Head of Protective Security

At Roke Roke is a world-class technology and engineering consultancy. Roke delivers advanced research, development services and products to high profile customers who come to Roke with varied and challenging problems to solve.  The Head of Protective Security plays a critical role in safeguarding the organisation’s people, assets, and operations, leading the delivery of a mature and integrated security function.

Operating within the Corporate Services Directorate, the role provides strategic leadership and oversight of all protective security activity, ensuring alignment with legislation, industry standards, and accreditation requirements.

Reporting to the Assistant Director:
Security, Workplace and Business Resilience, the Head of Protective Security oversees the full spectrum of security disciplines, including policy, procedures, risk assessment, and risk management. The role drives continuous improvement in security capability and compliance against recognised models, while championing a positive and informed security culture across the organisation.

The position provides leadership to a team of Security Advisors and contracted security services, ensuring effective operational delivery that supports business priorities. It is accountable for strategic, operational, and compliance-led security across the organisation’s five UK facilities, ensuring full adherence to MOD and UK Government protective security requirements, including IPSA, National Security Vetting (NSV) and aftercare, Facility Security Clearance (FSC), Security Aspects Letters (SALs), and other mandated standards.

The postholder serves as the organisation’s senior authority for physical, personnel, technical, and industry security matters, ensuring protective security is integrated, resilient, and aligned with organisational objectives.

Job Purpose &

Key Responsibilities Ensure compliance with MoD/Gov Industry security requirements.

Lead all business security day to day operational requirements in the delivery of current and future business objectives.

Define, implement and consistently review security strategy to ensure alignment with business intent. Lead the Roke Security Team.

Physical security management, including access control, classified asset management, security infrastructure management and meeting contractual obligations.

Management of security incidents including containment, reporting, lessons learned and appropriate escalation.

Responsible for adherence to, and development of the Personnel Security Maturity Model.

Responsible for implementing personnel security controls and mitigations relating to insider risk.

Support the development of the Insider Risk strategy and security culture for  a key point of contact for staff queries relating to personnel security issues.

Foster and maintain close working relationships with senior stakeholders within the Company to enable effective delivery of security measures. Liaise with external stakeholders including government departments and agencies to identify and implement best practice.

Development and implementation of accurate MI reporting across the Security function

Support security aspects for overseas travel (business and personal).Continuous Improvement of the delivery of all aspects of protective security

Lead for Security function Business Impact Analysis capturing critical assets.

Management of Security Risk Assessment process.

Manage and lead security investigations across the enterprise.

PERSON SPECIFICATION Education and Qualifications Relevant degree and/or experience.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience Essential
· In-depth experience of UK defence and UK Government sector security management.
· Strong understanding of IPSA, SALs, FSC requirements, and government protective security frameworks.
· Extensive working knowledge of National Security Vetting and aftercare.
· Experience managing multi-site operations and contracted guard forces.
· Strong leadership, stakeholder engagement, and incident-management skills.

Has previous Line Management experience

Desirable:

Experience with UK Government Security Policy GovS
007

Familiarity/experience of dealing with Security Aspect Letters…