Security Architect - Leeds - Hybrid

W Talent; Leeds; Hybrid; GBP 72,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

W Talent is seeking a Lead Security Architect in Leeds with proven security architecture leadership. The role is a permanent, hybrid position with approx. 50% on-site attendance and flexible hours.

The candidate will drive security strategy, oversee governance, and partner with delivery teams to embed secure-by-design principles. Strong communication and senior stakeholders engagement are essential.

Qualifications

• Breadth and depth in IT/security architecture with secure design delivery.
• Experience leading multi-team programs and engaging senior stakeholders.
• Knowledge of security frameworks (NIST, MITRE ATT&CK, ISO 27001) and applying them pragmatically.

Responsibilities

• Champion a modern security posture with threat-informed focus on reducing attack surface.
• Define security architecture strategy, guardrails, standards and roadmaps for projects and platforms.
• Embed secure-by-design delivery with solution architects, SMEs and delivery teams.
• Act as senior architectural voice for high-impact initiatives and risk-aligned options.
• Drive architecture governance with design reviews, signoffs and lifecycle documentation.
• Collaborate across Technology to translate strategy into target designs balancing resilience and productivity.
• Coordinate with Assurance to land controls at right stages and surface risk.
• Communicate complex security choices clearly to senior stakeholders in papers and roadmaps.
• Possess breadth and depth in IT/security architecture and lead multi-team programs.
• Lead and influence senior leaders and engineers/SMEs with strong documentation.

Skills

Security architecture

Stakeholder leadership

Threat modeling

Documentation

Job description

I am recruiting for a Lead Security Architect for our very well established client within the Financial Services industry.

This position offers a flexible hybrid role, where you will only need to attend site approx. 50% of the time, with flexibility on working hours.

Lead Security Architect

Permanent

Location: Leeds - Hybrid working model

Salary: to £80,000 + Good Benefits

• Champion a modern security posture - threat informed and focused on measurable reduction of attack surface.
• Security architecture strategy & guardrails – define and evolve the security patterns, principles, standards, and roadmaps that guide projects and platforms.
• Secure-by-design delivery – partner with solution architects, SMEs and delivery teams to embed controls and use threat-led thinking throughout discovery, design, build, and delivery; ensure designs meet policy and technical standards.
• Act as senior architectural voice for high impact initiatives, aligning security capabilities to business outcomes and risk profiles, and shaping option analysis with clear trade-offs.
• Architecture governance – drive effective design reviews and signoffs; document how solutions interact with the wider enterprise and ensure compliance with our delivery and assurance frameworks.
• Cross-Technology influence – collaborate across Technology and business domains to translate strategy into target designs, balancing resilience with productivity and simplification.
• Partner with our Assurance team to land the right controls at the right stages, ensuring risk is actively surfaced and owned.
• Communicate complex security choices simply - at meetings/workshops, in option papers, and roadmaps that influence senior stakeholders and unblock decisions.
• Breadth and depth in IT/security architecture, with a track record delivering secure designs and steering multiteam programmes.
• Stakeholder leadership—comfortable influencing senior leaders and guiding engineers/SMEs; strong documentation and communication skills.
• Knowledge of well-known Frameworks (e.g., NIST, MITRE ATT&CK, ISO 27001) and the ability to apply them pragmatically within delivery.
• Team leadership experience either as a virtual team or direct line management experience.