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Head of Protective Security
Head of Protective Security
Overall Purpose of the Role
Provide strategic leadership and management of multiple teams responsible for regulatory and operational protective security activities across the organisation. Hold accountability for making complex, judgement-based decisions requiring advanced analytical thinking and consideration of business-wide impacts. This role demands comprehensive expertise across multiple security disciplines, including physical, personnel and electronic security, along with a deep understanding of how security supports wider business objectives while ensuring compliance with legal, regulatory and industry requirements.
The Head of Protective Security will:
- Influence strategic decision-making
- Engage effectively with senior internal and external stakeholders
- Provide thought leadership on security matters
- Challenge existing approaches, drive innovation, and deliver pragmatic security solutions balancing organisational, operational and regulatory needs
Scope of the Role
- Act as the organisation’s recognised subject matter expert in protective security, providing senior leadership and professional guidance across the business
- Develop innovative and effective security solutions meeting regulatory, operational and business requirements
- Define and deliver the protective security strategy, ensuring alignment with organisational objectives and influencing wider functional strategies
- Maintain an in-depth understanding of security disciplines and their contribution to:
- Organisational resilience
- Regulatory compliance
- Business performance
- Build and maintain strong relationships with:
- Senior stakeholders (Executive Directors, Board members)
- Regulatory bodies
- Government agencies
- Strategic partners
- Lead multidisciplinary security teams across multiple locations
- Develop and manage departmental budgets, ensuring resource allocation and delivery within agreed financial targets
- Serve as the primary contact for regulators and external assurance bodies regarding protective security compliance and performance
- Maintain effective partnerships with:
- Law enforcement agencies
- Security authorities
- Government organisations
- Drive enterprise-wide security programmes, ensuring alignment with best practice and industry standards
- Sponsor and oversee strategic security frameworks, systems, and service partnerships
- Demonstrate strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills at executive and board levels
- Operate effectively in a dynamic, regulated, fast-paced environment with multiple priorities and programmes
- Provide resilient leadership during periods of:
- Change
- Emerging threats
- Business transformation
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Major Accountabilities
- Lead, manage, support and develop direct reports to ensure effective delivery of protective security operations and programmes
- Own the identification, assessment, and reporting of security risks, representing security at governance forums and providing strategic advice to senior leadership
- Ensure provision of effective security governance, assurance and compliance activities across the organisation, meeting regulatory and internal security requirements
- Develop business cases, strategic plans and investment proposals, making decisions that deliver measurable business value and financial benefit
- Develop and implement organisational strategies, strengthening:
- Protective security capability
- Resilience
- Compliance
Experience and Capability Requirements
Knowledge and Experience
- Extensive knowledge of:
- Security legislation
- Regulatory requirements
- Industry standards
- Security best practice and practical application
- Significant experience operating in a senior security leadership role within:
- A regulated organisation
- A critical national infrastructure environment
- Proven record of delivering and maintaining regulatory compliance in complex organisations
- Experience contributing to:
- Major capital programmes
- Large-scale construction projects
- Organisational transformation activities
- Degree-qualified in a security-related discipline or equivalent professional experience
- Professional membership of a recognised security body (e.g., ASIS International or The Security Institute), with evidence of continuing professional development
- Full UK driving licence holder
- Demonstrable experience in:
- Leading change programmes
- Driving continuous improvement in:
- Security performance
- Compliance and culture
- Extensive understanding of:
- Security risk management frameworks
- Security governance
- Protective security principles
- Experience implementing security policies, standards and regulatory requirements within business-as-usual operations
- Specialist technical knowledge (advantageous) in:
- Electronic security systems
- Alarm monitoring
- Critical infrastructure protection
- Operational technology security
- Construction security
- Working knowledge of the Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 and their application to protective security
- Experience embedding security requirements into the design and delivery of major infrastructure and construction projects
- Proven ability to engage and influence Executive Directors, Boards and senior leadership teams
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Desirable
- Chartered Security Professional (CSyP) status
- Relevant postgraduate or advanced professional qualifications in:
- Security
- Resilience
- Risk management
- Related disciplines
Capabilities
- Exceptional leadership capability, with the ability to:
- Deliver organisational and behavioural change
- Balance security, operational and commercial priorities
- Excellent verbal and written communication skills (e.g., high-quality reports, presentations, briefings)
- Strong stakeholder management and networking skills, with a proven ability to:
- Build trusted relationships
- Influence at executive levels
- Outstanding skills in:
- Negotiation
- Influencing
- Contract management
- Ability to:
- Inspire high performance and commitment
- Maintain professional credibility
- Within teams
- Across the wider organisation
- Strong analytical and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to:
- Assess complex situations
- Prioritise risks
- Develop effective solutions
- Highly organised, able to manage competing priorities in a fast-paced environment
- Resilient, adaptable and effective under pressure
- Willingness and flexibility to travel as required across operational locations
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Skills
Protective Security
Regulatory Compliance
Risk Management
Stakeholder Engagement
Leadership
Analytical Thinking
Change Management
Security Governance
Budget Management
Communication
Negotiation
Innovation
Strategic Planning
Operational Security
Security Policies
Construction Security
Location