Principal Security Architect

This is a rare opportunity to take ownership of cyber security architecture at national scale, sitting at the heart of a programme with real national significance. Backed by substantial government investment, our client is developing a world-first resilient infrastructure capability designed to protect the critical services that modern society depends on, including telecommunications, banking, transport and emergency response. As Principal Security Architect, you will serve as Security Pillar Lead across a portfolio of complex programmes, shaping strategy, leading assurance, and ensuring that the technology underpinning essential national services is built to remain secure and robust under any conditions. Key Responsibilities: • Lead the cyber security architecture and design function across a portfolio of the programmes, including the technical design of systems and services at an organisational and inter-organisational level, delivering at national scale. • Oversee the design, delivery and running of cyber operational capability, developing an enterprise architecture aligned with guiding principles and organisational risk appetite. • Research, identify, validate and adopt new security technology, architecture and methodology. • Lead engagement with customers across UK Government and the private sector on security risk and decision-making. • Communicate current and emerging threats, whilst designing security architecture to mitigate against them. We are looking for a senior cyber security professional who combines deep technical architecture expertise with the confidence to operate at executive and government stakeholder level. You will bring a track record in enterprise security design, risk management and assurance across complex, multi-domain environments, and you are comfortable translating emerging threat landscapes into practical, proportionate security decisions. Skills, Experience and Qualifications: • Referenceable, in-depth knowledge and experience in cyber security and IT, including business process design and cross-security domain approaches. • Understanding of IT networking and virtualisation technologies. • Ability to define architecture roadmaps and associated strategies, including assessment of IT systems, cloud offerings and security controls to provide an independent view of their compliance, effectiveness and alignment with business objectives and risk mitigation. Here is an example of some of the Cyber Security Certifications expected for this role: • Certified Information Security Systems Professional (CISSP) • SABSA Chartered Security Architect (SCF) • Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Security Clearance: This role requires SC clearance as a minimum with no restrictions, or the ability to obtain it. Roles like this rarely come to market. The combination of technical complexity, national importance and genuine scope to shape security architecture from the ground up makes this an exceptional opportunity for the right person. If you are ready to move beyond incremental work and make a national difference please get in touch. We do not retain any personal information without your permission. Please refer to our data protection policy on our official website for more information.