Principal Digital Specialist (Networks and Cybersecurity)

Scottish Water; Scotland; On-site; GBP 55,000 - 74,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

38 days holiday

Buy extra holiday

Volunteer leave

Flexible working

Bonus scheme

SW Splash rewards

Pension

Life assurance

Job summary

Scottish Water is seeking a Cyber‑Security Architect to lead security across enterprise, cloud and OT environments, shaping secure digital water services for Scotland. You will design patterns and guardrails, work with cross‑functional teams, and apply IEC 62443 and ISO 27001 principles to reduce risk and ensure resilience.

Join a collaborative digital organisation focused on trusted, secure water services, with a strong emphasis on security‑by‑design and continuous improvement across the

Qualifications

• Strong experience in cyber-security architecture across cloud and OT environments.
• Practical knowledge of IEC 62443 and ISO 27001 principles.
• Ability to communicate complex cyber risks to technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Define cyber-security architecture patterns, standards and guardrails for interconnected systems.
• Embed security by design across cloud, enterprise and OT environments.
• Collaborate with OT, engineering and cyber-security teams to balance safety and security.
• Translate risks into design decisions and pragmatic delivery guidance.

Skills

Cyber-security architecture

OT security

Cloud security

ISO 27001

IEC 62443

Azure

Identity management

SIEM/SOC

Incident response

Job description

Together we are Trusted to Serve Scotland. Cyber‑Security Architect Protect Scotland’s Digital Water Future.

Scottish Water is building an increasingly connected digital water system, bringing together cloud platforms, data, applications, operational technology, telemetry, SCADA and cyber‑physical assets across the water network. We’re now looking for a talented and forward‑thinking Cyber‑Security Architect to help ensure these systems are designed, protected and operated to the highest standards of cybersecurity, resilience and trust. This role sits within the Digital Strategy, Architecture & Platforms function and reports directly to the Digital Architecture Manager. You will shape cyber‑security architecture across our digital and operational landscape, helping to protect essential services, reduce the risk of disruption, and support safe, secure and reliable water services for Scotland.

About the Role

As Cyber‑Security Architect, you will provide architectural leadership across Scottish Water’s enterprise, cloud and operational technology environments. You’ll work closely with Cyber Security, Cloud Architecture, Enterprise Architecture, Digital Platforms, Operational Technology, engineering teams and business stakeholders to ensure cyber‑security is embedded by design across our interconnected digital water ecosystem.

What You'll Be Doing

As a Cyber Security Architect, you will design secure digital water systems by defining cyber‑security architecture patterns, standards and guardrails for interconnected water systems, including cloud platforms, applications, networks, telemetry, SCADA and operational technology. You will ensure security is embedded from the outset so digital services are resilient, trusted and designed to minimise the likelihood and impact of operational disruption. You will play a key role in protecting cyber‑physical systems by applying recognised operational technology security principles, including IEC 62443 concepts such as zones, conduits, security levels, lifecycle security and defence‑in‑depth, to help protect our cyber‑physical water assets. Working closely with OT, engineering and cyber‑security teams, you will help balance safety, reliability, availability and security across critical operational environments. The role will involve shaping cloud and enterprise security architecture by designing and assuring secure cloud and enterprise architectures aligned to ISO 27001 principles. This includes areas such as risk management, identity, access control, data protection, monitoring, incident response and continual improvement. You will partner with Cloud Architects and platform teams to ensure our cloud services are secure, scalable, resilient and operationally supportable. You will provide cyber‑security assurance and governance through architectural oversight and security assurance for major digital, cloud, infrastructure and operational technology programmes. Translating cyber risks into clear design decisions, control requirements and pragmatic delivery guidance, you will support project teams and senior stakeholders while championing security‑by‑design, zero‑trust principles, secure integration, least privilege, monitoring, resilience and recovery across the technology landscape.

In addition, you will help build cyber‑security capability and culture by working collaboratively across digital, cyber, engineering and operational teams to raise awareness, improve decision‑making and embed a proactive cyber‑security culture across Scottish Water.

What You'll Bring

We're looking for someone with strong experience in cyber‑security architecture, operational technology security, cloud security, infrastructure security or a closely related discipline. You will understand how to secure complex, interconnected environments spanning cloud platforms, enterprise systems, networks, applications and cyber‑physical operational assets. You will have practical knowledge of IEC 62443 and how it can be applied to protect industrial automation, control systems and operational technology environments, alongside an understanding of ISO 27001 principles and how to apply risk‑based information security management to cloud and enterprise platforms. You'll be able to communicate complex cyber‑security risks, controls and architectural decisions clearly to both technical and non‑technical stakeholders. Just as importantly, you'll bring curiosity, pragmatism and a continuous improvement mindset, with a strong focus on protecting essential services and reducing operational disruption. Experience with Azure, identity and access management, network segmentation, SIEM/SOC integration, incident response, critical national infrastructure, water utilities or other regulated operational environments would all be advantageous.

What We Offer

You’ll join a collaborative and future‑focused digital organisation with the chance to make a tangible impact on how Scottish Water protects and operates essential services. You’ll help shape secure digital architecture, strengthen resilience across our interconnected water systems, and support the safe, reliable delivery of water services for communities across Scotland.

Looking out for you

• This is a full‑time role (35 hours per week).
• You’ll get plenty of time to recharge with 38 days of holiday every year (including public holidays).
• You can even buy five more days of holiday if you need a little extra time.
• You can also take time off to volunteer in your community.
• We have family‑friendly policies around adoption, maternity, and parental leave.
• We embrace flexible working.
• You will participate in a company bonus scheme.
• You will have access to SW Splash – handy rewards that can save you money on holidays, bills, and shopping.
• There’s our pension (the ‘know‑what‑you’ll‑get‑when‑you‑retire’ kind).
• You will have life assurance.

Additional Information

This role will be a Grade 8. If you’re new to Scottish Water, you’ll join us on a starting salary of £54,776. Performance‑driven pay progression would then allow you to move through the range to a maximum of £74,386.

Job offers at Scottish Water are conditional, and will be confirmed on completion of our pre‑employment screening, e.g. referencing, criminal record checks, license checks, etc. Screening is conducted on our behalf by a third party, and must be completed before your start date. Don’t worry – we’ll only start these checks once you’ve accepted an offer.

If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you’ll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.

Candidates should be aware that a valid UK driving licence is required for driving on Scottish Water business and claiming business mileage expenses.

Please note, Scottish Water takes the safety, health and wellbeing of our employees, colleagues and customers very seriously and as such you may be subject to Drug & Alcohol testing in line with our policy.

We’re also aware that some people might be experiencing temporary challenges because of life events, like menopause. We’re very used to making adjustments, so please don’t be afraid to ask. As part of our commitment to developing a flourishing Scotland, it’s important that all our employees are Scottish taxpayers. If you join us, your home address will need to be in Scotland. If you don’t already live here, you'll need to commit to moving here within your first three months.

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