Senior Cyber Security Officer

We are a world-class, research-intensive university. We deliver teaching and learning of the highest quality. We play a leading role in economic, social and cultural development of the North East of England. Attracting and retaining high-calibre people is fundamental to our continued success.

Salary: the region of £72,000 per annum.

Closing Date: This opportunity will close when we identify a suitable candidate. We will contact you within five working days of your application to advise you of the shortlisting outcome.

The Role

We have reimagined the way we deliver our University IT Services, building a world-class IT department responsive to the needs of our global community. We’re growing significantly and we have created new opportunities and made changes to how we work. Our people have been at the centre of this change, with a particular focus on development and opportunities to learn new skills.

We are investing significantly in an expanded team of Cyber Security professionals. This role will lead a team of Cyber Security professionals to protect the University from Cyber Security threats in order to minimise the impact of such threats on the University’s activities. In this role there will be a particular focus on providing consulting and training services to University colleagues and students to enable them to perform their work in a cyber safe way.

The University is an exciting and dynamic place to work, dedicated to world-leading education and research. Benefits include excellent pension; flexible working options; 42 days holiday (including public holidays); discounted travel for the Metro and local bus services; and discounts for national retailers. You can find out more on our benefits web page.

We are committed to building and maintaining a fair and inclusive working environment and we would be happy to discuss arrangements for flexible and/or blended working.

Any job offer will be subject to the successful completion of HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard pre-employment security screening.

Informal enquiries may be made to Jason Bain, Chief Information Security Officer at Jason.Bain@newcastle.ac.uk
 

Key Accountabilities

• Security Response and Investigation
  • Provide effective and timely security response and investigation services, responding to Cyber Security threats and alerting, always ensuring the impact to the University’s activities is minimised or eliminated.

• Security Policy, Compliance and Risk Management
  • Develop and regularly review Cyber Security related risk registers; identify appropriate Cyber Security controls and control owners and ensure they are appropriately briefed on their responsibilities.
  • Develop and regularly review the University’s Cyber Security policies and approve University Cyber Security procedures ensuring that they meet the University’s business needs.
• Secure Computing
  • Through the deployment of appropriate tools, ensure that effective vulnerability scanning and penetration testing is carried out to assist in threat detection and threat management.

• • Ensure that threat mitigations for Cyber Security weaknesses are dealt with effectively.
• Security Consulting and Education
  • Ensure that timely and effective advice is provided on achieving and maintaining compliance against externally mandated Cyber Security requirements.
  • Manage a programme of Cyber Security education and awareness to ensure colleagues and students are aware of Cyber Security threats and mitigations.
• Data Reporting and Analytics
  • Identify and provide Cyber Security metrics for reporting within NUIT; across the University; and where necessary external to the University.
• Leadership
  • Set and monitor the objectives of the team to ensure that they align with NUIT and wider University objectives. Manage any delegated budget and related spending within University procedures.
  • Continually develop the services offered by the team by identifying and pursuing research opportunities within the operational (and occasionally strategic) objectives of NUIT ensuring that any such developments have a positive impact on colleagues, students and other stakeholders.
  • Build capability and ensure cover and resilience for all services provided by the team. Proactively manage the performance of team members to ensure that high standards are achieved and maintained and that examples of good performance are shared. Mentor, coach and support team members and quickly address instances of under-performance.
• Miscellaneous
  • Deputise for the Chief Information Security Officer.
  • Represent the University on Cyber Security matters at external events and committees.
  • Any other reasonable duties that fall within the scope of the post, as allocated by the line manager.

The Person

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

•    Possess and demonstrate an extensive professional knowledge and experience of Cyber Security, IT infrastructure including relevant legislation and industry best practice.
•    Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to explain technical concepts and technologies to non-IT colleagues.
•    Effective influencing of colleagues and key stakeholders across diverse organisations.
•    Can evidence (or demonstrate the capability to gain) effective people-management skills to lead, develop and motivate a team of subject-matter experts.
•    Experience of managing budgets and resources.
•    Demonstrate an appreciation of current and emerging threats and proportionate mitigation.

•    Must be willing to undertake any necessary security checks and/or clearances appropriate for this role.

Attributes and Behaviour

Delivering Services
•    Demonstrates high energy and commitment to the delivery of excellent service.
•    Knows and understands customer/stakeholder needs in terms of team outputs.
•    Sets stretching but achievable goals to ensure that continuous performance improvement is achieved.
•    Continually seeks feedback on team/department performance and looks at ways of improving service levels based on feedback.
Communicating
•    Encourages and supports a free flow of communication and information across own area, and the wider University.
•    Can put forward own view whilst listening and respecting the views and opinions of others.
•    Understands how best to appeal to the other person/group, correctly interpreting the right way to approach a situation.
Influencing
•    Uses a variety of influencing styles to suit the audience.
•    Explains how own proposals will support the interests of others (i.e. using win-win strategies).
•    Has a keen sense of timing; seizes opportunities.
•    Develops plans and strategies for influencing and persuading stakeholders.
Developing Talent
•    Focuses team and departmental development on wider organisational aims and objectives.
•    Personally involved in supporting the development of others, acting as a coach, mentor or trainer. 
•    Looks at ways of developing and stretching others through significant on-the-job opportunities such as one-off projects, secondments etc.
•    Helps others to recognise their own strengths and weaknesses.
•    Gives timely and constructive feedback.
•    Gives on-the-job support and training, looks at enabling skills transfer. 

Thinking Strategically
•    Sees the bigger picture.
•    Able to create a vision for own area and explain how it fits in with the overall strategic vision of the University.
•    Recognises and analyses the dynamics of problems and issues.
•    Understands and makes sense of complex or conflicting data and different perspectives of stakeholders and University areas/faculties.

Qualifications
•    Graduate in IT or have an equivalent professional qualification or membership of a relevant professional body.

Other
•    Any job offer will be subject to the successful completion of HMG Baseline Personnel Security Standard pre-employment security screening.
 

Newcastle University is a global University where everyone is treated with dignity and respect.  As a University of Sanctuary, we aim to provide a welcoming place of safety for all, offering opportunities to people fleeing violence and persecution.

We are committed to being a fully inclusive university which actively recruits, supports and retains colleagues from all sectors of society.  We value diversity as well as celebrate, support and thrive on the contributions of all of our employees and the communities they represent.  We are proud to be an equal opportunities employer and encourage applications from individuals who can complement our existing teams, we believe that success is built on having teams whose backgrounds and experiences reflect the diversity of our university and student population.

At Newcastle University we hold a silver Athena Swan award in recognition of our good employment practices for the advancement of gender equality.  We also hold a Race Equality Charter Bronze award in recognition of our work towards tackling race inequality in higher education REC. We’re a Disability Confident employer and will offer an interview to disabled applicants who meet the essential criteria for the role as part of the offer an interview scheme.

 In addition, we are a member of the Euraxess initiative supporting researchers in Europe. 

Requisition ID: 26423