Director, Security and Resilience

Job summary

Ready to shape the security and resilience of the UK’s research and innovation system?

You will report to the Chief of Operational Delivery and provide senior, organisation-wide leadership on security and resilience for UKRI. You will shape how the organisation protects its people, research, infrastructure, and reputation.

Working at the centre of an organisation that supports research and innovation across the UK and internationally, you will set the strategic direction for embedding security and resilience across all councils and major programmes. You will bring clear, authoritative insight in a complex and evolving risk environment, enabling informed decision-making across UKRI.

You will anticipate emerging challenges and strengthen organisational preparedness, helping UKRI prevent, withstand and respond effectively to incidents. Through this, you will safeguard the continuity and credibility of the UK’s research and innovation mission.

Job description

The Director, Security and Resilience is accountable for:

• defining and owning UKRI’s security and resilience strategy, policies and standards
• acting as principal advisor to the CEO, Board and senior leadership, delivering timely, threat-informed guidance
• building strong relationships across government, the UK intelligence community and the research sector to position UKRI as a trusted partner and thought leader
• directing delivery of UKRI’s security and resilience programme, including the Security and Resilience Operating Centre (SROC)
• overseeing budgets (circa £1.4 million annually plus £4 million change programme) and advising on wider organisational security spend
• leading and developing the UKRI Security and Resilience profession, managing a central team of 13 staff and a wider community of practice
• ensuring effective incident management, continuous professional development and alignment with cross-government security guidance

To view the full job description please click ‘apply’ to visit our careers site.

Person specification

You will have significant and demonstrable experience of:

• developing and delivering an impactful strategy that meets UK government requirements and is practical and achievable within the organisation
• operational delivery across all security domains
• leading in a complex and federated organisation
• managing complex risks and issues in the context of security and resilience
• directing and responding to complex security and resilience incidents
• directing security and resilience within a large public sector organisation (ideally previous experience of being a senior security adviser (SSA) or equivalent)
• engaging and influencing senior colleagues across a federated organisation and wider UK government
• engaging with national technical authorities (NTA), Government Security Secretariat (GSecS) and UK intelligence community (UKIC) to achieve positive support and effective communication

Qualifications:

• Hold a Masters’ Degree or equivalent experience in a security and resilience related discipline
• Hold relevant professional recognition such as being a Chartered Security
• Professional (CSyP) or equivalent experience.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £94,931, UK Research and Innovation contributes £27,501 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees’ development and promote a culture of continuous learning! A list of benefits below;

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days’ annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent)
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
• Flexible working options

Visit our dedicated benefits webpage for more info: Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

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

Please click 'apply' to visit our careers site and submit your application.

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 developed vetting (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

Please note this Post is NOT regulated by the Civil Service Commission.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.

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

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Contact point for applicants

Job contact :

• Name : Senior Recruitment Team
• Email : seniorrecruitment@ukri.org

Recruitment team

• Email : seniorrecruitment@ukri.org