Security Assurance Manager

On behalf of the MOD, we are looking for a Security Assurance Manager (Inside IR35) for a 5 Month contract based Hybrid in London or Corsham. As a Security Assurance Manager, you will play a critical role in helping the organisation understand and manage cyber security risks across its systems and services. You will lead on assurance activities, provide expert guidance, and ensure effective risk-based decision-making in line with government security standards and organisational goals. You will work with a range of stakeholders - from technical teams to senior risk owners - to ensure that security controls are proportionate, effective, and enable delivery at pace while maintaining trust.

Your main responsibilities will be:

• Lead and deliver security assurance activities across digital systems and services, ensuring risks are identified, assessed, and managed appropriately.
• Conduct tailored risk assessments and threat modelling to support assurance and compliance with government security frameworks.
• Provide clear, actionable security advice to senior stakeholders, enabling well-informed and auditable risk decisions.
• Ensure security controls align with the organisation's risk appetite, legislative obligations, and regulatory requirements.
• Drive integration of cyber security risk mitigation and assurance practices into project and operational life cycles.
• Champion the use of proportionate security practices that support secure delivery without unnecessary friction.

Essential:

• Proven experience in security assurance and cyber risk management, including conducting independent reviews, engaging suppliers, and supporting risk-based decisions across digital and defence systems.
• Strong experience of applying industry frameworks and standards (e.g. ISO 27001, NCSC guidance) to drive proportionate and effective security controls.
• Ability to design and deliver end-to-end security assurance plans across the system/service life cycle, including interpreting outcomes for business impact.
• Skilled in translating risk appetite and threat intelligence into practical security requirements that support secure delivery.
• Proven experience in high assurance environments, able to communicate complex risk issues clearly and support secure delivery in line with government and defence standards.
• Deep understanding of data-centric security - including security controls, risks, and assurance in relation to data systems, cloud platforms (especially AWS), and public sector data handling.
• SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role; as a minimum, you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks.

Please note, due to the exceptional requirements of this position (short-term nature of this role and speed at which we require a postholder in situ) preference may be given to candidates who meet all of the essential criteria and hold active security clearance. Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident: As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, the MOD guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply.

Armed Forces Covenant: MOD guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such, the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.