At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead PKI engineering and governance for secure, mission-critical environments.
- Company: Join Sopra Steria, a leader in Defence sector solutions.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, car allowance, medical insurance, and generous leave options.
- Other info: Full-time on-site role with opportunities for professional growth.
- Why this job: Shape the future of secure infrastructure and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: Strong PKI knowledge and experience in secure environments required.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 75000 £ per year.
Are you an experienced PKI Engineer ready to take greater ownership of complex, secure infrastructure? Sopra Steria is delivering a unique solution from the ground up for the Defence sector, integrating infrastructure and applications within highly secure, mission‑critical environments. This is an opportunity to play a leading role in shaping PKI services for a nationally significant programme, influencing design decisions, strengthening governance, and ensuring secure certificate services operate at scale.
In this role, you will act as a senior technical specialist for PKI, providing engineering leadership across certificate management, certificate template design, HSM administration, PKI governance, and lifecycle processes. Please note this role requires the person to be on site full time in our office.
What you will be doing:
- Lead PKI engineering and operational activities across secure enterprise environments.
- Own the design, review, deployment, and governance of certificate templates.
- Provide senior technical guidance on certificate management across Windows, Linux, web‑based platforms, enterprise applications, and infrastructure services.
- Work with architects, engineers, security teams, and application owners to define PKI integration requirements and ensure appropriate certificate usage.
- Lead the definition, documentation, and ongoing maintenance of PKI governance artefacts, including the Certification Policy Statement.
- Drive certificate lifecycle management processes, including issuance, renewal, revocation, auditing, reporting, and governance.
- Administer and provide technical oversight of HSM environments, including operational processes and security controls.
- Identify opportunities to improve PKI processes, automation, resilience, and operational maturity.
- Act as an escalation point for complex PKI issues across project and operational workstreams.
- Provide technical assurance that PKI services align with security, regulatory, and programme requirements.
What you will bring:
- Strong knowledge of DPKI / PKI within enterprise or secure environments.
- Proven experience in PKI engineering, administration, and architecture support.
- Experience providing technical leadership or acting as a senior escalation point for PKI‑related activities.
- Hands‑on experience with HSMs, ideally Thales HSM products.
- Strong experience in certificate management, certificate template design, and certificate template deployment.
- Experience managing certificate templates across enterprise‑scale environments.
- Good understanding of certificate lifecycle management, PKI governance, and policy documentation.
- Ability to work with infrastructure, application, security, and architecture teams to translate requirements into secure PKI solutions.
- Experience improving PKI processes, documentation, controls, or operational maturity.
It would be great if you had:
- Experience supporting enterprise applications and infrastructure with PKI integration requirements.
- Experience working in complex, secure, regulated, or Defence environments.
- Experience contributing to PKI strategy, service design, automation, or operational transformation.
- Experience mentoring engineers or providing technical direction within a project or service team.
Employment Type: Permanent
Location: Hertfordshire
Security Clearance Level: Eligible for Developed Vetting (DV)
Salary: Competitive, based on experience
Benefits: £5,400 car allowance, medical insurance, flex fund to purchase additional benefits, 25 days annual leave with the choice to buy extra days, life assurance, and 6% pension.
Senior PKI Engineer employer: Sopra Steria Ltd
Contact Detail:
Sopra Steria Ltd Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior PKI Engineer
✨Network Like a Pro
Get out there and connect with people in the industry! Attend meetups, conferences, or even online webinars. The more you engage with others, the better your chances of hearing about job openings that might not even be advertised.
✨Show Off Your Skills
When you get the chance to chat with potential employers, don’t hold back! Share your experiences and how you've tackled complex PKI challenges. This is your moment to shine and show them why you're the perfect fit for their team.
✨Tailor Your Approach
Every company is different, so make sure you tailor your conversations to align with their specific needs. Research their projects and think about how your skills can help them achieve their goals. This shows you’re genuinely interested and invested in their success.
✨Apply Through Our Website
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it gives you a chance to showcase your enthusiasm for the role and the company right from the start.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior PKI Engineer
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV speaks directly to the role of Senior PKI Engineer. Highlight your experience with PKI engineering, certificate management, and HSMs. We want to see how your skills align with the job description!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to explain why you're the perfect fit for this role. Share specific examples of your past work that relate to PKI governance and lifecycle processes. We love a good story!
Showcase Your Technical Skills: Don’t hold back on showcasing your technical expertise! Mention your hands-on experience with HSMs and your ability to lead PKI-related activities. We’re looking for someone who can hit the ground running, so let us know what you bring to the table.
Apply Through Our Website: We encourage you to apply through our website for a smoother application process. It helps us keep track of your application and ensures you don’t miss out on any important updates. Plus, it’s super easy!
How to prepare for a job interview at Sopra Steria Ltd
✨Know Your PKI Inside Out
Make sure you brush up on your knowledge of PKI, especially in secure environments. Be ready to discuss your hands-on experience with HSMs and certificate management, as well as any specific projects you've led that relate to the job description.
✨Showcase Your Leadership Skills
Since this role involves providing technical leadership, prepare examples of how you've guided teams or mentored engineers in the past. Highlight situations where your input influenced design decisions or improved PKI processes.
✨Understand the Defence Sector
Familiarise yourself with the unique challenges and requirements of working in the Defence sector. Be prepared to discuss how your experience aligns with the needs of mission-critical environments and how you can contribute to their security and governance.
✨Prepare for Technical Questions
Expect in-depth technical questions about certificate lifecycle management, PKI governance, and integration with various platforms. Practise articulating your thought process clearly, as this will demonstrate your expertise and problem-solving abilities.