22151 - Lead Security Specialist

Ministry of Justice; National City (CA); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 109,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Hybrid working

Civil Service pension

Job summary

The Ministry of Justice seeks an experienced Lead Security Specialist to drive security and assurance for Education, Skills and Employment Digital across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

The role combines cyber and operational security expertise to enable safe digital innovation in a custodial environment, while coordinating with product teams, security colleagues and suppliers.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience in cyber or information security within complex operational environments.
• Experience with security risk assessments and translating risks into controls.
• Proven ability to advise senior leaders and governance bodies on risk decisions.

Responsibilities

• Lead security activity across the Education, Skills and Employment Digital portfolio and initiatives.
• Provide authoritative security advice throughout the service lifecycle from discovery to live operation.
• Translate operational security requirements into practical controls and documentation.
• Develop security reporting covering risk, incidents, vulnerabilities and assurance.
• Coordinate security testing, supplier security and risk submissions.

Skills

Security expertise

Cyber security

Stakeholder management

Risk assessment

Communication

Job description

General Information

Salary - The national salary range is £73,513 - £80,864, London salary range is £76,634 - £86,082. Your salary will be dependent on your base location

Working Pattern - Full Time, Flexible Working

Vacancy Approach - Cross Government

Location - National

Region - National

Closing Date - 25-Sep-2026

Business Unit - AGY - NOMS Agency

Post Type - Permanent

Civil Service Grade - Grade 7

Number of jobs available - 1

Reserve List - 12 Months

Job ID - 22151

Descriptions & requirements

Job description

HMPPS Band 9

Lead Security Specialist - Education, Skills and Employment Digital

The Role

We are seeking an experienced security specialist to lead the security and assurance of innovative digital services across His Majesty’s Prison and Probation Service (HMPPS).

The role will support the Education, Skills and Employment Digital portfolio, including the Innovation Catalyst Programme (ICP), Streaming Education, virtual reality solutions and future digital services for people in prison and operational staff.

These services present distinctive security challenges. They must provide meaningful access to digital content and capabilities while operating safely within a custodial environment, protecting individuals, prison operations, information and the wider public.

The successful candidate will combine strong cyber and information security expertise with practical experience of HMPPS, prisons and custodial operations. They will understand that security in a prison setting extends beyond conventional cyber controls and must account for physical security, operational procedures, prisoner behaviour, safeguarding, fraud, misuse and threats to good order and discipline.

The role will work closely with product and delivery teams, HMPPS operational security, prison technology services, cyber security teams, service owners, suppliers and colleagues across the prison estate. The postholder will help teams make proportionate, evidence-based security decisions that enable innovation while managing risk responsibly.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead security activity across the Education, Skills and Employment Digital portfolio, including ICP, Streaming Education, virtual reality and emerging technology initiatives.
• Provide authoritative security advice throughout the service lifecycle, from discovery and design through procurement, implementation, live operation and continuous improvement.
• Apply detailed knowledge of HMPPS operations and prison security to identify threats, vulnerabilities and potential misuse scenarios that may not be apparent through conventional cyber security assessments.
• Translate HMPPS operational security requirements into practical technical, procedural and contractual controls.
• Develop a deep understanding of each service, its users, information flows, technical architecture and operational context.
• Lead threat assessments, security risk assessments, control evaluations and security assurance activities.
• Ensure security is embedded within product, architecture, delivery and service management processes from the outset.
• Advise service owners and senior leaders on security risks, control effectiveness, risk tolerance and proportionate risk treatment.
• Support service owners in preparing risk submissions and making informed risk acceptance decisions.
• Review solution designs, technical architectures, data flows and supplier proposals to ensure that security requirements have been addressed.
• Define and maintain security requirements, security management plans, risk registers, assurance evidence and supporting security documentation.
• Work with suppliers and internal teams to identify, prioritise and remediate security vulnerabilities and control weaknesses.
• Establish appropriate protective monitoring, alerting and investigation capabilities for each service, proportionate to its risk and operating environment.
• Ensure that monitoring approaches support the detection of cyber threats, inappropriate use, attempts to circumvent controls and activity that could create operational or safeguarding risks.
• Develop and maintain security incident management processes, including clear routes for escalation into HMPPS operational security, cyber security and prison management structures.
• Provide specialist support during security incidents and investigations, ensuring that technical evidence is handled appropriately and operational impacts are understood.
• Define and oversee security testing, including vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, configuration review and scenario-based testing relevant to the prison environment.
• Coordinate security assurance ahead of pilots, deployments, significant service changes and national rollouts.
• Assess the security implications of introducing new technologies into prisons, including consumer devices, streaming services, immersive technology, wireless connectivity and cloud-hosted services.
• Work directly with prisons and operational colleagues to ensure that national security controls can be implemented consistently and effectively at a local level.
• Identify where operational procedures, staff guidance, training or communications are required to support technical controls.
• Develop meaningful security reporting covering risk, incidents, vulnerabilities, assurance activity, control effectiveness and emerging threats.
• Support internal and external audits, inspections and assurance reviews, including the tracking of findings through to resolution.
• Build productive relationships across HMPPS, MoJ security functions, digital and technology teams, suppliers and relevant government security communities.
• Promote a positive security culture in which security is treated as an enabler of safe digital innovation.

Essential Skills and Experience

The successful candidate will have:

• Substantial experience working within HMPPS or in direct support of HMPPS services, with a strong practical understanding of prison operations and custodial security.
• Experience of applying cyber, information or technical security principles within prisons or another complex, high-risk operational environment.
• A clear understanding of the security risks associated with providing people in prison with access to digital devices, services, content and connectivity.
• Experience of security architecture, security assurance, operational security management or a comparable senior security role.
• Experience of conducting security risk assessments and translating identified risks into proportionate technical and operational controls.
• The ability to assess risk across cyber, information, physical, personnel, operational and safeguarding domains.
• Experience of reviewing technical designs, architectures, data flows, cloud services and supplier security arrangements.
• Knowledge of protective monitoring, vulnerability management, incident response and security testing.
• Experience of advising service owners, senior leaders and governance bodies on complex security risks and decisions.
• Strong stakeholder-management skills, with the ability to work effectively with technical specialists, operational prison colleagues, commercial teams and suppliers.
• The ability to communicate complex security issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• The confidence to challenge constructively while remaining pragmatic and focused on enabling delivery.
• The ability to work across multiple initiatives, balancing immediate delivery needs with longer-term security strategy and service development.

Desirable Skills and Experience

It would be advantageous for candidates to have:

• Experience supporting digital services used directly by people in prison.
• Experience of in-cell technology, prison education technology or digital rehabilitation services.
• Knowledge of HMPPS security policies, the National Security Framework and relevant prison operating procedures.
• Experience of security assurance within MoJ or wider government.
• Knowledge of government security frameworks and guidance, including the Government Security Function, NCSC guidance, Cyber Assessment Framework and Secure by Design principles.
• Experience of Microsoft Azure, endpoint security, mobile device management, content filtering, secure streaming or cloud-native security controls.
• Experience assessing virtual reality, immersive technology, wireless devices or other emerging technologies.
• Experience working with multidisciplinary agile delivery teams.
• Relevant professional qualifications or certifications in cyber security, information security, security architecture or risk management, including but not limited to ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials and IASME Cyber.

Key Outcomes

• Education, Skills and Employment digital services are introduced into prisons safely, securely and responsibly.
• Security risks are identified early and managed throughout the service lifecycle.
• Security controls reflect the realities of the custodial environment as well as recognised cyber security practice.
• Service owners and senior leaders have clear, evidence-based information on which to make risk decisions.
• Suppliers and delivery teams understand their security responsibilities and can demonstrate that appropriate controls are operating effectively.
• Security incidents, vulnerabilities and assurance findings are managed consistently and transparently.
• Security enables the organisation to extend valuable digital opportunities to people in prison without creating unacceptable risks to individuals, establishments or the public.

Working Relationships

• Education, Skills and Employment Digital service owners, product managers and delivery teams
• HMPPS operational and national security teams
• Prison technology and digital teams
• Governors, Heads of Security and local prison colleagues
• MoJ cyber security, security architecture and assurance teams
• Commercial, data protection and information assurance colleagues
• Technology and service suppliers
• Education, rehabilitation and operational policy teams

Security Requirements

The successful candidate will be required to hold, or be willing and able to obtain, the appropriate level of security clearance for the role. The role may require travel to prisons and other HMPPS or MoJ locations.

Additional Information

Working Arrangements & Further Information

The MoJ offers Hybrid Working arrangements where business need allows. This is an informal, non-contractual form of flexible working that blends working from your base location, different MoJ sites and / or from home (please be aware that this role can only be worked in the UK and not overseas). Some roles will not be suitable for Hybrid Working. Similarly, Hybrid Working will not suit everyone’s circumstances. Arrangements will be discussed and agreed with the successful candidate(s) and subject to regular review.

For nationally advertised roles, the successful candidate(s) will be appointed to a MoJ office location, which may include their nearest Justice Collaboration Centre or Justice Satellite Office. This will be discussed and agreed on the completion of pre-employment checks.

Some of MoJ’s terms and conditions of service are changing as part of Civil Service reform. The changes will apply to staff joining MoJ who are new to the Civil Service. Staff joining MoJ from other civil service employers will transfer onto the new MoJ terms if they are already on 'modernised' terms in their current post or onto 'unmodernised' MoJ terms if they are on 'unmodernised' terms at their current post. Details will be available if an offer is made.

Standard full time working hours are 37 hours per week excluding breaks which are unpaid. HMPPS welcomes part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns, where they meet the demands of the role and business needs. All applications for part-time, flexible and job-sharing working patterns will be considered in accordance with the HMPPS’ Flexible Working policy.

If you are a current NPS employee, this vacancy may be available on a Loan basis for up to 2 years. Applications are invited from suitable qualified staff.

The Loan/Secondment is subject to the approval of the selected candidate's Business Unit, which should be obtained before confirmation of appointment.

Benefits

Annual Leave

• The holiday year runs from 1 March. If you work a non standard work pattern your leave entitlement may be expressed in either hours or days as appropriate. Leave entitlement is calculated on a pro-rata basis and you will be advised of your actual entitlement on appointment. If you were appointed internally and your leave was previously calculated in days, this will continue to be the case.

Bank, Public and Privilege Holidays

• You are entitled to 9 days (66 hours 36 minutes) in recognition of bank, public and privilege holidays.

Pension

• The Civil Service offers a choice of two pension schemes, giving you the flexibility to choose the pension that suits you best.

Work Life Balance

• HM Prison & Probation Service (HMPPS) is keen to encourage alternative working arrangements. Work life balance provides greater opportunities for staff to work more flexibly wherever managers and establishments can accommodate requests to do so. HMPPS offers flexible working subject to completion of a satisfactory probationary period and NVQ

Season Ticket Advance

• After two months’ service, you’ll be eligible to apply for a season ticket advance to purchase a quarterly or longer-period season ticket for travel between home and your place of work

Childcare Vouchers

• For any moves across the Civil Service may have implications on your ability to carry on claiming childcare vouchers

Training

• HMPPS is committed to staff development and offers a range of training and development opportunities, including areas such as Equality and Diversity, Dealing with Challenging Behaviour, Suicide Prevention and Anti Bullying Programmes
• There are opportunities to access promotion programmes and HMPPS provides a variety of training appropriate to individual posts
• All staff receive security and diversity training and an individual induction programme into their new roles

Eligibility

• All candidates are subject to security and identity checks prior to taking up post
• All external candidates are subject to 6 months probation. Internal candidates are subject to probation if they have not already served a probationary period within HMPPS
• All staff are required to declare whether they are a member of a group or organisation which the HMPPS considers to be racist

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles. Should you feel that the recruitment process has breached the recruitment principles you are able to raise a formal complaint in the following order

• To Transformative Business Services (0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [e-mail]);
• To Ministry of Justice Resourcing team ([e-mail]);
• To the Civil Service Commission (details available here)

As a Disability Confident employer, MoJ are committed to providing everyone with the opportunity to demonstrate their skills, talent and abilities, by making adjustments throughout all elements of the recruitment process and in the workplace. MoJ are able to offer an interview to disabled candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns.

You will be able to request reasonable adjustments to the recruitment process within the application form. If you need additional help completing the application form, please contact the TBS Recruitment Enquiries Team.

For more information on applying for a role as a candidate with a disability or long-term condition, please watch our animated videos.

Diversity & Inclusion

The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy.

A Great Place to Work for Veterans

The "Making the Civil Service a Great Place to work for veterans" initiative includes a guaranteed interview scheme to those who meet the minimum criteria to provide eligible former members of the Armed Forces with opportunities to secure rewarding jobs. Allowing veterans to continue to serve their country, and to bring highly skilled individuals with a broad range of experience into the Civil Service in an environment, which recognises and values your previous service in the Armed Forces.

For further details about the initiative and eligibility requirements visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/news/making-the-civil-service-a-great-place-to-work-for-veterans

Redeployment Interview Scheme

Civil Service departments are expected to explore redeployment opportunities before making an individual redundant. The MoJ is committed, as part of the Redeployment Interview Scheme, to providing opportunities to those who are 'at risk of redundancy'.

MoJ is able to offer an interview to eligible candidates who meet the minimum selection criteria, except in a limited number of campaigns. Candidates will not be eligible for the Redeployment Interview Scheme if they are applying on promotion.

Civil Service Nationality Rules

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/settled-status-eu-citizens-families
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window) https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/nationality-rules

Reserve list

A reserve list may be held for up to 12 months from which further appointments may be made for the same or similar roles.

Contact Information

MoJ: If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5359 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [e-mail]. Please quote the job reference: 22151

HMPPS: If you require any assistance please call 0345 241 5358 (Monday to Friday 8am - 6pm) or e mail [e-mail]. Please quote the job reference: 22151

If you have any questions regarding this vacancy please contact [e-mail]

Job Description Attachment

• 2088 Senior Policy Manager JD v5.0 (1).pdf (Job Description Attachment)

Application form stage assessments

Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing

Experience: We will assess your experience for this role via the following methods Statement of Suitability

Interview stage assessments

Interview Dates: TBC

Behaviours: Communicating and Influencing Managing a Quality Service Seeing the Big Picture Working Together

Strengths will be assessed but these are not shared in advance. To learn more about Strengths and how they are assessed please click here.

Level of security checks required

DBS Standard

Use of Artificial Intelligence (Al)

Artificial Intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.