Principal IT Security Manager (GRC)

Base salary from £65,474pa. Depending on skills and experience. In addition, we offer flexible benefits fund of 20% which is paid on top base salary and is fully pensionable, as well as a range of competitive benefits - check them out in the Benefits section on our website.

HS2 Ltd endeavours to ensure everyone working for us and with us feels included, thrives and achieves their full potential. In practice, this means we are positive and inclusive about making adjustments, providing flexible working, encouraging our staff networks to flourish and providing personal and professional development opportunities.

Job Purpose

The Principal IT Security Manager (GRC) is accountable for the effective management of the Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) within the Information & Cyber Security function. This includes ensuring that Information & technology controls are appropriately tested and risk assessed to mitigate threats, and to monitor that standards and obligations are being appropriately adopted through all delivery activity.

This role is responsible for using and applying knowledge of business goals and security requirements to frame problems and set priorities for internal and external delivery teams.

About the Role

• Direct the development, implementation and maintaining organisation wide cybersecurity governance frameworks, defining and evolving the cyber governance operating model.
• Own the enterprise-wise Information & Cyber Security policy lifecycle, ensuring the regular review, approval, and publication of security policies.
• Defining, managing and maintaining security policies, standards, procedures and controls aligned with regulatory and legal requirements (e.g. the NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework, and Cabinet Office requirements.).
• Accountable for translating business goals and requirements into cyber governance requirements, and embedding these into third-party and internal delivery frameworks, balancing the trade-offs between business outcomes and security posture.
• Oversee the provision of security testing and assurance strategy and capability, including penetration testing, simulation exercises and continuous control validation.
• Own the information and cyber risk register, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, prioritized, and tracked through mitigation.
• Set the direction for enterprise-wide Information & Cyber Security risk assessment methodologies and ensure integration with corporate risk processes.
• Lead the provision of an Information & Cyber Security third-party risk management program, including vendor due diligence, onboarding assessments, and ongoing monitoring.
• Work with procurement, legal, and IT teams to ensure security clauses and risk requirements are embedded in supplier contracts.
• Maintain a risk profile for critical suppliers and support risk treatment or exit strategies where necessary.
• Ensure ongoing compliance with cybersecurity-related legal, regulatory, and contractual obligations.
• Manage responses to internal and external audits, including but not limited to GIAA, NAO, Internal Audit and UK Government returns such s GovAssure.
• Track and report compliance status, gaps, and remediation progress.
• Provide executive-level reporting on risk metrics and key risk indicators (KRIs).
• Promote a strong culture of security awareness and risk ownership throughout the organization.
• Design and deliver GRC-related training and education programs to internal stakeholders.
• Champion cross-functional collaboration with Legal, HR, IT, and Finance to embed security best practices.
• Manage budget and resourcing requirements for the delivery of security testing activity.
• Own strategic supplier relationships and drive value/performance outcomes from third-party contracts.

About You Skills

• Security and Enterprise-wide Governance. Defining, embedding and evolving enterprise Information & Cyber governance aligned to risk appetite and regulatory expectations.
• Governance and assurance. Ability to evolve and define governance and take responsibility for working with other stakeholders across HS2’s wider governance structure. Assure standards, guardrails and principles to effectively govern delivery.
• Problem definition and shaping. Ability to define security-related strategies and policies, providing guidance to others on working within a strategic context.
• Stakeholder communication. Confidence working with senior stakeholders, influencing decisions and providing clear, risk-based recommendations. Including excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare board-level reports and briefings.
• Team Management and Organisational directive. Ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and influence change in matrixed or federated environments.
• Knowledge of governance, risk, and compliance’s role with across Information & Cyber Security or Information Assurance in an Enterprise.
• Knowledge of Cyber Security Frameworks, methodologies, and best practice / guidance such as NCSC standards.
• Knowledge of common security testing methods (E.g., Penetration testing, breach & attack simulation tools etc.).
• Understanding of UK public sector security expectations including NIS Regulations, NCSC guidance, and Cabinet Office policy.

Type of Experience

• Experience across industry frameworks and best practices (E.g., NCSC CAF, CIS CSC, etc.).
• Experience of risk management and delivery of audit remediation activities.
• Experience of partnering with supplier teams for managed services delivery of improvements.
• Experience designing and implementing secure systems, leading review where necessary of complex security issues.
• Experience of enabling and informing risk-based decisions.
• Experience dealing with the security implications of transformation and day-to-day product changes.
• Experience working with system architectures, displaying a strong understanding of the impact of vulnerabilities on varied systems.

We ask for a variety of detail in your online application, however we perform the first assessment of suitability for a role based solely on the information in your CV. In a further development of our efforts to create a more diverse workforce, your CV will be anonymised and personal information will be removed during the first stage of the application review. This removes bias from the process and makes it even more important that you attach an updated word version of your CV for each new application ensuring you include evidence directly related to the criteria in the job advert. Watch this video on how we remove bias in the recruitment process: Removing bias in the recruitment process - YouTube.

Any applications received after the closing date will not be considered.