Physical Security Consultant in London

Physical Security Consultant — Datacentre

Independent by design.

Reports to: Technical Director —Security

Note: This is NOT a cyber security or operational security role.

About Blacktip

Blacktip is an independent consultancy of around sixty specialists who design the security and telecoms infrastructure inside some of Europe’s largest datacentres — and the grid, substation and battery assets that power them and increasingly procure, assure and commission it across the life of the asset.

We work for owners, developers, hyperscalers and lead design consultants on hyperscale and mission-critical projects.

We never work for vendors, contractors or integrators — and that independence is the foundation of the advice our clients pay for.

We go deep on two disciplines security and telecoms that generalist engineering firms treat as a line item inside a larger scope.

Every discipline is led by a practice director, decisions happen quickly, and the work you draw gets built.

We are extending our offer from detailed design into procurement, commissioning and advisory across the full life of an asset, so there is real room to grow your scope as the firm grows.

The role

You will lead the physical security design on live datacentre and mission-critical projects: detailed designs, specifications, cost estimates, equipment schedules and construction-stage support, delivered to RIBA stages and to the standards our clients hold us to.

You will own your design from concept through to handover, and represent Blacktip in client workshops, design-team meetings and tender interviews.

You will design across the full electronic security stack — video surveillance (VSS/CCTV) and video analytics, access control, intruder detection and PIDS, IP audio and video intercoms, security control rooms, and Physical Security Information Management (PSIM) — together with the IP, network, server and workstation infrastructure that supports it.

Datacentre security carries demands most built environments do not: high-availability design, dense camera coverage over large perimeters and white space, layered access control to standards-driven security tiers, and tight coordination with the wider telecoms and building-technology design.

You will work alongside our other technical disciplines and our production.

You will report to the Technical Director — Security and help maintain the technical standard the team is known for.

You will also help grow client relationships through strong technical input — securing and developing long-term relationships, maximising repeat business, and spotting new opportunities within existing accounts.

• What you’ll do
• Develop detailed designs, reports, specifications, budgets and equipment schedules in line with RIBA stages.
• Establish each project’s security requirements: which systems are needed, how they will be used, by whom, and the user groups and operational needs that drive the design.
• Set camera coverage — placement, field of view and lens/focal-length selection — across project boundaries.
• Define spatial, power, cooling, containment and cable-routing requirements and constraints for each system.
• Produce layout drawings showing equipment locations and cable routing, and mark up drawings for production by a remote CAD technician.
• Develop design guidelines and recommendations, and build the budget / bill of quantities covering hardware, implementation and ongoing support.
• Review and advise on operational, support, maintenance and cause‑and‑effect practices.
• Assess integration with other communication systems and any cross‑site networking requirements.
• Apply the relevant industry, technical, regional and regulatory standards to every design.
• Attend project meetings, client design workshops and presentations; present at presales and formal tender interviews.
• Support commissioning management, witness testing, snagging and reporting as projects reach handover.
• Track and report man‑hours against the scope of works, and keep Blacktip’s delivery aligned to the agreed scope.
• Take ownership of the design throughout the project, working remotely from the UK and travelling to site across the UK and Europe (and occasionally wider EMEA) for surveys, inspections and meetings.
• What you’ll bring
• A strong grounding in physical security systems design across the electronic security stack above.
• Experience in an electronic security design and engineering environment, delivering build and fit‑out projects.
• A working knowledge of IT and networking sufficient to support physical security installations.
• Confident reading of architectural plans, layouts and elevations, including cable, containment and connection schematics.
• An understanding of the power, cooling and containment systems that support security equipment.
• A good grasp of how projects run within the RIBA framework, and of the design and construction process through to completion and handover.
• Manufacturer‑specific CCTV bandwidth and storage calculators, and design tools including Bluebeam and Visio.
• High IT literacy — Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Power Point) and Adobe Acrobat Pro essential.
• Strong communication skills at every level, the confidence to lead client engagements, and the organisation to run several projects at once to tight deadlines.
• Rigorous attention to detail in your own work and when peer‑reviewing others.
• Site survey and inspection experience.
• Knowledge of counter‑terrorism design, Secure by Design practices and CPTED principles.
• Datacentre or other mission‑critical / high‑availability project experience.
• Degree‑level education and/or ASIS PSP, CPP or CSMP certification.
• Auto CAD and CCTV JVSG software.
• Experience of high‑volume, high‑pace project environments and online project / resource management tools.

If you don’t tick every box but have the core design skills and the appetite to develop into the rest, we’d still like to hear from you.

Why Blacktip

The work.

Some of the largest and most demanding mission‑critical projects in Europe, for serious clients — not a pipeline of small fit‑outs.

Your design gets built.

You own your design end to end and see it through to handover.

Independence.

We work client‑side only. Our recommendations are ours, never a vendor’s.

Access and pace.

A firm of around sixty where you’ll know the directors, decisions are quick, and there’s less process overhead than the large multidisciplinary firms.

Room to grow.

As we extend from design into procurement, commissioning and advisory, there’s scope to broaden what you do and where you lead.

Software

To apply

click Apply on this advert with your CV.

You must have the right to work in the UK; we are unable to provide visa sponsorship for this role.

Blacktip is an equal‑opportunities employer and welcomes applications from all qualified candidates regardless of background.

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