About the role

Why this role matters

The Deputy CISO (Cyber Operations) is the senior accountable owner for Home Office cyber defence and operational cyber security outcomes. The postholder provides enterprise-wide leadership and assurance over cyber operations, ensuring threats are detected and addressed, incidents are handled effectively, and cyber risk to critical services is understood, prioritised and reduced in line with business priorities and risk appetite.

One of two SCS Deputy CISOs reporting directly to the CISO, the role sets the strategic direction and operating model for cyber operations and enables effective governance and decision-making through clear metrics, management information and risk-based prioritisation. The role provides leadership of the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC) functions and is accountable for building an integrated cyber operations capability across the Home Office. Over time, the postholder will provide line management and leadership to cyber leads operating across Home Office Digital business areas, ensuring a consistent and coordinated approach to cyber operations across the organisation.

The role operates at significant scale, supporting over 55,000 staff and hundreds of public-facing digital services and critical national functions spanning borders, migration, policing and identity services. It works closely with senior digital, technology and business leaders and maintains strong links with NCSC and cross-government cyber operations partners to deliver a coordinated, threat-led and outcomes-focused defence.

This is a senior strategic leadership role with enterprise-wide accountability for cyber defence and operational cyber security outcomes across the Home Office. As the Deputy CISO (Cyber Operations), you will set the vision, strategy and operating model for cyber operations, ensuring the organisation can detect, prevent, respond to and recover from cyber threats in line with business priorities, threat intelligence and risk appetite. The role is accountable for the effectiveness of enterprise cyber operational capabilities

As the cyber operating model matures, the role will also assume leadership and line management responsibility for cyber operational leads embedded across Home Office Digital business areas, driving consistency, collaboration and operational effectiveness across the cyber community.

You will provide senior leadership and direction across the full cyber operations lifecycle, including protective monitoring, vulnerability management, threat-led defence, incident management, security testing and human cyber risk interventions.

Job description

Key responsibilities

Your main day to day responsibilities will be:  

• Setting and maintaining the enterprise strategy and operating model for cyber operations, aligned to the overall Home Office cyber security strategy, threat intelligence, risk appetite and business priorities.
• Providing senior leadership, assurance and line management across cyber operations, including protective monitoring, threat management, vulnerability management, incident response, security testing and human cyber risk management; developing senior operational leaders, setting professional standards and building a high-performing learning culture that delivers measurable reductions in cyber risk.
• Leading an integrated cyber operations community across the Home Office, including the future line management and leadership of cyber leads operating across Policing, Migration and Corporate business areas, ensuring effective coordination, capability development and delivery of cyber operational outcomes.
• Ensuring cyber operational tools and platforms, including risk and monitoring systems, deliver decision-grade insight to support senior leaders and effective management of cyber risk.
• Overseeing enterprise incident management arrangements, including preparedness, response and continuous improvement following incidents.
• Leading operational readiness and surge arrangements for major cyber incidents and periods of heightened threat, including coordinating cross-directorate response, setting incident objectives and decision points, ensuring timely escalation and clear senior briefings, and maintaining effective links with relevant cross-government response structures.
• Building strong, trusted relationships with senior business, digital, technology and security leaders across the Home Office and wider government, including NCSC and cross-government cyber operations communities.
• Deputising for the CISO as required, including representing the function on the CISO Senior Management Team (SMT) and supporting senior decision-making and governance.

Person specification

Essential Criteria

The successful candidate will need to demonstrate:

• Experience of setting and delivering enterprise cyber operations strategy and operating models aligned to organisational priorities and risk appetite.
• Leading enterprise cyber capabilities, including monitoring, threat management, vulnerability management, incident response and security testing.
• Leading organisational responses to major cyber incidents, supporting senior decision-making and driving continuous improvement in cyber resilience.
• Influencing and partnering with senior stakeholders to prioritise cyber risk reduction and resilience across critical services and major programmes.
• Experience of managing significant delegated budgets, commercial relationships and supplier spend to deliver strategic outcomes and value for money.
• Developing and leading high-performing cyber security teams, building capability, professional excellence and an inclusive culture.

Desirable criteria:

• CISSP, CISM, CRISC or similar.