Security Architect

Ocho People Ltd.; Belfast City District; Remote; GBP 80,000 - 90,000; Full time

Job summary

Ocho People seeks a Security Architect to own the secure design of cloud services for public and private sector clients. You will lead threat modelling, make architectural calls balancing security, cost and usability, and verify designs hands-on within agile teams.

Remote-first role based in Northern Ireland with a clear path from architect to leadership as the team grows from twenty to fifty. You’ll specialise in cloud security, cryptographic controls, and governance, while mentoring engineers

Qualifications

• Proven experience in secure design and delivery of cloud services on AWS or Azure with a cloud certification.
• Deep architectural depth in AI/ML security, cloud security, M365 security or DevSecOps architecture.
• Experience in application architecture, software development or infrastructure architecture.
• Working knowledge of security standards and regulations including NCSC, ISO, NIST, SOC, PCI and GDPR.
• Practical command of network security, web app security and cryptographic controls.

Responsibilities

• Own the secure design of new cloud services from first principles through to delivery.
• Identify security weaknesses and mitigations balancing cost, risk and usability.
• Work embedded within agile delivery teams to build security into the development lifecycle.
• Run threat modelling sessions and translate output into design decisions.
• Apply network, application and cryptographic controls across platforms.
• Test security of software and infrastructure using appropriate tooling.
• Mentor engineers and less experienced architects.
• Explain security decisions and trade-offs to senior stakeholders and teams.

Skills

Cloud security

Threat modelling

Security architecture

Security standards

Cryptography

Network security

Education

Cloud certification

Tools

AWS

Azure

Job description

Security Architect (Cloud & Secure Design)

A design-led role owning the security architecture of cloud platforms and services built for major public and private sector clients - remote-first within Northern Ireland, £80,000-£90,000.

About the Company

Our client is a Northern Ireland technology business whose platforms operate at national scale across government, healthcare and international financial services. Their security capability is in the middle of a deliberate, quality-led expansion - from around twenty people towards fifty - and is being built around deep specialists rather than broad generalists. This role sits at the centre of that: designing security into the systems the business builds, rather than assessing it after the fact.

The Role

You will own the secure design of new cloud services from first principles through to delivery, working embedded with agile teams rather than reviewing their work from a distance. Day to day that means threat modelling, making architectural calls that balance security against cost and usability, getting hands‑on with the tooling to verify what you have designed actually holds, and explaining the trade‑offs to stakeholders who need to make decisions on them. You will also mentor engineers and less experienced architects as the team grows around you.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the secure design of new cloud services and solutions from first principles through to delivery.
• Identify security weaknesses in existing system designs and recommend mitigations that balance cost, risk and usability.
• Work embedded within agile delivery teams to build good security practice into the development lifecycle.
• Run threat modelling sessions and translate the output into design decisions engineers can implement.
• Apply network, application and cryptographic controls appropriately across the platforms you design.
• Test the security of software and infrastructure using appropriate tooling rather than relying on documentation alone.
• Mentor engineers and less experienced architects, supporting their technical development.
• Explain security decisions and trade‑offs clearly to both senior stakeholders and development teams.

What You'll Need

Essential:

• Proven experience in the secure design and delivery of cloud services on AWS or Azure, evidenced by a cloud certification.
• Deep architectural depth in at least one of AI/ML security, cloud security, M365 security or DevSecOps architecture.
• Experience in application architecture, software development or infrastructure architecture.
• Working knowledge of security standards and regulations including NCSC, ISO, NIST, SOC, PCI and GDPR.
• Practical command of network security (OSI, TCP/IP), web application security (OWASP) and cryptographic controls (PKI, TLS).
• Architecture or security design work you have personally owned and can defend in detail under technical challenge.

Desirable:

• Identity and access management experience, including authentication and authorisation products and patterns.
• Current UK security clearance, or clear eligibility to obtain it.
• Zero Trust architecture experience, or architecture‑as‑code approaches such as C4.
• Involvement across the full security lifecycle including governance, operational security and supply chain security.
• Penetration testing certifications such as OSCP, CREST or TIGER.
• Prior experience mentoring or leading security engineers.
• Use of AI tooling within your own daily working practice.

Why Apply?

• Design work with real consequence - the platforms you secure are used at national scale.
• Remote‑first working with minimal mandatory office attendance, from anywhere in Northern Ireland.
• £80,000-£90,000, with the band open to discussion for the right person.
• A defined path from architect through to principal and leadership, in a team growing from twenty towards fifty.
• Around ten percent client‑facing work, with no sales targets or individual revenue responsibility.
• Specialist depth is rewarded here rather than diluted across a generalist remit.
• Exposure across public sector, healthcare and global financial platforms within a single role.