Information Security Governance, Risk and Assurance Lead

Job-:
Security

Location:

Swindon, Wiltshire, United Kingdom;
Didcot, Oxfordshire, United Kingdom Workplace:
Hybrid

Schedule:

Full time, Day Posted:
Closes:

Hours:

Full Time 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…