Job Title: Lead Cyber Architect

Location: Oxfordshire (Hybrid)
Clearance Required: SC (minimum)
Rate: Up to 650/day (IR35: Outside) - potentially negotiable
Duration: 18 weeks, with potential extension

Role Overview:
My client is seeking an experienced Lead Cyber Architect to drive their digital transformation and cybersecurity maturity initiatives. In this role, you will partner closely with the Information & Cyber Security Manager to design and implement security architectures that enhance the organization's resilience and defend critical assets. The ideal candidate will have expertise in secure-by-design principles, team leadership, and advanced knowledge of security integration within complex systems.

Key Responsibilities:

• Security Architecture and Assessment: Evaluate and improve existing cybersecurity frameworks; conduct assessments across cloud, infrastructure, and on-premise systems.
• Security Practice Improvement: Establish a structured review framework to maintain alignment with NIST, ISO 27001, and GDPR standards.
• Team Leadership: Lead, mentor, and develop a cybersecurity team, embedding security across IT, business applications, and research environments.
• Secure Engineering & DevSecOps: Design robust security solutions, integrate secure cloud solutions, and embed security within CI/CD practices.
• Incident and Risk Management: Spearhead incident response, threat management, and proactive risk strategies to safeguard digital assets.
• Governance and Compliance: Ensure compliance with ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, and other regulatory standards.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Act as a trusted security advisor to senior leaders, fostering a strong security culture.

Ideal Candidate Profile:

• Proven experience in advanced security architecture, with strong knowledge of secure engineering and DevSecOps principles.
• Demonstrated leadership in cybersecurity team management, mentorship, and stakeholder engagement.
• Deep understanding of regulatory frameworks, risk management, and cloud security solutions.