Lead Cyber Security Risk Manager Head of Secure Design

Job description

Job summary

Please notethis role requires you to pass Security Check clearance. For further information, please see 'Selection process details'.

Within Working Age Services Digital, weare responsible forseveralexisting services which support the core of society and is the departments highest profile benefit service, Universal Credit. We are looking foranoutstanding Lead Cyber Security Risk Manager- Head of Secure Designwho can make a positive impact and want to contribute to one of the most demanding and important Government services for the UK.

Letsbe clear about the impact of your work,the products we build are changing the face of public services with the potential to dramatically transform the future of millions of people.Our services need to have security strength in depth principalsat its core both from cyber,fraudand errorviewpoints.

We need someone who enjoys a challenge. Working Age Services is undergoing a period of technical change in line with our strategy aiming to become more consistent in our ways of working, more standardised in oursecuritystacks and transforming some of ourservice'smonolithic architectures into microservices.

Youwilloverseethe teamthatidentify controls and make recommendations to address security vulnerabilities and control weaknesses in products, projects and programmes, working with product owners and Subject Matter Experts to enable them to make well informed risk-based decisions whilst leading and influencing the management of tactical and strategic risks.

This role will play a vital role in the management of overall technical and fraud risk operations and the oversight of our security tooling framework. Your primary responsibilities will include the development and maintenance of security protocols, the mitigation of fraud risks and the actionable oversight of our various security tools. This position requires an individual with extensive experience in information security,web enabledfraud risk management.

You will be a hands-on leader spanningthe secure designdeliveryteam butalsoworking withmultiple multidisciplinaryserviceteams to ensure that the Working Age Servicessecuritystrategy, that you help shape, is being enacted. A key aspect of this role will be towork with wider (Department for Work and Pensions) DWP Digital Security Risk Management ( DSRM) functions to ensure we have alignmentof cyber controls approach.This will also need to ensure weprovidecontrols metrics to enabledepartmental views of cyber rigour and clear and transparent.

If this sounds like you, apply today!

Job description

As Lead Cyber Security Risk Manager- Head of Secure Design, you will consider applicable standards for Security technical and fraud roadmaps, ensuring that high quality, secure and consistent solutions for Working Age Service benefits (incorporating Universal Credit) are delivered that meet the needs of our agents and claimants. Were looking for an outstanding security leader, who wants to play a major role in the design and implementation of exciting modern digital services for the UK Government. Youll be part of a team dedicated to the creation of Universal Credit which is actively delivering for 8.6 million citizens every day.

In this role you will:

• Provide leadership to ensure effective security and fraud Riskexpertise, advice and support is delivered to include business managers, Senior RiskOwnersand theWorking Age Services SLTwithin DWP.
• Establish and manage theWorking Age Servicessecurity posture and initiatives, ensuring the protection of information assets from internal and external threats.
• Develop, manage, and enhance the fraud risk management framework to minimize the departments exposure to fraud risks.
• Oversee the implementation, management, and proper utilisation of security tools such as intrusion detection systems,vulnerabilitymanagement, anti-virus software, and data encryption.
• Assess and manage the identification and mitigation plans of existing and emerging security threats, vulnerabilities, and risks.
• Maintain ofawarenessin information security technologies and fraud risk management methodologies, applying best practices and drive knowledge throughWorking Age Services.
• Lead security awareness and education programs to encourage all employees tomaintaina high levelof vigilance.

Person specification

See selection process for further details.

If you would like to learn more about the role, please contact [email protected].

Technical skills

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

• Strategic Security & Fraud Risk Leadership

Benefits

Alongside your salary of 75,026, Department for Work and Pensions contributes 21,735 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides (opens in a new window).

We also have a broad benefits package built around your work-life balance which includes:

• Working patterns to support work/life balance such as job sharing, term-time working, flexi-time and compressed hours.
• Generous annual leave at least 25 days on entry, increasing up to 30 days over time (prorata for part time employees), plus 9 days public and privilege leave.
• Support for financial wellbeing, including interest-free season ticket loans for travel, a cycle to work scheme and an employee discount scheme.
• Health and wellbeing support including our Employee Assistance Programme for specialist advice and counselling and the opportunity to join HASSRA a first-class programme of competitions, activities and benefits for its members (subscription payable monthly).
• Family friendly policies including enhanced maternity and shared parental leave pay after 1 years continuous service.
• Funded learning and development to support progress in your role and career. This includes industry recognised qualifications and accreditations, coaching, mentoring and talent development programmes.
• An inclusive and diverse environment with opportunities to join professional and interpersonal networks including Womens Network, National Race Network, National Disability Network (THRIVE) and many more.

Hybrid Working

This role may be suitable for hybrid working, which is where an employee works part of the week in their DWP office and part of the week from home. This is a voluntary, non-contractual arrangement and your office will be your contractual place of work.

If a hybrid working arrangement is suitable for the role and for you, you will normally be required to spend a minimum of 60% of your contracted working hours from your DWP office.

If you have a disability, caring responsibilities, or other circumstances that may affect your ability to meet the minimum office attendance requirement, please discuss this with us using the contact details in this advert.

Salary Information

Pay for this role is from 75,026 to 92,522.

The maximum salary for the grade is 80.267, however a Digital Allowance of up to 12,255 per annum is available for exceptional candidates. Digital Allowance is non-salary, and non-pensionable, and is classed as a temporary allowance. It is reviewed annually where it could beretained, amended or removed.

Pay for this role in London is from 81,406 to 83,957. (Please refer to location details to check eligibility)

Our offer to successful candidates will be based on an assessment of your skills and experience asdemonstratedat interview.

Existing Civil Servants who secure a new role on lateral transfer willmaintaintheir current substantive salary.

Civil Servants who gain promotion will move to the bottom of the grade pay scale or receive a 10% increase applied to their current substantive salary, whichever is greater.

Any temporary allowances that you are currently in receipt of will not form part of the calculation todetermineyour pay. Any allowances that are in payment will cease when you move into your new role.

Things you need to know

Artificial intelligence
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 withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Please see our candidate guidance (opens in a new window) for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

Selection process details

This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Experience and Technical skills.

Stage 1: Application

Your application will consist of four parts:

1. A Personal Details application form.

2. Employment history - this should contain your work experience and any skills, qualifications and accomplishments relevant to the jobs you have completed.

3. Personal statement - up to 1000 words. This statement should be used to provide examples of how you meet the essential criteria below:

• Expert knowledge of leadinginnovation in protective security,taking into accountthe need to balancesecurity requirements against service innovation.
• Expert in combining external threat information, organisational contextand situational awareness toprovidea holistic threat understanding capability, including the use of threatmodelsand communicating to relevant stakeholders.
• Able to providestrategicoversight andleadership for specific experts (be they pen-testers,Security Architects,Dev Sec Ops,product orcompliance assurance, for example) in the contextof driving change and beingconfidenttochallenge.
• Proven experience in developingapproaches to effectivelymanage risk through the full risk lifecycle.Evidence of communicatingriskin clear terms to enable informed decision making and prioritisation.
• Proven recordofworking on a large high impact programme or enterprise scale operation.

4. Technical statement (up to 250 words). The following statement is aligned to the required technical skill of: Strategic Security & Fraud Risk Leadership . This statement should be used to provide example(s) of how you meet the criterion below:

• Evidence of providing strategic leadership in a complex cyber security environment, setting clear direction and leading specialist teams to deliver effective risk management outcomes, while communicating to multidisciplinarystakeholdersand direct reports.

Ensure that all examples provided in your statements are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words. If you choose to use gen-AI to support your statements, you must follow the guidelines outlined in the Artificial intelligence and recruitment guide.

The sift panel will use the information in your employment history, personal statement, and technical statement to assess your experience, skills and knowledge.

An initial sift will be conducted using the technical statement. Candidates who pass the initial sift will be progressed to a full sift.

If you do progress to a full sift, you will be provided with one combined overall assessment score for both your employment history and Personal Statement.

Important Information

• You will be asked to complete your employment history. Any information that you would customarily share on a CV should therefore be entered onto the application form.
• Personal details that could be used to identify you including your name, contact details and address must be removed for your application to be considered.
• If your employment history, personal statement or technical statement contain any personal details your application will be withdrawn.

Stage 2: Interview

If youre successful at the sift stage, youll be invited to a video interview via Microsoft Teams. During the interview, youll be assessed against the experience criteria listed under both the essential criteria and technical skill.

You will be asked to do a 5 minute presentation on a specific topic. Further details will be provided to candidates invited to interview.

Interviews will take place from early December 2026. Sift and Interview dates to be confirmed.

Other information:

All successful candidates and those placed on reserve will be posted in merit list order by location.

Please note thatforthesevacancieswe recommend that applicants seek specialist advice on their eligibility for Visa Sponsorship (if applicable) when considering whether to apply for any role.We can never guaranteesponsorship,requests will be considered in line with the relevant DWP guidance and Home Office policy in place at the time.

Security Clearance Requirement

You must meet the security requirements before you can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check.

You must have resided continuously in the UK for at least 3 of the last 5 years, 2 of which must have been the immediately preceding years from the point of applying for this job.

For Hints and Tips on completing your application visit Applying for jobs at DWP Digital.

Further Information

At the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) we value diversity and inclusion and actively encourage and welcome applications from everyone, including those that are underrepresented in our workforce.

Find out more about working for DWP on the DWP Careers Hub .

Reserve List

A reserve list may be held for a period of 6 months from which further appointments can be made.

If you are placed on a reserve list but we cannot immediately offer you a post, please note:

• If you are later offered the role you applied for, in a location you have expressed a preference for, and you decline the offer or are unable to take up the post within a reasonable timeframe you will be withdrawn from the campaign and removed from the reserve list, other than in exceptional circumstances (e.g. a contractual Part Time Working Pattern cannot be accommodated in the initial role offered or in cases of serious ill health).
• If DWP makes an offer of an alternative role or location to that which you originally applied for, and you decline that offer, you will be able to remain on the reserve list.

Disability Confident Scheme

If high application volumes are received, the benchmark for candidates to proceed to the next stage may be raised. In line with our commitment to the Disability Confident Scheme (DCS), we aim to advance all candidates applying under the DCS who meet the minimum standard. However, we may only progress those candidates who best meet the required standards.

Reasonable Adjustments

We consider visible and non-visible disabilities, neurodiversity or learning differences, chronic medical conditions, or mental ill health. Examples include dyslexia, epilepsy, autism, chronic fatigue, or schizophrenia.

If you need a change to be made so that you can make your application, you should contact the Government Recruitment Service via [email protected] as soon as possible before the closing date to discuss your needs.

Complete the Reasonable Adjustments section in the Additional requirements page of your application form to tell us what changes or help you might need further on in the recruitment process. For instance, you may need wheelchair access at interview, or if youre deaf, a Language Service Professional.

If you are experiencing accessibility problems with any attachments on this advert, please contact the email address in the 'Contact point for applicants' section.

Integrity, plagiarism and Civil Service Principles

The Civil Service values honesty and integrity and expects all candidates to abide by these principles.

Please ensure that all examples provided in your application are taken directly from your own experience and that you describe the examples in your own words.

Examples of plagiarism can include:

- Presenting the work, ideas and experience of others as your own

- Copying content or answers from an online or published source that is not your own

Disclosure and Barring Service and Internal Fraud Database Checks

To process applications without delay, we will be sending a Criminal Record Check to Disclosure and Barring Service on your behalf. However, we recognise in exceptional circumstances some candidates will want to send their completed forms direct. If you will be doing this, please advise Government Recruitment Service of your intention by emailing [email protected] stating the job reference number in the subject heading.

Applicants who are successful at interview will be, as part of pre-employment screening, subject to a check on the Internal Fraud Database (IFD). This check will provide information about employees who have been dismissed for fraud or dishonesty offences. This check also applies to employees who resign or otherwise leave before being dismissed for fraud or dishonesty had their employment continued. Any applicants details held on the IFD will be refused employment. A candidate is not eligible to apply for a role within the Civil Service if the application is made within a 5 year period following a dismissal for carrying out internal fraud against government.

If successful and transferring from another Government Department, a criminal record check will be carried out.

Important

New entrants are expected to join on the minimum of the pay band.

Before applying for this vacancy, current employees of DWP should check whether a successful application would result in changes to their terms & conditions of employment, e.g. mobility, pay, allowances. If you are a current employee and are successful you must be able to be released from your current post within four weeks.

Those on protected TUPE/ COSoP terms and conditions applying on promotion or voluntary permanent level move will adopt DWPs Terms and Conditions and this may have a different impact on pay and allowances. Please review this prior to acceptance of a role.

Civil Servants that would transfer into DWP from other government organisations, following successful application, will assume DWP's terms & conditions of employment current on the day they are posted, unless DWP has stated otherwise in writing. Accepting a post will be taken to mean acceptance of revised terms & conditions.

Civil Servants applying on promotion will usually be appointed to the salary minimum or within 10% of existing salary.

Any move to DWP from another employer will mean you can no longer access childcare vouchers. This includes moves between government departments. You may, however, be eligible for other government schemes, including Tax Free Childcare. Determine your eligibility at the Childcare Choices Website.

For further information on National Security Vetting please visit the Demystifying Vetting website .

Feedback

Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.

Security

Successful candidates must undergo a standard (or equivalent) criminal record check.

Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window) .

See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .

People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.

Nationality requirements

This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)

Working for the Civil Service

The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.

We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission's recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .

The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.

The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.

Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .

Apply and further information

This vacancy is part of the Great Place to Work for Veterans (opens in a new window) initiative.

The Civil Service welcomes applications from people who have recently left prison or have an unspent conviction. Read more about prison leaver recruitment (opens in new window) .

Once this job has closed, the job advert will no longer be available. You may want to save a copy for your records.

Contact point for applicants
Job contact :

• Name : Natalie Selby
• Email : [email protected]

Recruitment team

• Email : [email protected]

Further information

Appointment to the Civil Service is governed by the Civil Service Commissions Recruitment Principles. If you feel your application has not been treated in accordance with these principles and you wish to make a complaint, you should in the first instance contact DWP by email: [email protected]. If you are not satisfied with the response you receive from the Department, you can contact the Civil Service Commission. Click here to visit the Civil Service mmission.

Attachments Success-Profiles-Candidate-Overview Opens in new window (pdf, 635kB) DWP Terms and Conditions January 2024 Opens in new window (docx, 17kB)