIOs, CTOs and risk leaders to understand challenges and priorities.
• Lead or support early-stage client discussions, workshops and discovery sessions.
• Translate client problems into clear requirements and practical solutions.
• Provide credible challenge and independent advice to senior stakeholders.
• Contribute to proposals, pre-sales, and delivery approaches.
• Build and grow the consultancy's services and propositions with market insight.

Skills

Cyber security

Pre-sales experience

Senior client engagement

Security architecture

Risk governance

Business development

C-suite engagement

Job description

Role Purpose

We are looking for an experienced cyber security professional to join i-confidential in a senior client-facing consulting role.

This is a broad position requiring someone with extensive experience across cyber security, technology risk and security transformation who can engage confidently with senior clients, rapidly understand complex challenges and provide clear, pragmatic and commercially sensible advice.

The successful individual does not need to be the deepest technical specialist in every area of cyber security. Instead, they will bring the breadth of experience and judgement to understand a client's environment, ask the right questions, identify what really matters and bring together the appropriate solution and expertise.

They will operate across the full consulting lifecycle - from early client conversations and pre-sales through solution shaping and proposals to providing senior technical and strategic input into client engagements.

Just as importantly, this person will have a strong commercial mindset. They will build trusted relationships, recognise opportunities where i-confidential can provide additional value and contribute actively to the growth and evolution of our consultancy business.

Key Responsibilities

Client Advisory & Pre-Sales

• Engage with CISOs, CIOs, CTOs, Technology and Risk leaders to understand their challenges, priorities and operating environments.
• Lead or support early-stage client discussions, workshops and discovery sessions.
• Translate sometimes loosely defined client problems into clear requirements, potential approaches and practical solutions.
• Provide credible challenge and independent advice to senior client stakeholders.
• Explain complex cyber security and technology risk issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Provide technical credibility and subject-matter breadth during pitches, proposals and client presentations.
• Support the development of statements of work, proposals, delivery approaches and associated commercial solutions.

Cyber Security Advisory

Provide senior-level advice across a broad range of areas, potentially including:

• Cyber security strategy and transformation
• Security architecture
• Security controls and control effectiveness
• Technology and cyber risk
• Security governance, policy and standards
• Security operating models
• Security assessments and maturity
• Identity and access management
• Cloud and infrastructure security
• Vulnerability management
• Security operations and incident management
• Operational resilience
• Third-party risk
• Regulatory and industry frameworks
• Emerging technologies and associated security risks, including AI

The role does not require the individual to personally deliver deep specialist work across every area. A key capability will be knowing when specialist expertise is required and being able to bring together the appropriate people and capabilities.

Consulting & Delivery

• Provide senior technical and strategic input into client programmes and projects.
• Act as a trusted adviser to clients and i-confidential consultants.
• Review and challenge proposed approaches, architectures, programmes and deliverables.
• Help delivery teams navigate complex client environments and technical issues.
• Provide quality assurance and senior oversight where appropriate.
• Translate strategic objectives into pragmatic, achievable security programmes and roadmaps.

Solution & Proposition Development

• Contribute to the development and evolution of i-confidential's consultancy services.
• Identify emerging client challenges and translate these into potential services and propositions.
• Bring practical market insight into areas where clients are investing or experiencing difficulty.
• Work with colleagues and specialist consultants to develop repeatable consulting approaches and solutions.

Commercial & Business Development

• Build strong, long-term relationships with existing and prospective clients.
• Identify opportunities where i-confidential can provide additional support or expertise.
• Contribute to account development and business development activity.
• Use professional networks and industry relationships to create new conversations and opportunities.
• Participate in industry events, roundtables and thought-leadership activity.
• Balance technical recommendations with the client's commercial, organisational and operational realities.

Experience

We are looking for an individual with significant experience in cyber security and technology, gained through a combination of consulting, industry leadership and/or senior technical roles.

They are likely to have:

• Broad experience across multiple cyber security and technology risk disciplines.
• Operated at senior or principal consultant, security leader, architect, programme director, Head of Security, Deputy CISO or CISO level.
• Experience engaging with C-suite and senior technology, cyber and risk stakeholders.
• A track record of understanding complex problems and developing pragmatic solutions.
• Experience of large-scale cyber security programmes or transformation initiatives.
• Strong understanding of technology as well as governance, risk and security management.
• Experience contributing to proposals, solution development, pre-sales or business development.
• Experience of regulated and/or complex organisations.
• A strong professional network and credibility within the cyber security or wider technology community would be highly valuable.

Previous consultancy experience would be advantageous but is not essential. We would also be interested in individuals who have held senior cyber security positions within industry and who possess the consulting, interpersonal and commercial skills required to operate successfully across multiple clients.

Personal Profile

This role requires more than technical knowledge.

We are looking for someone who has genuine presence and credibility with senior clients but who remains pragmatic, approachable and easy to work with.

• Intellectually curious and interested in the wider technology and cyber landscape.
• Naturally consultative and comfortable asking challenging questions.
• Confident without being dogmatic.
• Able to form a credible view even where information is incomplete.
• Comfortable moving between board-level conversations and detailed technical discussions.
• Excellent at simplifying complex issues.
• Pragmatic rather than theoretical.
• Commercially aware and interested in growing client relationships.
• Enthusiastic about cyber security and technology.
• Comfortable admitting when specialist expertise is required and able to engage the right people.
• Someone clients actively want to involve in conversations because they value their judgement.

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