Senior Security Architect - NESO

About the Role

The National Energy System Operator (NESO) is on a journey towards a sustainable and secure energy future. Together, we build on this momentum, advancing the National Energy System Operator’s (NESO) plan for zero carbon operability of the electricity system by 2025.

We are seeking an experienced Senior Security Architect to work across all programme workstreams, reporting to the Enterprise Security Architect. This role involves designing secure solutions fit for the future, ensuring NESO's long-term success. The Senior Security Architect will not only be hands-on when designing architectures, reviewing proposals, designs, and preparing documentation but will also support the Enterprise Security Architect by ensuring that the overall security strategy and policies are considered throughout the design and build process.

The Senior Security Architect will play a crucial role in promoting collaboration among various teams, eliminating siloed workflows, and integrating secure design principles along with other critical security protocols across different stages of the delivery lifecycle. In this role, you will regularly attend the Security Architecture Group meetings, contributing to the development of essential architecture strategies and patterns for NESO.

Building and managing relationships with the business is key to delivering our cyber security strategy. Whether implementing new solutions, driving operational effectiveness and efficiency, or providing guidance to further enhance our strategy, the Senior Security Architect will engage with stakeholders to enable DD&T to deliver maximum value to NESO. The role will report to the Enterprise Security Architect.

This role can be based from our offices in Wokingham or Warwick and we continue to offer hybrid working arrangements that allow for a blend of office and home working.

Key Accountabilities

• Security Architecture Design: Develop and maintain the company's security architecture, ensuring it aligns with industry best practices and regulatory requirements.
• Risk Assessment: Conduct thorough risk assessments to identify potential vulnerabilities and implement appropriate mitigation strategies.
• Compliance: Ensure that all security protocols comply with relevant laws, standards, and regulations, and stay updated with emerging threats and compliance requirements.
• Technical Leadership: Provide technical leadership and guidance to junior security architects and other team members, fostering a collaborative and innovative environment.
• Stakeholder Communication: Act as a key point of contact for security-related matters, effectively communicating complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Incident Response: Lead the response to security incidents, coordinating with relevant teams to contain and remediate issues quickly and effectively.
• Continuous Improvement: Drive continuous improvement initiatives to enhance the security posture of the organization, proactively identifying and addressing weaknesses.
• Collaboration: Work closely with cross-functional teams including IT, legal, and compliance to ensure a cohesive approach to security across the organization.
• Documentation: Maintain comprehensive documentation of security architecture, policies, and procedures, ensuring they are easily accessible and understood by relevant parties.

About You

We’re forging the path towards a sustainable energy future, and we know we can’t do it alone. That’s why we need visionary minds like yours to join us on this transformative journey. In this case, we’re looking for someone with:

• Strong communicator with excellent writing skills, capable of articulating complex technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams, demonstrating strong interpersonal skills and a team-oriented mindset.
• A proactive approach to problem-solving, with the ability to think critically and strategically about architectural challenges and opportunities.
• Significant experience in cyber security 
• Strong Cloud knowledge and demonstrable experience – (Azure)
• Relevant cyber security qualification(s), for example Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) – CISSP preferred. 
• Must possess expertise in one or more of the following key areas:
  • Networking: Understand fundamental networking principles, potential attack vectors, and applicable mitigating controls that can be implemented during the design stage.
  • Application Security: Possess knowledge of secure software development lifecycles, application architectures, key attack vectors, and corresponding compensating controls.
  • Cloud Security (Microsoft): Demonstrated experience and proficiency in securing cloud environments.
  • Cyber Threat Intelligence: Ability to analyse and respond to emerging cyber threats and how this can be used to update secure architecture principles.

About What You'll Get

A competitive salary of £75,000 to £80,000 – dependent on experience and capability.

As well as your base salary, you will receive a bonus of up to 15% of your salary for stretch performance, 28 days annual leave as standard, and a competitive contributory pension scheme where we will double match your contribution to a maximum company contribution of 12%. 

You will also have access to a comprehensive benefits package tailored to support your well-being and professional success. From a competitive salary to flexible work arrangements, we promote your work-life balance. Enjoy fit for purpose wellbeing and lifestyle offerings, ongoing skill development aligned to our Purpose and Values, and be part of a supportive community that values your individuality and where you can belong.

About Us

Traditionally, Britain’s energy system has been split into two areas – gas and electricity – but to ensure that Britain’s energy system is secure and affordable there needs to be co-ordination across the whole energy system, with one single entity responsible for translating policy into immediate strategy. National Energy System Operator (NESO) will bring unparalleled change.

Forge a path to a sustainable future for everyone.
Your energy, our future, together.

About the National Energy System Operator (NESO)
In Autumn of 2024, the ESO transitioned to National Energy System Operator, or NESO for short. Previously denoted as the Future System Operator (or FSO), the new National Energy System Operator is the independent body responsible for planning Great Britain’s electricity and gas networks and operating the electricity system.  

The ESO, including all of its existing roles, are now at the heart of the new National Energy System Operator. As NESO, we will build on our existing roles, capabilities, and ways of working significantly to create an organisation the energy system and its users’ need. Our new capabilities will enable us to look across vectors, including electricity, natural gas and hydrogen, and crucially consider the trade-offs between them. 

The organisation is set up as a public corporation with its own Board of independent directors, with complete operational independence from government, the regulator and any and all commercial interest. As was the ESO, NESO will be licenced and regulated by Ofgem through price control agreements and obligated to identify optimal solutions to system operations and planning in the most sustainable, affordable and secure way for all. 

The time to deliver is now. As part of our team, you won’t just be touching the lives of almost everyone in Great Britain – you’ll be shaping the way we use and consume energy for generations to come.

More Information

This role closes on 20/05/2025 at 23:59, however we encourage candidates to submit their application as early as possible and not wait until the published closing date as this can vary.

We work towards the highest standards in everything we do, including how we support, value and develop our people. Our aim is to encourage and support employees to thrive and be the best they can be. We celebrate the difference people can bring into our organisation, and welcome and encourage applicants with diverse experiences and backgrounds, and offer flexible and tailored support, at home and in the office. 

We're committed to building a workforce that represents the communities we serve, and a working environment in which each individual feels valued, respected, fairly treated, and able to reach their full potential.

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