Governance and Assurance Security Consulting Director/Lead in London

Governance and Assurance Security Consulting Director/Lead

Role Summary

The Governance and Assurance Director is a senior client-facing leadership role responsible for the strategic delivery of governance, risk, compliance and assurance services across complex client environments.

The role provides executive-level advisory services to client leadership teams, establishing trusted relationships and supporting informed decision-making through effective governance, risk management and assurance practices.

As a senior member of the Security Practice, the Governance and Assurance Director is accountable for leading multidisciplinary teams, developing capability, assuring delivery quality, supporting business growth and ensuring successful client outcomes.

The role requires extensive experience operating within complex, regulated and critical national infrastructure environments, providing strategic oversight whilst balancing business objectives, security risks and regulatory obligations.

What you'll bring;

• Client Leadership and Advisory
• Act as a trusted advisor to executive and senior client stakeholders including CIOs, CISOs, Security Directors and Programme Directors.
• Provide strategic guidance on governance, risk management, compliance and assurance matters.
• Lead client engagement activities across multiple concurrent programmes and accounts.
• Build and maintain strong client relationships based on trust, credibility and delivery excellence.
• Facilitate governance forums, steering groups and executive-level discussions.
• Present complex security, risk and assurance information to both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Influence strategic decision-making through risk-based recommendations.
• Governance, Risk and Compliance
• Lead the design, implementation and continual improvement of governance and assurance frameworks.
• Establish effective security governance processes aligned to business objectives.
• Oversee identification, assessment and treatment of information security and cyber risks.
• Ensure governance activities align with recognised industry standards and frameworks.
• Support clients in defining risk appetite and risk management approaches.
• Review and challenge risk decisions to support appropriate risk ownership and accountability.
• Provide oversight of regulatory, legal and contractual compliance obligations.
• Assurance and Security Oversight
• Lead assurance activities to assess the effectiveness of security controls and governance arrangements.
• Direct security control reviews, maturity assessments and independent assurance activities.
• Provide challenge and scrutiny to programmes, projects and operational functions.
• Oversee production of assurance reports and recommendations for senior stakeholders.
• Lead internal and external assessment activities.
• Support audit preparation and remediation planning.
• Develop meaningful metrics, KPIs and KRIs to support strategic reporting.
• Contribute to the strategic direction of Security Practice.
• Support the development and continual improvement of Governance and Assurance service offerings.
• Identify opportunities to enhance methodologies, frameworks and delivery approaches.
• Lead internal initiatives that improve capability, quality and consistency.
• Act as a thought leader across governance, risk and assurance disciplines.
• Promote best practice and innovation throughout the Practice.
• Provide line management, coaching and mentoring to consultants, senior consultants and managers.
• Support career development, performance management and professional growth.
• Foster an inclusive, positive and high-performing team culture.
• Drive employee engagement, wellbeing and retention initiatives.
• Support recruitment activities and talent development programmes.
• Build succession plans and identify future leadership talent.
• Ensure teams possess the skills and capabilities required to meet client demand.
• Business Development
• Support business growth through client relationship management and opportunity development.
• Contribute to proposals, bids, Statements of Work and client presentations.
• Identify opportunities for service expansion and account growth.
• Support revenue generation through the successful delivery of Governance and Assurance services.
• Represent the organisation at client meetings, industry events and practice initiatives.
• Contribute to market propositions and thought leadership activities.

What you'll be doing;

• Significant experience within information security, cyber security, governance, risk, compliance or assurance disciplines.
• Experience operating in client-facing consultancy or professional services environments.
• Experience of working in the public sector, ideally central government.
• Proven experience leading governance and assurance engagements within complex organisations.
• Experience presenting to senior executives and board-level stakeholders.
• Experience managing and developing high-performing teams.
• Experience working within regulated, government or critical national infrastructure environments.
• Strong commercial awareness and understanding of delivery management principles.
• Experience managing multiple concurrent workstreams and client engagements.
• Demonstrable experience delivering governance, risk, compliance and assurance services across Critical National Infrastructure and Public Sector organisations within complex and highly regulated environments.
• Experience contributing to bids, proposals and account growth activities.

Technical Knowledge

• Demonstrable experience in :
• Governance, Risk and Compliance (GRC).
• Security Assurance.
• Security Control Frameworks.
• Security Governance.
• Security Policy Development.
• Regulatory Compliance.
• Audit and Assurance.
• Third Party Risk Management.
• Security Maturity Assessments.
• NCSC Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF).
• Secure by Design Principles.
• NIST Cyber Security Framework.
• ISO 27001.
• Government Security Policy Frameworks.

Qualifications and Certifications

• Degree level qualification or equivalent professional experience.
• CISSP.
• CISM.
• CRISC.
• CIISec Chartered Status.
• Security Institute Chartered Status.
• Relevant Governance, Risk or Audit Qualifications.
• Strategic Leadership.
• Executive Stakeholder Management.
• Governance and Assurance Expertise.
• Risk-Based Decision Making.
• Client Relationship Management.
• People Leadership and Development.
• Influencing and Negotiation.
• Complex Problem Solving.
• Communication and Presentation Skills.
• Delivery Leadership.
• Business Development.
• The role:
• Initiates and influences organisational, programme and client-level decisions.
• Has significant responsibility for people, service delivery and client outcomes.
• Establishes governance direction and drives strategic objectives.
• Operates with substantial autonomy.
• Influences executive and board-level stakeholders.
• Leads complex client engagements and multidisciplinary teams.
• Ensures governance and assurance activities deliver measurable business outcomes.

In addition to client delivery responsibilities, the Governance and Assurance Director will be expected to:

• Lead and develop a Governance and Assurance capability within the Security Practice.
• Manage and develop consultants and managers.
• Own utilisation, capability and performance.
• Actively contributes to practice growth and strategic direction.
• Support recruitment, talent development and succession planning.
• Serve as a senior representative of the Security Practice internally and externally.

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