Head of Security - Central Services

The Bank of England (“the Bank”) is the UK's central bank. The Bank is a diverse organisation, and each of its 5000 people are committed to public service and dedicated to promoting the good of the people of the United Kingdom by maintaining monetary and financial stability.

About the team

The Security Division within the Bank mitigates risks that Bank’s property, infrastructure, services or assets are unlawfully damaged, stolen or disrupted. It also mitigates the risk of harm to personnel inside and outside of Bank’s premises including vetting, travel advice and support, and threat management.

Reporting to the Director within Central Operations, this position will lead a large team of about 150 staff covering operational security, vetting, personnel security disciplines, as well as policy, assurance and advisory services. The team is made up of Bank internal staff as well as staff provided by an external outsourcing partner. This is an interesting, busy, and demanding role, with the job holder expected to think on their feet and work continually at a fast and challenging pace managing a large team and diverse set of senior stakeholders in a function critical to the core mission of the Bank.

The Head of Security is expected to have broad, high-level expertise of security leadership. They will work closely with other Bank areas including Cyber and the Investigations and Monitoring team. It is expected that the role holder will have a solid grasp of technical security, industry standards, and UK Government regulations as well as awareness of the operations of a central bank. They will have a level of knowledge enabling them to direct and lead a team of technical experts in security.

Due to the nature of this position, applicants will be subject to an enhanced screening and vetting process.

About the role

The Head of Security will be responsible for managing the delivery of security services to the standards agreed upon by the Bank, with them acting as advisor to the setting of those standards. This involves safeguarding the protection of the Bank of England's people, assets, and reputation. They will deliver ongoing assessments of security risks, issues, and dependencies to proactively mitigate threats and inform an effective security strategy. Additionally, they will manage third-party security providers to ensure value, compliance, and performance from the security supply chain.

Engagement with relevant partners, such as law enforcement, is crucial to effectively respond to security threats and incidents. This position will drive a culture of operational excellence across both in-house and contracted teams of security personnel. It will handle security incidents as they arise and provide confidence things are being well managed. Furthermore, it will deliver tailored briefings and advice to executives regarding security incidents and issues, supporting effective decision-making. It will contribute to the development and delivery of the Bank’s security strategy and programme of work.

The security setup within the Bank is diverse and broad. The Head of Security will work closely together with other parts of the Bank to deliver a consistent approach to security across the whole estate. Key stakeholders in other parts of the Bank will include the Chief Information Security Officer and the Head of Investigations and Monitoring. They will also closely work together with key functions of the Bank with specific operational security needs.

Key responsibilities

Strategic

• Lead the development, integration, monitoring and management of the Bank’s cross-functional strategy, policy and programme for security to meet current and emerging security matters.
• Advocate for positive change as a mentor and champion.
• Lead the delivery and integration of the Bank’s strategic threat assessment to evaluate the changing profile of threats and hazards across all domains of security and apply this to enable effective decision making.
• Support security related governance within the Bank including providing information to the Bank’s Security Board and Executive Risk Committee.

Operational

• Deliver the Bank’s security objectives by promoting effective collaboration between functional leaders and driving the development of a high-performing security leadership team.
• Defining and implementing appropriate security arrangements for the Bank’s locations and hubs. Drive a programme of continual assurance of security-related operations, programmes and projects to deliver continuous improvement and support investment decisions.
• Working with other security professionals to develop and have oversight of the delivery of security services, building security protection and access control.
• Security incident management and risk assessment, including the articulation of threat requirements.
• Work closely with the Risk and Secretary’s Directorates, providing counsel on a wide range of security issues relevant forums.

Minimum Criteria

• Extensive experience in senior security leadership and management experience, ideally within a government or finance industry environment.
• Substantial experience in an operational or protective security environment.
• Shown ability to research and stay up to date with security trends, as well as changing government legislation in relation to all aspects of security.

Essential Criteria

• Exceptional managerial skills and the ability to lead a large team.
• High levels of interpersonal skills.

Desirable Criteria

• Knowledge of security related information management systems.
• Holds a degree or equivalent in security, risk, or a related field from a recognised institution, e.g. CSMP Level 6.
• Demonstrable negotiating skills required for dealing with large contractor relationships and resolving issues with third party providers.
• Experience of presenting to large audiences with differing levels of knowledge on security and operating within external security fora.
• Shown proficiency in developing security protocols and procedures.

Bank Behaviours

In addition to the role requirements outlined above, the holder of this role is expected to act and behave in line with the Our Bank Behaviours.

This is a people management role. You will be responsible for day to day management of the team and for defining roles and responsibilities. You will develop your team through sharing information effectively, coaching and communicating a clear vision to ensure that your staff are productive, engaged and motivated to deliver the area's aims. This will include setting clear goals and smart stretching objectives that are aligned to those of the team, division and directorate. You will also be responsible for managing all staff-related matters that may arise including performance, absence and sickness.

Number of direct reports: 5