Head Of Cyber Defence Centre (Cybersecurity)

TL;DR

Head of Cyber Defence Centre (Cybersecurity): Leading an engineering-first Cyber Defence Lab to design, build, and operate resilient security capabilities for a major digital bank with an accent on threat-led defence, incident response, and detection engineering. Focus on driving enterprise-wide security transformation, managing operational risk, and leading high-performing teams to ensure system resilience.

Location: Must be based in the UK (Edinburgh, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, or London). Hybrid working required (at least 40% of time in office).

Salary: £126,523 – £172,460 (depending on location).

Company

A pioneering financial services group shaping the future of banking in the UK.

What you will do

• Provide strategic direction for cyber defence, detection engineering, threat hunting, and incident response.
• Lead and develop a high-performing engineering-first Cyber Defence Lab.
• Drive continuous improvement across security operations platforms, tooling, and processes.
• Strengthen operational resilience and coordinate effective responses to cyber threats.
• Collaborate with senior business and technology stakeholders to manage operational risk.
• Champion a threat-led approach to defence and organizational transformation.

Requirements

• Must be based in the UK and able to work in a hybrid capacity.
• Deep technical understanding of cyber defence, security operations, and incident response.
• Proven experience leading security operations in complex enterprise environments.
• Demonstrated leadership in large-scale incident response and threat hunting.
• Strong ability to shape strategic direction and lead cross-functional teams.
• Experience managing operational risk and collaborating with senior stakeholders.

Nice to have

• Experience leading security operations within highly regulated environments.
• Track record of driving enterprise-wide security transformation programmes.
• Knowledge of modern security operations platforms, tooling, and automation.
• Experience shaping engineering-led security operating models.

Culture & Benefits

• Generous pension contribution of up to 15%.
• Annual performance-based bonus.
• 30 days of holiday plus bank holidays.
• Comprehensive parental leave policies and wellbeing initiatives.
• Flexible working options including job share and hybrid patterns.
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion with dedicated support for disabilities.