Application Security Architect

Job summary

At the forefront of the fight to protect energy consumers, Ofgem is strengthening its internal defences because safeguarding our systems against cyber threats is vital to delivering our mission. We’re looking for a Cyber Principal Application Security Architect to join us and lead the charge in shaping secure, resilient digital systems at the heart of our organisation.

Ofgem is Great Britain’s independent energy regulator. We’re at the forefront of change across the energy sector, driving towards Net Zero whilst protecting energy consumers, especially vulnerable people.

We’re offering a permanent role where you’ll apply your security architecture expertise to projects with strategic impact, influencing decisions at the highest level. This is an opportunity to make a tangible difference by helping us transform our technology landscape while reducing cyber risk across the organisation. Your work will ensure we stay secure by design, resilient by default, and consistently prepared for evolving threats.

You’ll work at the heart of a multidisciplinary team, collaborating with internal stakeholders and leading national security partners to embed robust security into every stage of the digital lifecycle. As a recognised expert, you’ll play a central role in building long-term cyber strategies and providing guidance that sets standards across our organisation and the wider energy ecosystem.

We’re looking for someone with a deep understanding of security architecture and a proven track record of influencing complex programmes and senior leaders. Your approach to solving challenges will be methodical and strategic, and you’ll be comfortable operating in fast-paced, high-stakes environments where your guidance truly matters.

In return, you’ll join a collaborative and inclusive culture that values innovation and supports development. You’ll benefit from flexible working arrangements, excellent civil service benefits, and the opportunity to be part of a high-profile mission that impacts millions of people and the UK’s energy future.

We have a critical purpose to lead the development of secure digital systems and architecture within our organisation, combating cyber threats and strengthening resilience across the UK’s energy landscape through trusted design, strategic leadership, and expert guidance.

Job description

Key Responsibilities

• To support the team deliverables, utilising your expertise to ensure successful outcomes across collaborating teams and strategies that can be used in the long term across the whole organisation.

• Leverage a variety of sources to continuously maintain Ofgem Cyber Reference Architecture with principles, requirements, patterns, anti-patterns, implementation, engineering and operational maintenance options.

• Influence key organisational and architectural decisions and interact with senior stakeholders across organisations to reach and influence a wide range of people across larger teams and communities.

• Security Architecture Design: Develop and maintain secure architecture patterns for applications and services.

• Threat Modelling & Risk Assessment: Conduct threat modelling and risk assessments to identify vulnerabilities and recommend mitigation strategies.

• Secure SDLC Integration: Embed security practices into the software development lifecycle, including code reviews, static analysis, and secure coding standards.

• Stakeholder Engagement: Communicate security risks and solutions effectively to technical and non-technical audiences, influencing secure design decisions.

• Security Testing & Validation: Oversee penetration testing, vulnerability management, scanning, and remediation activities.

• Policy & Compliance Alignment: Ensure application security aligns with organisational policies, GDS standards, and regulatory requirements.

• Innovation & Advisory: Provide expert advice on emerging security technologies and trends, including AI, cloud-native security, and zero-trust architectures.

Key Outputs and Deliverables

• Use applied security expertise to develop and maintain solutions that align with Ofgem Cyber guidance, to support the improvement of cyber resilience for the organisation.

• Use applied security expertise to identify key programme and technical risks, leading the design of mitigating security architectures.

• Document expert cyber architecture design reviews of operator system architectures to identify security weaknesses, recommend mitigations and ensure security requirements are integrated into product backlogs and user stories.

• Identify and Document Cyber Risks within the Secure by Design lifecycle.

• Provide expert advice on security architecture implications of technological trends when applied to existing systems, and how innovative technologies change the security approach required.

• Effectively communicate difficult risk and security concepts in accessible ways that can be clearly understood by business leaders. Contribute to and develop risk communication strategies.

• Attend, lead and provide expert input to Specialist Interest Groups to share security best practice across the sector.

• Follow a methodical and repeatable approach to reviewing the security of a system architecture and describe that approach.

• Contribute to new and innovative security architecture guidance for others to re-use through architecture blueprints and reusable design patterns.

• Lead and support the development of penetration test scopes, reports, and remediation plans.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

• Expertise in security architecture and applied security capability. (Lead criteria)
• Certified to one, more or equivalent of CISSP, GICSP, GRID, SABSA, or TOGAF. (Lead criteria)
• Knowledge of microservices, containerisation, and cloudnative security models
• Practitioner in information risk assessment and risk management.
• Experience in Secure by Design (Cabinet Office Guidance) application security, secure software design, and architecture.
• Experience in the process of developing and managing a range of options and decisions aligning with organisational priorities.

Desirable Criteria:

• Experience of working in the energy sector.
• Experience in automated security testing.
• Experience with frameworks such as OWASP, NIST, ISO 27001, and CAF.

Qualifications

Certified to one, more or equivalent of CISSP, GICSP, GRID, SABSA, or TOGAF.

Behaviours

We'll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Seeing the Big Picture
• Changing and Improving
• Making Effective Decisions
• Communicating and Influencing

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,446, OFGEM contributes £17,800 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.Ofgem can offer you a comprehensive and competitive benefits package which includes; up to 30 days annual leave. Excellent training and development opportunities. The opportunity to join the Civil Service pension arrangements which include a valuable range of benefits. Flexible working hours and family friendly policies. Restaurant and subsidise gym (London only). Interest free season ticket loan.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence

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 (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window), and will assess your Behaviours and Experience.

When you press the ‘Apply now’ button, you will be asked to complete personal details (not seen by the sift panel), your career history and qualifications.

You will then be asked to provide a 1250 word ‘personal statement’ evidencing how you meet the essential and desirable skills and capabilities listed in the role profile. Please ensure you demonstrate clearly, within your supporting statement, how you meet each of the criteria listed in the role profile.

The personal information we have collected from you will be shared with Cifas who will use it to prevent fraud, other unlawful or dishonest conduct, malpractice, and other seriously improper conduct. If any of these are detected, you could be refused certain services or employment. Your personal information will also be used to verify your identity. Further details of how your information will be used by us and Cifas, and your data protection rights, can be found by [https://www.cifas.org.uk/fpn].

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window).

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window).People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

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)
• 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)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) 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 (opens in a new window).The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion

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

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window).Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Lisa Buchanan
• Email : Recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk
• Telephone : N/A

Recruitment team

• Email : recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commission’s Recruitment Principles. You have the right to complain if you feel there has been a breach of these Recruitment Principles.

In the first instance, you should raise the matter directly via recruitment@ofgem.gov.uk. If you are not satisfied with the response, you may bring your complaint to the Commission. For further information on bringing a complaint to the Civil Service Commission, please visit their website.

Attachments

Candidate Pack - Application Security Architect Opens in new window (pdf, 824kB)Role Profile_Principal Application Security Architect Opens in new window (pdf, 131kB)Terms & Conditions April 2025 Opens in new window (pdf, 323kB)