Head of Information Security

We're recruiting a Head of Information Security to support the Chief Information Security Officer in leading, coordinating and developing AJ Bell's Information Security capability as the business continues to grow.

This is a key senior leadership role within the Information Security team, helping to ensure AJ Bell continues to protect its customers, systems, services and data while enabling secure business growth. Working closely with the CISO, you'll help translate the information security vision and strategy into clear delivery plans, coordinated priorities and measurable outcomes across the Information Security function.

You'll play a central role in the day‑to‑day operational management of the Information Security leadership team, helping to ensure work is well prioritised, delivery is joined up, risks and issues are visible and the function continues to mature in line with business needs. You'll work closely with the Heads of Security Strategy and Architecture, Security Engineering, Security GRC and Security Operations, supporting them in delivering their objectives while ensuring dependencies, decisions and priorities are effectively managed across the team.

You'll also act as a senior escalation point for cross‑functional security issues, delivery challenges and business priorities, helping to bring structure, pace and clarity to how the Information Security team operates. This role will enable the CISO to focus more time on strategic planning, executive engagement, external relationships and the longer‑term development of AJ Bell's security capability.

You will:

• Support the CISO in leading and developing AJ Bell's Information Security function, ensuring the team continues to protect the business and customers while enabling secure growth.
• Translate the CISO's strategic direction into clear priorities, delivery plans, governance routines and measurable outcomes across the Information Security leadership team.
• Provide day‑to‑day operational leadership across the Information Security function, helping to ensure activity is prioritised, coordinated and delivered effectively.
• Help ensure security activity across change, product security, engineering, GRC, IAM and security operations is joined up and aligned to business risk.
• Deputise for the CISO when required, including representing Information Security in senior meetings, governance forums, risk committees and business discussions.
• Act as a senior escalation point for cross‑functional security issues, delivery risks, prioritisation challenges and operational matters requiring leadership attention.
• Support the development, tracking and delivery of the Information Security strategy, roadmap and annual operating plan.
• Help maintain clear visibility of Information Security deliverables, risks, issues, decisions and dependencies across the function.
• Support the development of security MI, reporting and dashboards that clearly communicate progress, performance, security posture and areas requiring attention.
• Work with Information Security leadership to ensure risks, control gaps and delivery priorities are understood, owned and managed effectively.
• Help ensure the Information Security function operates with clear roles, accountabilities, governance and decision‑making processes.
• Support effective planning, budgeting, resource management and prioritisation across the Information Security team.
• Help coordinate responses to internal audit, external audit, regulatory engagement and senior management requests where they require input from multiple areas of Information Security.
• Work with the Head of Security GRC to ensure security risks, policy requirements, awareness activity and IAM priorities are appropriately governed and embedded.
• Work with the Head of Security Strategy and Architecture to ensure business and technology change is supported by clear security direction, pragmatic advice and appropriate design assurance.
• Work with the Head of Security Engineering to ensure security tooling and control improvements are prioritised, delivered and embedded effectively.
• Work with the Head of Security Operations to ensure operational security priorities,…