Head of Cyber Security

Salary: £80,000 - 80,000 per year

Requirements:

• Significant experience within cyber security, information security or technology risk, with exposure to developing security strategies, leading major initiatives and supporting audits, governance and compliance activities.
• Experience leading teams, projects or organisational change initiatives, with the ability to inspire others, build capability and influence stakeholders at all levels.
• A strong understanding of cyber security governance, risk management, security controls and industry frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST, ITIL or COBIT.
• Broad technical awareness across cloud and on-premise environments, identity and access management, networks and security tooling.
• The ability to translate complex cyber security concepts into clear, practical advice for both technical and non-technical audiences, including senior leaders and Board members.
• An appreciation of balancing risk, investment and operational priorities, helping the organisation make informed decisions that support business outcomes while maintaining appropriate security standards.
• A pragmatic and solutions-focused approach, with the ability to assess risk, prioritise effectively and remain calm under pressure in a fast-paced environment.

Responsibilities:

• Lead and develop our Cyber Security team, ensuring the effective delivery of security services across the organisation.
• Shape and deliver our cyber security strategy, operating model, policies, standards and security architecture.
• Oversee the prevention, investigation and remediation of cyber security incidents whilst strengthening organisational resilience and recovery capability.
• Embed proportionate security-by-design principles into technology change, transformation programmes, projects and procurement activities.
• Provide meaningful cyber security reporting and assurance to senior leaders, committees and the Board on controls, risks, compliance and improvement priorities.
• Drive continuous improvement across our security framework, helping us simplify processes, improve awareness and strengthen our Information Security Management System.
• Support our ongoing journey towards ISO 27001 alignment while maintaining compliance with relevant legislation and Cyber Essentials Plus requirements.

Technologies:

• Cloud
• Support
• ITIL
• Security

More:

We are Southern Housing, one of the largest housing providers in the UK with over 77,000 homes across London, the Southeast, the Isle of Wight and the Midlands, supporting over 167,000 people with safe, secure and affordable homes. This role is based from our Farringdon or Sittingbourne office with hybrid working available, and may involve occasional evening or weekend working to support incident response, resilience exercises or planned activities. You will join our Technology directorate, lead a dedicated Cyber Security team of three direct reports, and work closely with colleagues across technology, business continuity, procurement, vendor management and enterprise risk. We offer a supportive, purpose-driven environment where you can help strengthen cyber resilience and make a real difference to our residents and customers.

last updated 35 week of 2026