Interim Chief Information Security Officer

Interim Chief Information Security Officer – Classified Network Security Programme

• Job Title: Interim Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) – Classified Network Security Programme
• Location: UK Hybrid
• Clearance Required: Active Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV) preferred. Minimum active Developed Vetting (DV)
• Contract Type: Interim/Contract (12-18 months initial, high likelihood of extension) – Outside IR35
• Day Rate: DOE

Position Overview: Interim Chief Information Security Officer required for a high-stakes classified UK Defence project. This role leads the Network Security initiative, ensuring robust protection of sensitive assets in a secure environment. Reporting directly to the Chief Information Officer (CIO), you will drive security strategy, compliance, and risk mitigation to safeguard mission-critical operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design, implementation, and oversight of Network Security architecture for classified systems, including firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention, encryption protocols, and secure access controls.
• Conduct risk assessments, vulnerability management, and incident response planning tailored to defence-grade threats, ensuring alignment with NCSC and CPNI standards.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (engineering, ops, intel) to integrate security-by-design into project deliverables, focusing on zero-trust models and SASE frameworks.
• Advise the CIO on emerging cyber threats, regulatory changes and strategic security enhancements to maintain project integrity.
• Oversee compliance audits, security clearances for team members, and reporting on security metrics to senior stakeholders.
• Manage third-party vendor security risks and ensure all protocols meet classified information handling requirements.
• Drive rapid incident resolution and post-event analysis to minimise downtime in high-sensitivity operations.

Essential Requirements:

• Active Enhanced Developed Vetting (eDV) or Developed Vetting (DV) clearance.
• 10+ years in Senior Information Security Roles, with proven leadership in UK Defence or Intelligence Community projects.
• Expertise in Network Security technologies (e.g., PKI, cryptography, secure cloud architectures on AWS/Azure/GCP with defence integrations).
• Strong background in classified environments.
• Demonstrable experience leading security teams on time-bound projects, with a track record of delivering under pressure.
• Professional certifications: CISSP, CISM, or equivalent; NCSC/CLAS consultancy experience highly desirable.

Desirable Skills:

• Offensive cyber/red teaming knowledge (CHECK/CREST/Tiger Scheme).
• Experience with SOC operations, threat intelligence, or DevSecOps in secure-by-design pipelines.
• Familiarity with defence primes (e.g., BAE, QinetiQ) and framework agreements.

Next Steps:

If interested, please send me your most recent CV to me so that we can speak in more detail.