Security and Estates Lead

National Physical Laboratory; Greater London; On-site; GBP 65,000 - 85,000; Full time

Job summary

National Physical Laboratory (NPL) seeks a Security and Estates Lead within the UKTL team to safeguard people, facilities and data. You’ll lead physical, personnel and cyber security, and manage our site and facilities across a complex environment including data centre operations.

You will lead a small team and work closely with the COO and senior colleagues to drive risk management and resilience. This is hands-on, onsite at Birmingham three days a week, with flexible options where possible.

Qualifications

• Experience in physical security design and implementation for data centres.
• Balance business needs with security and safety requirements.
• Membership of a professional body or CSMP/ASIS CPP.

Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for security and estates at the UKTL facility.
• Maintain a strong security culture and ensure compliance with accreditation.
• Oversee physical security, cyber security, and estates management.
• Lead security projects and contracts for facilities and data centres.
• Monitor threats and inform risk strategies; report incidents, including out of hours.
• Build relationships with internal teams, contractors and government agencies.
• Lead investigations into vulnerabilities and communicate findings.
• Ensure resilience and continuity of operations across secure environments.
• Onsite presence at UKTL offices in Birmingham at least three days a week.

Skills

Physical security design

Data centre security

Team leadership

Cyber security oversight

Security accreditation standards

Clearance eligibility

Job description

About the Role

As a Security and Estates Lead within the UKTL Team, you’ll play a critical role in safeguarding our people, facilities, and reputation. You’ll lead on physical, personnel and cyber security, ensuring our security posture remains proportionate to risk and aligned with government standards, you’ll also be responsible for managing our site and facilities. This is a hands‑on role where you’ll design, implement, and oversee security measures across a complex environment, including secure facilities and data centre operations.

You’ll lead a small team of physical/personnel security, cyber security and estates professionals and be responsible for all security and estates matters, working to the Chief Operating Officer and closely with leadership colleagues to deliver a holistic approach to risk management.

Key Responsibilities

• Overall responsibility for all security and estates matters at the UKTL facility.
• Maintain and promote a strong security culture.
• Oversee physical security standards, ensuring compliance with relevant accreditation requirements.
• Oversee Cyber Security to deliver integrated risk management.
• Build strong relationships with internal teams, contractors, and government agencies.
• Managing construction and building fit‑out projects and facilities contracts.
• Monitor emerging threats and provide intelligence to inform risk strategies.
• Manage security and estates aspects of data centre facilities, ensuring resilience and continuity of operations.
• Lead investigations into vulnerabilities or procedural failings and report findings.
• Respond to incidents, including out of hours. Reasonable proximity to our site, whilst not essential, maybe an advantage.

Successful Applicants must be onsite at the UKTL offices in Birmingham at least three days a week

We strive to offer a great work life balance - if you are looking for full time, part time or flexible options, we will try to make this work where business possible. This will be dependent on the kind of role you do and part of the business you work in.

About You

You’re an experienced security professional with a proven track record in designing and managing secure facilities and data centre environments. You combine technical expertise with strong communication skills, enabling you to influence and collaborate effectively across all levels.

Essential Skills & Attributes:

• Experience in physical security design and implementation, including data centre security.
• Ability to balance business needs with security and safety requirements.
• Membership of a relevant professional body (e.g., DISA, Security Institute) or Vocational qualification such as CSMP or ASIS CPP.
• Discretion, integrity, and sensitivity in handling confidential matters.
• Adaptable, proactive, and able to work autonomously. Experience leading security professionals.

Please note: Applications will be reviewed, and interviews conducted throughout the duration of this advert therefore we may at any time bring the closing date forward. We encourage all interested applicants to apply as soon as practical.

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in this specific area means that nationality, residency and security requirements are more tightly defined than others. To work in this role, you will need to have a DV clearance with no restrictions, or you must have the ability to obtain a DV clearance

About Us

UKTL is building leading edge Telecoms testing facilities to keep our telecommunications networks safe, accelerate the roll‑out of new technologies, and grow our world leading telecoms sector to maintain resiliency and security.

Read more about UKTL here!

Successful candidates will join a state‑of‑the‑art facility and be supporting the team conducting testing and research on the latest technologies and innovations in the industry. You will work alongside our infrastructure and Cybersecurity professionals to ensure that the UK’s world class Telecoms infrastructure grows in a resilient and secure manner underpinning growth in other industry sectors.

As a trusted and independent national capability, UKTL interacts with standards bodies, Academia, and Government Departments as well as Communications Service Providers and equipment vendors.

The National Physical Laboratory (NPL) is a world‑leading centre of excellence that provides cutting‑edge measurement science, engineering and technology to underpin prosperity and quality of life in the UK. Find out more about what it is like working here - The measure of us - Overview

NPL and DSIT have strong commitments to diversity and equality of opportunity, and welcome applications from candidates irrespective of their background, gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, or age, providing they meet the required criteria. Applications from women, disabled and black, Asian and minority ethnic candidates in particular are encouraged. All disabled candidates (as defined by the Equality Act 2010) who satisfy the minimum criteria for the role will be guaranteed an interview under the Disability Confident Scheme.

At NPL, we believe our success is a result of the diversity and talent of our people. We strive to nurture and respect individuals to ensure everyone feels valued by treating everyone on the basis of their own individual merits and abilities regardless of their own or perceived identity, as part of our commitment to diversity & inclusion, we ensure we’re creating an environment where all our colleagues feel supported and welcome. More about this on our Diversity & Inclusion page.

We offer a wealth of above industry standard benefits, such as enhanced pension scheme, flexible working, and more that can be found here rewards, benefits and recognition. Our values are at the heart of what we do, and they shape the way we interact, develop our people and celebrate success. To ensure everyone has an equal chance, we’re always willing to make reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process. If you would like to discuss, please contact us.