VodafoneThree - Defence PKI Lead

VodafoneThree; Farnborough; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Great pay

Bonuses

28 days off plus bank holidays

Hybrid/ Flexible work

Job summary

A leading telecommunications company in Farnborough is seeking a PKI Defence Lead to guide the design and implementation of secure Public Key Infrastructure. This role involves maintaining cryptographic integrity and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards. The ideal candidate has significant experience in PKI operations and holds DV clearance. Offering great pay, bonuses, and personalized benefits, this position supports hybrid working arrangements.

Qualifications

• Proven experience in PKI design and operations within government or critical national infrastructure.
• Current DV clearance eligibility and willingness to undergo DV vetting.
• Deep understanding of cryptographic protocols.

Responsibilities

• Develop and maintain PKI architectures for sensitive environments.
• Deploy and manage Certificate Authorities and lifecycle management of digital certificates.
• Ensure compliance with regulatory requirements and conduct audits.
• Collaborate with internal/external teams and provide training.

Skills

PKI design and operations

Cryptographic protocols (X.509, OCSP, SCEP, CMP)

Security frameworks (NIST 800-53, ISO 27001)

Incident response involving PKI

Tools

Microsoft AD CS

EJBCA

OpenSSL

Venafi

Job description

Location: Farnborough + Hybrid.

Salary: Excellent basic salary plus bonus and Vodafone benefits.

Working Hours: Full time 37.5 hours per week – Monday to Friday.

Hybrid

We believe that through collaboration and connection with our colleagues we can achieve great things. Our hybrid working approach allows our people to work both in the office and at home, providing the flexibility and resources you need to succeed in your role. We don't require you to be in on specific days; instead, we ask people to come into the office 2-3 days each week, for at least 8 days per month. You should work with your line manager to understand what their expectations are for you, your specific role and your team.

What You’ll Do

As the PKI Defence Lead, you will be the authority guiding the design, implementation, and ongoing assurance of secure Public Key Infrastructure within classified and mission critical environments. Your work will underpin cryptographic integrity, identity assurance, and secure communications across systems that protect national interests. This is a role for someone who thrives in high stakes security contexts and is ready to lead the evolution of PKI capabilities across a complex, multi-partner ecosystem.

• Develop and maintain PKI architectures aligned with security standards for sensitive and regulated environments, including designing certificate hierarchies, trust models, and key management strategies.
• Deploy and manage Certificate Authorities (CAs), Registration Authorities (RAs), and associated infrastructure, and oversee lifecycle management of digital certificates and cryptographic keys.
• Ensure PKI systems comply with relevant governmental, international and other applicable regulatory requirements, and conduct audits, risk assessments and vulnerability analysis of PKI components.
• Integrate PKI with identity and access management (IdAM), secure email, VPNs, and authentication systems, and provide expert support for incident response involving cryptographic systems.
• Collaborate with internal teams, clients and external vendors to ensure secure and interoperable PKI solutions and provide training and guidance to technical teams and end‑users.

Who You Are

• Proven experience in PKI design and operations within government, public sector, or critical national infrastructure.
• Current DV clearance or eligibility and willingness to undergo DV vetting.
• Deep understanding of cryptographic protocols (X.509, OCSP, SCEP, CMP, etc.).
• Familiarity with HSMs, smart cards, TPMs and secure enclaves.
• Experience with tools such as Microsoft AD CS, EJBCA, OpenSSL and Venafi.
• Strong knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001 and CIS Controls.
• Successful implementation and maintenance of secure PKI systems.
• Ensure compliance with relevant international and organisational regulations.
• Maintaining continuous assurance, auditing and monitoring activities.
• Ability to work within secure environments and handle sensitive data securely.

What We Offer

We care about our people’s success by offering great pay, bonuses, up to 28 days off plus bank holidays and paid time for charity work. You can personalise our benefits for you and your family, such as discounts, vouchers, a pension plan and more. We help with your career through our amazing learning tools and top‑notch parental leave policies.

Need to Know

We are regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority and all offers of employment for this role are subject to background checks, including criminal (DBS) and financial checks to meet the regulator’s standards.

If you require any reasonable adjustments or have an accessibility request as part of your recruitment journey – such as extended time or breaks between online assessments, a sign language interpreter or assistive technology – please refer to the Accessibility section of our Careers website for guidance.