Information Security Governance, Risk and Assurance Lead

Job description

Salary: £46,743.
Band: UKRI Band E.
Contract Type: Open Ended.
Hours: Full-time (Compressed hours & flexible working patterns available).
Location: Polaris House, Swindon OR Harwell Campus, Didcot - Hybrid working available.

Closing Date: Thursday 5th November 2026.

Step into the world where cutting-edge science meets robust information security. Protect the technology that powers groundbreaking discoveries and be part of the team that safeguards the future of Big Science. Here, you'll collaborate with leading engineers, researchers, and technologists to tackle the most pressing security challenges in a fast-paced, innovative environment. Every day offers you the chance to defend vital data and systems, ensuring that the pursuit of scientific excellence continues securely and seamlessly.

Discover the difference you can make when you bring your expertise in information security to an organisation at the forefront of global research - working alongside some of the brightest minds and most advanced facilities in the world.

Security

As a minimum, due to the nature of this role, candidates must be eligible for clearance in line with UK National vetting guidelines and willing to undertake the process.Please indicate eligibility in the written submission. Candidates not meeting this level of clearance will not be considered.

The level of clearance required is security check.

About the role

The UKRI CIO Group plays a pivotal role in managing and optimising the organisations critical enterprise technical services that underpin and enable UKRI's business capabilities. Within the group a team of Information Security Professionals support the delivery of modern, secure, resilient and scalable services across a larger federated team of Digital, Data and Technology professionals to deliver impact across the organisation and the wider UK research and innovation system.

This is a rare opportunity to be an enterprise lead for UKRI's information security governance, risk and assurance at the heart of UK research and innovation. The role is accountable for establishing and sustaining an effective enterprise security assurance framework, providing independent challenge and oversight, and giving the CIO, CISO and governance forums an evidence-based view of security risk and control effectiveness. Working across UKRI's federated environment, the postholder will drive a consistent, risk-based assurance approach while ensuring that responsibility for operating controls and managing local risks remains with service, risk and control owners.

Your responsibilities:

• Be accountable for the effectiveness, coherence and continuing development of UKRI's enterprise security governance, risk and assurance framework.
• Provide independent challenge and oversight of security risk, control design and control effectiveness, without assuming responsibility for operating the controls being assured.
• Set the enterprise assurance approach, standards and evidence expectations, aligned to organisational risk and recognised frameworks including NIST CSF, ISO 27001 and the Government Cyber Assessment Framework.
• Ensure assurance coverage is risk-based, proportionate and consistent across UKRI's federated environment, while maintaining clear accountability with local service, risk and control owners.
• Hold authority to challenge risk and control owners, require proportionate remediation, track delivery to closure and escalate material concerns through the CIO, CISO and relevant governance forums.
• Provide an authoritative, evidence-based enterprise view of security risk, control effectiveness, assurance gaps and remediation status to support informed senior decision-making.
• Drive greater transparency, comparability and accountability through meaningful assurance measures, trend analysis and decision-quality reporting.
• Influence the future security operating model by embedding sustainable governance and assurance arrangements that strengthen organisational resilience and support secure delivery of UKRI's strategic objectives.

Personal Specification

The below criteria will be scored during Shortlisting (S), Interview (I) or both (S&I).

Applicants will be able to demonstrate skills in line with the cyber security risk manager roles using the Government Security Profession career framework .

Essential

• Substantial experience leading information security governance, risk and assurance in a complex or federated organisation. (S&I)
• Proven experience establishing and improving enterprise security assurance frameworks across complex technology and supplier environments. (S&I)
• Experience providing independent challenge to senior risk and control owners while preserving their accountability. (S&I)
• Experience assessing control design and effectiveness using technical, procedural and audit evidence. (S&I)
• Experience setting proportionate remediation expectations, tracking delivery and escalating material concerns through senior governance routes. (I)
• Strong knowledge and proportionate application of NIST CSF, ISO 27001 and the Government Cyber Assessment Framework. (S&I)
• Ability to produce and communicate an authoritative, evidence-based view of enterprise security risk and control effectiveness for CIO, CISO and governance audiences. (I)
• Strong leadership, influence and analytical skills, with the confidence to drive consistency across organisational boundaries and make sound decisions where evidence is incomplete or contested. (I)

Application Guidance:

How to evidence the criteria:

You are encouraged to use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) in the cover letter to evidence your ability to meet the 'person specification' criteria in the job description. Cover letters should be no more than two sides of A4 (minimum font size 11). For examples of the STAR method, please visit: The STAR method | National Careers Service '.

Behaviours

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

• Managing a quality service
• Changing and improving
• Delivering at pace
• Seeing the Big Picture

Selection Process Details

We know different organisations use different processes, so we wanted you to know what to expect from us.

Stage 0 - Pre-application

If you would like to find out more about the role we encourage prospective applicants to get in touch with us to discuss the opportunity.

Stage 1 - Written Submission

Candidates will need to submit a written application which consists of 2 parts:

• A CV - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed based on the shortlisting criteria.
• A personal statement (max. 1000 words) - this statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria listed in the shortlisting criteria.

Applications will be reviewed for suitability and shortlisted.

Stage 2 - Interview

Applicants who are successful at stage 1 will be invited to interview. The interview will generally be 1 hour in length. The interview will consist of competency-based questions. A presentation will be required.

Stage 3 - Outcome

The panel outcome is decided and the successful candidate will be offered verbally first, followed by a formal offer letter.

Benefits

We recognise and value our employees as individuals and aim to provide a favourable pay and rewards package. We are committed to supporting employees' development and promote a culture of continuous learning!

A list of benefits below:

• An outstanding defined benefit pension scheme
• 30 days' annual leave in addition to 10.5 public and privilege days (full time equivalent)
• Employee discounts and offers on retail and leisure activities
• Employee assistance programme, providing confidential help and advice
• Flexible working options

Plus many more benefits and wellbeing initiatives that enable our employees to have a great work life balance!

For further information on our benefits please see:

Benefits of working at UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)

Please apply online, if you experience any issue applying, please contact [email protected]

Please note, if you will require sponsorship to work in the UK, as part of your sponsorship application, you and any dependants travelling with you, will be required to pay costs directly to The Home Office for the application before you start your role with us. UKRI is normally able to reimburse some, or all of these fees after you have become an employee and this can be discussed with the Hiring Manager. For more information, please visit https://www.gov.uk/skilled-worker-visa/how-much-it-costs or contact [email protected] .

UKRI - UK Research and Innovation
UKRI is an organisation that brings together the seven disciplinary research councils, Research England and Innovate UK. Together, we build an independent organisation with a strong voice and vision ensuring the UK maintains its world-leading position in research and innovation.

Supporting some of the world's most exciting and challenging research projects, we develop and operate some of the most remarkable scientific facilities in the world. We are pushing the frontiers of human knowledge through fundamental research and delivering benefits for UK society and the economy through world-class research, skills and business-led innovation.

More information can be found at www.ukri.org .

Choosing to come to work at UKRI means that you will have access to a whole host of benefits from a defined benefit pension scheme, excellent holiday entitlement, access to employee shopping/travel discounts and salary sacrifice cycle to work scheme. For more details, visit benefits of working for UKRI .

How we support EDI in the workforce

At UKRI, we believe that everyone has a right to be treated with dignity and respect, and to be provided with equal opportunities to thrive and succeed in an environment that enables them to do so. We also value diversity of thought and experience within inclusive groups, organisations and the wider community. For further information, please visit 'How we support EDI in the workforce'.

Disability Confident Employer

As users of the disability confident scheme, any candidate who opts into the scheme and best meets the essential criteria, will be shortlisted for interview. We will ensure that individuals with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodation to participate in the job application or interview process, to perform essential job functions, and to receive other benefits and privileges of employment. Please contact us to request accommodation.

How to apply

Online applications only preferred for this role. Please submit a CV and covering letter which clearly outlines how you fulfil the criteria specified along with your motivation for UKRI and the role. Ensure that the job reference number is included in the filename description of each document uploaded. Note that failure to address the above criteria or submit an application without a covering letter may result in the application not being considered.

UKRI seeks to ensure it creates and maintains a system of openness, fairness and inclusion - a collaborative, trusted environment, which is attractive to and accessible to everyone who is interested in developing their career with us.

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 rejected and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action.

As part of the pre-employment checks there is a requirement to undergo Baseline Personnel Security Screening. BPSS is a pre-condition of employment and failure to achieve it may mean that the employment offer is rescinded. UKRI reserves the right to run, or re-run, security clearance as required during the course of employment.