Security and Estates Lead

UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL); Metropolitan Borough of Solihull; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

UK Telecoms Lab (UKTL) is seeking a Security and Estates Lead to safeguard colleagues, facilities and reputation. You will design, implement and oversee security measures across a complex environment, including secure facilities and data centre operations, reporting to the COO and working with leadership to manage risk.

You'll lead a small team of physical, personnel and cyber security and estates professionals, ensuring compliance with government standards and driving a holistic approach to

Qualifications

• Experience in designing and managing secure facilities and data centre environments.
• Ability to balance business needs with security and safety requirements.
• Discretion, integrity, and sensitivity in handling confidential matters.
• Strong communication and stakeholder engagement skills.

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.

Job description

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.

• 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