At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead security strategies and protect vital national assets at AWE.
- Company: Join AWE, a leader in national security with a collaborative culture.
- Benefits: Enjoy a 9-day working fortnight, competitive salary, and generous leave policies.
- Other info: Opportunities for professional development and a supportive work environment.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on national security while developing your leadership skills.
- Qualifications: Bachelor's degree and experience in security or project management required.
Location: RG7 4PR, located between Reading and Basingstoke, with free onsite parking.
Due to the classified nature of the work involved, there are limited opportunities to work from home in this role. It is anticipated that the successful candidate will spend the majority of their time working on site at AWE Aldermaston.
Package: From £63,630 per annum (depending on your suitability, qualifications, and level of experience). A relocation package may be available (terms and conditions apply). Plus allowance for on-call Rota Duty Security Manager role.
Working pattern: AWE operates a 9-day working fortnight. We will consider flexible working requests so that your work may fit in with your lifestyle. Just let us know your preferred working pattern on your application.
At AWE, it’s not just a job, it’s far more than that. Our shared purpose is to help keep the nation safe. Could this role be the opportunity for you to play your part?
AWE is seeking an experienced and motivated Estates Security Lead to join our Security Group at a pivotal time in the organisation’s future. This is a unique opportunity to play a leading role in protecting one of the UK's most important national assets, ensuring security solutions remain proportionate, effective and aligned to an evolving threat landscape.
As the Estates Security Lead, you will be responsible for leading the development and implementation of security strategies across AWE’s estate. You will act as a recognised subject matter expert, ensuring delivery of practical and effective security solutions that support operational and business needs.
You will work closely with internal stakeholders, external partners and critical national infrastructure organisations, providing expert advice and direction on security risks, vulnerabilities and mitigation measures.
What You'll Be Doing:
- Leadership and Security Governance: Leading, mentoring and developing a team responsible for identifying and managing security vulnerabilities. Identifying capability gaps, directing training programmes and ensuring sustained competence within the team. Providing strategic advice and guidance on estate security matters across AWE.
- Security Risk Management: Assessing security requirements and emerging threats, developing proportionate security solutions to address identified risks. Acting as AWE's lead subject matter expert for National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and MOD security standards. Building and maintaining relationships with external security partners and Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) organisations to share best practice and improve security resilience.
- Security Assurance and Delivery: Authoring and maintaining AWE security management arrangements, policies and standards. Reviewing existing arrangements to ensure they remain effective, proportionate and aligned to current threats. Conducting security assurance activities to verify compliance and maintain high security standards.
Who are we looking for?
We are looking for a proactive leader who can combine strategic thinking with practical delivery. You will be comfortable navigating complex stakeholder environments, influencing decisions and leading teams to achieve high standards of performance.
You'll thrive in this role if you enjoy:
- Leading and developing people.
- Solving complex security challenges.
- Influencing organisational decision-making.
- Working collaboratively across multidisciplinary teams.
Essential Skills and Experience:
- Bachelor's Degree in a relevant discipline.
- Experience in project delivery or project support environments.
- Previous people or line management experience.
- Experience operating within compliance or security frameworks.
- Strong organisational skills with the ability to manage changing priorities.
Desirable Experience:
Whilst not essential, experience in any of the following areas would be advantageous:
- Physical, people and information protective security disciplines.
- Setting Security policy, standards or delivering assurance activities.
- Critical National Infrastructure (CNI) environments.
- Defence, government or other highly regulated sectors.
- National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) guidance and standards.
- Security risk assessment and vulnerability management.
Personal Attributes:
We're looking for someone who can:
- Remain calm and effective in a changing operational environment.
- Coach and develop others.
- Manage competing priorities and tight deadlines.
- Adapt quickly to emerging challenges and business needs.
- Build strong, collaborative relationships across all levels of the organisation.
- Champion high standards of safety, security, quality and professionalism.
Why Join AWE?
This is an opportunity to play a critical role in protecting nationally important assets while working alongside some of the UK's leading security professionals. You will have the chance to influence strategic security outcomes, develop specialist expertise and make a tangible contribution to AWE's mission and future success.
Join AWE and help safeguard the future through world-class security leadership.
Work hard, be rewarded:
We ask a lot and set the bar high because our work truly matters. In return we offer balance, with award winning benefits including:
- 9-day working fortnight – meaning you get every other Friday off work, in addition to 270 hours of annual leave.
- Market leading contributory pension scheme (we will pay between 9% and 13% of your pensionable pay depending on your contributions).
- Family friendly policies: Maternity Leave - 39 Weeks Full Pay and Paternity Leave - 4 Weeks Full Pay.
- Opportunities for Professional Career Development including funding for annual membership of a relevant professional body.
- Employee Assistance Programme and Occupational Health Services.
- Life Assurance (4 x annual salary).
- Discounts – access to savings on a wide range of everyday spending.
- Special Leave Policy including paid time off for volunteering, public service (including reserve forces) and caring.
Next steps: Everyone who works at AWE brings unique skills and perspectives to the table. We recognise that great people don’t always ‘tick every box’. That’s why we focus on your potential, your fit with our values, your transferable skills as well as your experience. Even if you don’t meet every point above, but you feel that this role and AWE are a great fit for you, please go ahead and apply, we’d love to receive your application.
Important things you need to know:
- We encourage you to apply promptly to avoid disappointment if applications are high and the role therefore closes.
- You will need to obtain and maintain the necessary security clearance for the role. This will be funded by AWE. The nature of our work does mean you need to be a British Citizen who has been resident in the UK for the past 5 years in order to apply for SC clearance and 10 years for DV.
- We want you to feel comfortable and able to shine during our recruitment process. Please let us know on your application form if you need any adjustments/accommodations during the process.
- Our interviews typically take place over Teams and for most roles are a 1 stage process.
Our ambition is to create workplaces where we recognise and celebrate differences, encourage diverse contributions and our employees feel able to be themselves at work. We strive to create a genuine culture of openness and inclusion and encourage diverse applicants. Any inclusion information you provide will be stored in accordance with GDPR and kept separate from your application form and CV, and the information will not be shared with anyone involved in interviewing or making hiring decisions.
Please note that you must be a British Citizen to apply for a role with us.
Estates Security Lead in Reading employer: Atomic Weapons Establishment
As a Quality Inspector Apprentice, you will join a forward-thinking organisation that prioritises employee development and offers a supportive work culture. With a competitive starting salary and generous benefits, including a market-leading pension scheme and extensive holiday entitlement, you will have the opportunity to learn from industry leaders while contributing to vital national security initiatives in the Aldermaston/Reading area. This apprenticeship not only provides hands-on experience but also fosters personal growth through academic studies and practical application of engineering principles.
Contact Details:
Atomic Weapons Establishment Recruitment Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Estates Security Lead in Reading
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We think you need these skills to ace Estates Security Lead in Reading
Some tips for your application 🫡
Highlight Relevant Certifications:When applying for a full-time position in security services, make sure to showcase any relevant certifications you have, like SIA or other security industry qualifications. This adds credibility and shows that you're serious about your career in this field.
Demonstrate Your Attention to Detail:In security roles, attention to detail is crucial. Use your CV and cover letter to provide examples of how you’ve noticed and addressed security vulnerabilities or hazards in past jobs. This will help us see your proactive approach to ensuring safety.
Tailor Your Experience:Don’t just list duties from previous jobs; instead, frame your experiences in a way that relates directly to the role at Atomic Weapons Establishment. Whether that's managing a team, conducting risk assessments, or successfully maintaining safety protocols, make this relevant to what we do.
Share Your Availability and Flexibility:Full-time roles often require a degree of flexibility. Make sure to clearly state your availability in your application, especially if you can work various shifts. This shows us your readiness to adapt to the needs of the role at Atomic Weapons Establishment.
How to prepare for a job interview at Atomic Weapons Establishment
✨Know Your Security Protocols
In the security services field, it's crucial to familiarise yourself with the latest security protocols and technologies. Brush up on things like surveillance systems, access control, and emergency response procedures. You'll likely face technical questions, so having a couple of solid scenarios or case studies ready can really impress your interviewers at Atomic Weapons Establishment.
✨Demonstrate Situational Awareness
Prepare to showcase your situational awareness skills. You might be put in hypothetical scenarios where you need to assess potential risks or respond to incidents. Practising how you’d handle these situations ahead of time can give you the confidence to articulate your thought process during the interview.
✨Emphasise Teamwork & Communication
Since security services often rely on effective teamwork and clear communication, be ready to share examples of how you’ve successfully collaborated in the past. Highlight any instances where you’ve had to relay critical information or work closely with other services – this is key for a role at Atomic Weapons Establishment.
✨Prepare for Behavioural Questions
You can expect a variety of behavioural interview questions focusing on your past experiences and how you've handled challenges. Use the STAR method (Situation, Task, Action, Result) to structure your answers. Sharing specific examples from previous security roles or related jobs will help demonstrate your problem-solving abilities and reliability to the team at Atomic Weapons Establishment.
