Gerrard White is currently recruiting a Head of Security Architecture for market leading insurance brand and will report into the Director of Security Architecture and Operations.

This role is responsible for the security architecture and design function within the enterprise organisation providing thought leadership, setting strategic direction, overseeing technical security architecture standards and supporting security projects and programmes, working in close collaboration with the Director of Security Architecture and Operations and the CISO. It acts as a key technical authority on all system and solution design activity, driving standardisation and consistency in the definition and application of security principles and ensuring that security is built in by design.

This will include:

- Accountable for leading and making decisions on all aspects of security architecture across major IT programmes.
- Responsible for the development of enterprise-wide security architecture blueprints and processes which ensure that the strategic application of security is embedded in the management of the IT environment.
- Responsible for monitoring information security market trends and developing an in-depth understanding of emerging technologies and the associated security risks and opportunities.
- Responsible for defining the mid to long term enterprise security architecture strategy to protect the organisation from misuse and attack.
- Responsible for the IT security architecture that supports the IT applications and infrastructure.
- Responsible for working with vendors to ensure internal and third party security plans on technology are aligned.
- Responsible for ensuring that all security designs, blueprints and artefacts are maintained and adhere to good practice and recognised industry frameworks.
- Accountable for the production and maintenance of technical security architecture standards and architectural designs such as application, infrastructure, network, end point, virtualisation and cloud.
- Accountable for maintaining relationships with Technology Services (particularly CTO function), and relevant standards owners.
- Responsible for engagement with the business and Technology Services to highlight risks to ensure they are making informed decisions around technology and implementation choices.

People Management;

- Talent Management that ensures the assignment of work/learning opportunities to meet the needs of both the organisation and the individual.
- Fair, consistent and transparent performance management.
- Appropriate adherence to line management policies and controls.
- Accountable for effective communication that engages staff and encourages them to improve their performance.
- Responsible for establishing, training and managing a team of security architects.
- Responsible for resource allocation of a team of security technical resources.
- Accountable for encouraging innovative problem solving amongst peers and reports.

Skills and Qualities You`ll Need;

- Solid experience in a similar role with a lareg scale organisation.
- Undergraduate degree (preferably 2:1 or higher) in a relevant field (e.g. Computer Engineering, Computer Science, Information Security) or in a STEM major (Science, Technology, Engineering, or Math) is strongly preferred and a Master`s degree in relevant field is desired.  
- Security accreditations such as CISSP-ISSAP (Information Systems Security Architecture Professional), CISM, CISSP, M.Inst.ISP, CGEIT, CISA by a recognised professional body are required.
- Architecture certifications such as TOGAF, SABSA, Zachman are required.