People Function Cyber Security Lead

Job summary

We are looking for a Grade 7 Cyber Security Lead, to help shape how cyber security is built into digital services used across the Defence People Ecosystem. You will provide senior assurance, influence major transformation activity, and help ensure cyber risks are understood and managed before they affect delivery or live service. This is an opportunity to strengthen the resilience of important people services, improve confidence in digital delivery, and build a lasting cyber security capability across the portfolio.

This position is advertised at 37 hours per week. Part time and job sharing arrangements may be considered provided that full time hours are covered.

Job description

The People DDaT team is a small enabling team at the heart of the People Function. It provides strategic leadership on digital, data and technology, coheres demand for People products and services, and provides expert advice, guidance, and assurance so that services align with strategic intent and appropriate standards.

The Defence People digital ecosystem is becoming more complex as major programmes modernise corporate services and introduce new platforms and service connections. The current model relies heavily on programme teams, suppliers, and external specialists for cyber input, which can lead to inconsistent standards, limited independent challenge and security risks being identified too late in delivery.

The Cyber Security Lead will work across the Defence People digital portfolio, including major transformation activity. At Grade 7, the role is expected to lead through influence, set clear cyber expectations, provide senior assurance, and challenge, and help shape portfolio decisions.

This is a leadership and assurance role, not a substitute for service or programme level cyber delivery or supplier accountability.

The role will focus on the highest-risk and highest-impact services, providing proportionate assurance where cyber risk has the greatest effect on people services and portfolio outcomes.

Main Duties

• Set direction for cyber security assurance across the People digital portfolio, ensuring risks are identified, understood, escalated, and managed early in delivery.
• Lead the adoption of secure-by-design principles across the People digital portfolio, ensuring security is considered from discovery through to live service.
• Provide senior, independent cyber security challenge to programmes, suppliers, and delivery teams, ensuring assurance is proportionate, evidence-based and aligned to business outcomes.
• Work with the Chief Technology Officer and enterprise architecture function to shape technology strategy, roadmaps, solution designs, and transition plans so that security is built in from the outset.
• Define and maintain common cyber security expectations, patterns, standards, assurance routes, and reusable guidance for People digital services.
• Influence governance forums by presenting clear advice on cyber security risk, design trade-offs, compliance issues, delivery implications, options, impacts, and recommendations.
• Build effective senior relationships across Defence Reform Areas (including the Military Commands), Defence People communities, Defence Business Services, Defence Digital, delivery partners, and suppliers, while strengthening internal cyber capability and reducing avoidable reliance on external consultancy.

Person specification

You should consider applying if you can show strong evidence that you can:

• Lead cyber security assurance or technical security leadership in a complex digital, technology, transformation, or regulated environment.
• Apply secure-by-design principles to services, platforms, architecture, suppliers, data flows, or delivery plans.
• Assess cyber risk and translate findings into clear, proportionate advice for senior decision-making.
• Influence stakeholders, delivery teams, suppliers, or governance forums to improve security outcomes.
• Explain complex cyber issues in plain English, including options, trade-offs, impacts, mitigations, and recommendations.

You are likely to be a strong candidate if you combine practical cyber security knowledge with sound judgement, constructive challenge, and clear communication.

Behaviours

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

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical skills

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

• Communications - Communicate complex cyber security issues in plain English, including risks, trade-offs, mitigations and recommendations, so that senior leaders, programmes and suppliers understand what action is needed.
• Designing Secure Systems - Lead secure-by-design thinking across services, platforms, integrations and data flows, ensuring security requirements are considered from discovery and design through to delivery and live service.
• Enabling and informing risk-based decisions - Enable proportionate, evidence-based decisions by explaining cyber risk, assurance status, delivery implications and options, and by escalating material risks through the right governance routes.
• Understanding security implications of transformation - Understand how transformation changes cyber risk across people processes, data, platforms, suppliers and operating models, ensuring security is considered early when services are designed.

Benefits

Alongside your salary of £61,630, Ministry of Defence contributes £17,854 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

• Learning and development tailored to your role
• An environment with flexible working options
• A culture encouraging inclusion and diversity
• A Civil Service pension with an employer contribution of 28.97%
• Further details about benefits are available Discover My Benefits
• This post may be eligible for a Digital Skills Allowance of up to £15,300 per annum.

Where business needs allow, some roles may be suitable for a combination of office and working from home as part of a non-contractual hybrid working arrangement. All office-based employees will be expected to spend a minimum of 60% of their working time in office, subject to site capacity and any required workplace adjustments. Requirements to attend other locations for official business, or work in another MOD workplace, will also count towards this level of office attendance. Applicants can request further information regarding how this and other flexible working arrangements may work in their team from the Vacancy Holder (see advert for contact details). Defence Business Services cannot respond to any questions about working arrangements.

The post does not offer relocation expenses.

External recruits who join the MOD who are new to the Civil Service will be subject to a six-month probation period.

Please Note: Expenses incurred for travel to interviews will not be reimbursed.

Please be advised that the Department is conducting a review of all pay related allowances which could impact on those allowances that the post currently being advertised attracts.

Any move to MOD from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may however be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax-Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at https://www.childcarechoices.gov.uk/.

The Ministry of Defence is committed to providing a safe and healthy working environment for its staff which includes educating them on the benefits of not smoking, protecting them from the harmful effects of second-hand smoke and supporting those who want to give up smoking. Under the Smoke-Free Working Environment policy, Smoking and the use of all tobacco products (including combustible and chewing tobacco products) will not be permitted anywhere in the Defence working environment however some exemptions are in place, please refer to local guidance. The policy is Whole Force and includes all Defence personnel, contractors, visitors and other non-MOD personnel. All applicants seeking, considering, or accepting employment with the Ministry of Defence should be aware of this policy and that it is already in place at a number of Defence Establishments.

MOD Recruitment Satisfaction Survey – We may contact you regarding your experience to help us improve our customer satisfaction. The survey is voluntary and anonymous. You may however be given the opportunity to provide additional information to help us improve our service which includes the collection of some personal data as defined by the United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR). The MOD Privacy Policy Notice sets out how we will use your personal data and your rights.

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, Experience and Technical skills.

To apply, please upload your CV in the relevant section on the Civil Service Jobs application section, ensuring it clearly demonstrates how you meet the essential criteria outlined in the person specification. You must also submit a statement of suitability (maximum 1,000 words) providing evidence of how you meet these criteria.

Please find a link to our video, which gives you helpful tips and guidance, on the CS Jobs application process: How to apply for roles on Civil Service Jobs

At sift, candidates will be assessed against their CV and statement of suitability.

At interview, candidates will be assessed against the following:

Behaviours:

• Leadership
• Communicating and Influencing

Technical Skills:

Government Digital and Data Profession Capability Framework - Lead Security Architect

• Communications
• Designing Secure Systems
• Enabling and informing risk-based decisions
• Understanding security implications of transformation

Presentation:

• Candidates will also be asked to prepare and deliver a 5-minute (maximum) presentation on a topic related to the role. Further details will be provided prior to interview.

Further information:

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.

As a result of the changes to the UK immigration rules which came into effect on 1 January 2021, the Ministry of Defence will only offer sponsorship for a skilled worker visa under the points-based system, where a role has been deemed to be business critical. This role does not meet that category, and we will not sponsor a visa. It is therefore NOT open to applications from those who will require sponsorship under the points-based system.
Should you apply for this role and be found to require sponsorship, your application will be rejected and any provisional offer of employment withdrawn.

The Ministry of Defence requires all candidates who are successful at interview to declare any outside interests. These declarations will be discussed with successful candidates following the interview process and before a formal offer of employment is made, as some outside interests may not be compatible with MOD civilian roles. This will not, in the majority of cases, prevent employment in MOD, but it is a measure that must be taken to ensure that appropriate mitigations can be put in place to manage any potential, perceived or actual conflicts of interest from the first day of employment.

The Ministry of Defence adopts a zero-tolerance approach to unacceptable behaviours, which includes bullying, harassment, sexual harassment, discrimination, and victimisation. You will not be eligible and will not be considered for this post if you have been dismissed from a role for such unacceptable behaviours within the last five years. This will also apply if you resign or otherwise leave a role but, because of an adverse decision, would have been dismissed for gross misconduct had you continued in that employment. Pre-employment checks will be carried out.

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

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a basic (or equivalent) 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

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.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 : People-Digital@mod.gov.uk
• Email : People-Digital@mod.gov.uk

Recruitment team

• Email : DBSCivPers-ResourcingTeam3@mod.gov.uk

Further information

Please ensure you read the attached candidate information document prior to completing your application. If you are dissatisfied with the service you have received from DBS, or believe that DBS has failed to follow the recruitment process in line with the Civil Service Commission principles of selection for appointment on merit on the basis of Fair and Open competition, you can raise a formal complaint by writing to DBS at the following address: Defence Business Services, Scanning Hub, Room 6124, Tomlinson House, Norcross Lane, Blackpool, FY5 3WP. If after raising your complaint with DBS you remain dissatisfied you can complain directly to the Civil Service Commission at the following address: Civil Service commission, Room G/8, 1 Horse Guards Road, London, SW1A 2HQ Or by email: info@csc.gov.uk.

Attachments

Defence Civil Service Offer Opens in new window (pdf, 1562kB)Defence Internal Brief notice Opens in new window (docx, 43kB)Candidate Information Opens in new window (docx, 32kB)