Head of Security Consulting and Architecture

Job Introduction

Job Description for the Head of Security and Architecture:

There’s never been a more exciting time to be part of the nuclear sector. New opportunities are being created all the time. At UKNNL, you’ll be in the ideal place to capitalise on this momentum, face new challenges and develop a long, successful and meaningful career.

We’re an organisation that’s here to experiment and push the limits of what’s possible. So, if you’re keen to excel in your chosen field, this is the place to do it. Because at UKNNL, anything is possible.

The Head of (Information) Security Consulting and Architecture is responsible to the Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) for leading, managing and delivering a range of customer-focused, efficient and performant security services, providing appropriate advice, support and assurance that enables the success of our people (at home and work), business operations, corporate functions and Supply Chain.

The location for this role is flexible and can be based as either Risley or Workington.

Main Responsibilities for the Head of Security and Architecture:

• As a member of the CISO Function SLT, support the CISO in promoting the desired information security culture; ensuring the development and use of appropriately secure working practices and information systems.
• Engage UKNNL’s leaders and managers, becoming a trusted advisor, part of their community and advocate for information security being a core component of achieving the UKNNL mission.
• Lead the Security Consulting and Architecture team in providing integrated, collaborative and professional information security advice and support across UKNNL, based on known risk appetite, current best practice and understanding of business needs and priorities. Including being aware of/meeting legal, regulatory and business needs.
• Enable delivery of a single point of contact for information security advice, support and assurance, ensuring requests are logged, triaged and resolved within agreed timescales; managing service delivery in line with the governance framework; and developing services based on lessons learned and customer needs.
• Work with UKNNL's business teams and enabling functions to manage operational information security risks/opportunities associated with business and IT change projects, ensuring effective and timely mitigation of risks aligned to CISO, SIRO and Board expectations.
• Work with IT leaders, to identify more efficient and effective ways of operating together, where closer alignment can deliver better customer outcomes and/or information security risk can be reduced.
• Continuously develop a portfolio of services to accommodate frequently asked questions relating to information security policies, procedures and guidance, so that UKNNL colleagues can self-serve the help and support needed.
• Provide consistent information security advice, support and assurance for large projects, engaging with them from requirements capture; through solution design, implementation and testing; to operational use; avoiding rework; and ensuring solutions are appropriately secure by design and throughout their operational life.
• Act as a role model for CISO Function colleagues, working to UKNNL values, both within the Security Consulting and Architecture team, and the wider CISO Function.
  

Essential for for the Head of Security and Architecture :

• Demonstrable experience of leading small teams within organisations having similar characteristics to UKNNL (e.g. regulated organisations in the Nuclear Sector or other UK Critical National Infrastructure).
• Leads teams providing information security advice, support and assurance to individuals and projects, using effective processes to triage requests and prioritise their timely completion.
• Contributes to the development and implementation of Information Security Governance processes, including reporting dashboards designed to improve decision-making and drive strategy delivery.
• Leads and contributes to the development of secure systems, proposing information security requirements for new systems or changes to existing systems – aligned to policies and standards.
• Understands a range of security vulnerabilities and the techniques for applying effective security controls, whilst ensuring sound use of architectural principles and systems engineering practices.Leads the development of operational risk assessments for projects (including procurement and sales activities), incorporating appropriate and effective risk mitigation into the project plans.
• Leads teams conducting compliance monitoring and/or the testing of prescribed security controls, resolving any identified non-compliances or escalating unresolved issues as appropriate.
• Conceives and delivers business improvement through the application of Information Security; persuades senior stakeholders to invest in Information Security.
• Takes actions to achieve greater corporate efficiency, using strategic aims to prioritise and drive plans and influence management decisions and delivering maximum benefit for the organisation.
• Demonstrable experience of engagement and positive influence of leaders and business colleagues to achieve a good risk-balanced outcome for the organisation.
  

Why join us?

UKNNL isn’t just a place where you can do career-defining work that makes a real-world impact. It’s also a place where you’ll feel appreciated and valued. We’re creating an inclusive workplace where everyone is free to be themselves and feel like they belong. We put your wellbeing first, we push you to reach your potential, and we do everything possible to help you feel safe, supported and inspired.

We also offer a range of employee benefits:

• Sector leading Family-Focused Policies: celebrate life events, including enhanced maternity and paternity leave and a week off for your marriage.
• UKNNL offers attractive pension plans. If you contribute 5%, UKNNL contributes 15%. Alternatively, if you choose not to contribute (0%), UKNNL will still contribute 10%.
• Annual Leave: Benefit from 25.5 days of leave, plus 4 extra days to be taken during Christmas shutdown, plus Bank Holidays.
• Reduced gym membership with discounts of up to 25% from 3,700 gym and leisure providers across the UK
• Company Bonus: Be rewarded for your contributions.
• Learning Opportunities: Enhance your skills through excellent development programmes.
• Employee Assistance: Access support for personal and professional challenges.
• Cycle to Work: Stay active and eco-friendly.
• Life Assurance: Ensure peace of mind for you and your loved ones.
• Enhanced Sick Pay Benefits: Receive support during illness or injury.
• Access to ‘Mydiscounts’ which has a range of special offers and discounts from more than 200 suppliers, including medical insurance and dental insurance. 
• Health Care: Health savings plan which allows you to claim money back on visits to the dentist, optician and/or physiotherapist (limits apply).

About The Company

UKNNL is an incredible place to work. A place where people do things that have never been done before. A place where people push boundaries to further themselves, the business and society as a whole.

This is a place where personal and professional opportunities are limitless. If you want to change the world, if you want to tackle climate change, if you want to help advance medical science, if you want to help put things in space, if you want to answer the big questions, if you want to work with extraordinary materials, if you want to meet great people, learn new skills, challenge yourself, work flexibly, and build a long successful career with the power to make a real impact… you can do it all here.

Equality, Diversity and Inclusion

UKNNL has a vision for Equality, Diversity and Inclusivity (ED&I) where UKNNL aims to be an inclusive workplace that attracts diverse talent through transparent and equal policies and procedures, providing reasonable adjustments as appropriate. We want you and the diverse mix of people that we employ, customers that we service and stakeholders that we influence to feel valued. We encourage a workplace culture where everyone can thrive with a sense of belonging and the ability to access to workplace in a way which works for you.

Recruitment Agency Notice

We operate a strict Preferred Supplier List (PSL) for the provision of recruitment services. Only agencies on our PSL may provide CVs and only when the role is released to them by our recruitment team. We will not accept unsolicited CVs from suppliers not currently on our PSL. We explicitly reserve the right to add candidate details from unsolicited CVs from non-PSL agencies into our own candidate database and to pursue/hire such candidate(s) without any obligation, financial or otherwise, to the agency concerned.

United Kingdom National Nuclear Laboratory