UK Head of Security

KPMG International Cooperative; City of Westminster; On-site; GBP 150,000 - 210,000; Full time

Job summary

KPMG International Cooperative in the United Kingdom seeks the UK Head of Security to architect and lead the firm's physical and environmental security strategy across its UK footprint, safeguarding people, assets and reputation. You will advise senior leadership on crisis response and shape the organisation's security posture against insider risk, travel risk and executive protection.

This role sits within Group Corporate Services, defining long‑term direction, owning policy framework, budget

Job description

As UK Head of Security, you will architect and lead the firm's physical and environmental security strategy across its UK footprint, safeguarding its people, assets, and reputational standing. You will serve as a trusted adviser to senior leadership, providing authoritative guidance on crisis response and shaping the organisation's strategic posture against evolving threats - encompassing insider risk, travel risk, and executive protection. Through close collaboration with internal stakeholders, public authorities, and specialist suppliers, you will build and sustain a high-performing security function, driving consistent and rigorous standards across a complex, multi-site environment. This is an opportunity to shape security strategy at the most senior levels of the firm - defining its security posture, influencing critical decision-making, and make a lasting contribution to the safety, resilience, and protection of the firm's UK operations and its people. About the role This role sits within Group Corporate Services, which provides the essential services and infrastructure that enable the firm's people and business to operate effectively. As the firm's authority on physical and environmental security, you will define and drive its long-term strategic direction across the UK estate, translating intelligence insights, legislative developments, and emerging risk landscapes into clearly articulated priorities and decisive, practical action. You will exercise strategic leadership alongside hands-on operational oversight, assuming full ownership of the firm's security policy framework, budget governance, and supplier performance management. The role encompasses executive responsibility for the 24-hour Global Security Operations Centre, enterprise-wide travel risk management, and the delivery of executive protection programmes. You will serve as an on-call Crisis Management Co-ordinator, representing the firm at a senior level across a portfolio of strategic partnerships - including intelligence agencies, protective security bodies, counter-terrorism authorities, and law enforcement organisations - whilst fostering collaborative relationships with peer organisations across the professional services sector.

Roles and responsibilities

• Lead and deliver an enterprise-wide physical and environmental security strategy that proactively anticipates emerging threats, aligns with core business priorities, and fortifies organisational resilience across all UK locations.
• Provide authoritative, evidence-based counsel to senior leadership across the full spectrum of security disciplines - encompassing strategic security direction, executive protection, insider threat mitigation, investigations, crisis management, and significant incident response.
• Lead the firm's counter-terrorism planning capability and discharge responsibilities as a voting member of the Insider Threat Programme Steering Group, influencing policy and strategic decision-making at the highest level.
• Inspire, develop, and hold to account both internal and contracted security teams, establishing clear performance objectives and embedding a culture of professionalism, accountability, and continuous improvement.
• Own the Physical and Environmental Security Policy, ensuring sustained alignment with applicable UK legislation, regulatory expectations, and the physical security requirements of ISO 27001, ISO 31030, and BS 16000, whilst proactively anticipating evolving compliance obligations.
• Provide strategic oversight of the Global Security Operations Centre, Travel Risk Management and Executive Protection programmes, ensuring that proportionate, intelligence-led safeguards are in place for all colleagues travelling on firm business.
• Exercise rigorous governance over security budgets, contracts, and supplier relationships - spanning guarding, threat intelligence, traveller risk, and technical security - driving value, accountability, and sustained performance excellence across the supply chain.
• Champion a data-led and technology-enabled approach to security, critically evaluating innovations in access control, CCTV, advanced analytics, and autonomous monitoring, whilst maintaining a principled balance between operational effectiveness, privacy considerations, and governance risk. A proven track record of senior leadership across physical, environmental, and technical security programmes within large, geographically dispersed organisations, with demonstrable accountability for people, services, and the delivery of operational standards at scale.
• Evidenced experience of providing authoritative counsel to executive and senior leadership on security strategy, significant risk, crisis response, and high-stakes, sensitive decision-making.
• Demonstrable depth of expertise spanning physical and technical security, threat intelligence, crisis management, complex and sensitive investigations, geo-political analysis, travel risk management, and the protection of people and assets across dynamic operating environments.
• A strong command of security policy ownership and organisational compliance, with hands-on experience navigating relevant legislation and recognised frameworks including ISO 27001, ISO 31030, and BS 16000.
• A robust record of budget stewardship, outsourced service management, and supplier performance governance, underpinned by a rigorous focus on value delivery, service quality, risk management, and regulatory compliance.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, coupled with sharp analytical judgement and a demonstrated ability to influence and engage diverse stakeholders at all levels; with the flexibility to travel across UK sites at short notice as operational demands require.

Qualifications required

• Bachelor's degree
• Advanced degree such as an MBA or a Master's degree in a related field is desirable.
• Chartered Security Professional (CSyP), or Certified Protection Professional (CPP) qualifications are desirable.
• Prior experience within UK government security or intelligence services is considered a significant differentiator and is highly desirable.

Why Corporate Services at KPMG?

Corporate Services operates as a £multi-million business within our business and, through our combined efforts, we enable the firm to serve our people, our clients and wider society. The internal expertise, advice, support and services we provide to our client-facing business are fundamental to the success of our firm. Through collaboration, agility, fresh thinking and innovation, we help our people across the firm to work in a way that's smarter and more sustainable. We're a cross-functional team, bringing together technically knowledgeable experts across a wide range of critical activities to help grow, run and protect our business. Our areas span Corporate Affairs and Marketing, Digital, Finance and Commercial, People and Resourcing, and Risk and Legal.