Senior Security Analyst

Role: Senior Information Security Analyst

Division: Assessment & Qualifications Delivery 

Location: London, Manchester, Oxford or Rotherham, UK

Salary: £60 - 70k plus on target bonus of 8%

About Pearson

Our purpose: At Pearson we ‘add life to a lifetime of learning’ so everyone can realise the life they imagine. We do this by creating vibrant and enriching learning experiences designed for real-life impact. Our Purpose | Add Life to a Lifetime of Learning

Our company: Pearson was founded in 1844 and has been built on our ability to grow with and adapt to a constantly evolving market. Our 20,000+ employees are dedicated to creating the high-quality, digital-first, accessible and sustainable resources for lifelong learning.

Diversity: At Pearson we value the power of an inclusive culture and a strong sense of belonging. We promote a culture where differences are embraced as strengths and opportunities are equal and accessible.

Flexible working: Pearson is committed to hybrid working practices and has adopted flexible remote and virtual working. Where possible our employees can choose to manage their attendance to the office more flexibly.

About UK Assessment & Qualifications: We are responsible for the delivery of nearly 4 million examination results per annum, including A-Level, GCSE, BTEC and T-levels for students in UK and International centres. Our in-house systems process every learner from registration to marking and certification, in a highly regulated business. We currently operate a hybrid estate of predominantly bespoke systems, with an ongoing strategic transformation programme to migrate from on-prem to cloud based, cost effective, scalable, and resilient services.

About the Job

The Senior Security Analyst is responsible for supporting the Business Information Security Manager in delivering the Pearson UK Assessment & Qualification’s divisional information security program.  The role requires frequent interaction with business and technology partners and covers a broad range of platforms and technologies. The responsibilities include:

• Working with cross-functional project teams to ensure secure delivery of the change program across the complete project lifecycle and authorizing security sign-off.
• Providing input into divisional security strategy and roadmap planning. 
• Supporting the secure development process (SDLC) working closely with Development teams.
• Keeping informed of new and emerging security threats & assess effectiveness of current controls to identify opportunities for program improvement.
• Assessing compliance with security policies to identify control gaps, develop remediation plans and determine residual risk.
• Supporting the incident management process and central security operations team as a domain expert.
• Identifying, collating, and managing risks. Ensuring that actions and risks are managed.
• Provide consultancy and guidance to business partners on all matters relating to Security.
• Provide security input into bids, contract renewals and new business initiatives.
• Develop and deliver information security awareness programs within the division.
• Provide guidance and leadership to junior team members.

Essential Skills & Experience

• Prior experience in Information Security in a similar customer or business facing role.
• Current security certifications such as CISSP, CISA, CRISC, SABSA, GIAC, CCSP, CCSK or equivalent.
• Excellent technical knowledge of cloud and on-premises services and infrastructure, including network, perimeter, application and end points.
• A solid understanding of the cyber security risks associated with various technologies and how to apply appropriate controls to mitigate these.
• Strong knowledge of IT and cyber security principles and experience with specific assurance frameworks such as ISO27001.
• Experience in risk assessment and management in the context of information security.
• Ability to work under pressure and to tight deadlines and manage own time effectively.
• Excellent oral, written communication and presentation skills.
• Confident at communicating to business and technology partners and senior management.
• Ability to solve problems using initiative and a methodical approach to tasks.
• Adaptable and flexible approach and able to prioritise workloads.
• Ability to collate and analyse information from various sources.

Desirable Skills & Experience 

• Previous experience relevant to Security Architecture.
• Technical (non-cyber) experience or qualifications.

Job Location and Hours

The role is aligned to our London, Manchester, Rotherham, or Oxford offices in the UK, working a 37.5 hour week. Our Rotherham office is located at Junction 1 of the M18.

All our roles are hybrid working; our current policy requires our team to visit their base office no more than once a week, and with the possibility of occasional business travel to other Pearson sites. Candidates must be a suitable commute from their base office as our office presence policy may change to require more frequent presence in 2024.

For this role there is a requirement to provide occasional out of hours support during business critical periods.

Your benefits and rewards

Here at Pearson we offer a range of benefits, which include:

• 25 Days annual leave (increasing by 1 day with every year of continuous service up to 30 days); annual leave trading, +/- 5 days
• Annual Bonus
• Private Pension plan scheme where we pay in double what you contribute, up to 16% depending on your age
• Life, private medical and dental care insurance options, plus free eye tests
• Stock/share purchase options
• Maternity, paternity, and family care leave as well as flexible working policies
• An employee wellbeing assistance programme
• Cycle to work program, volunteering days, gym membership concessions in selected office locations, along with retail and leisure discounts