Director Security

Role Title: Director Security
Location: Leeds (Hybrid - 4 days on-site per week)
Day Rate: £552.50 Inside IR35
Duration: 6 months

The Role
We are seeking an exceptionally seasoned Director of Security with over 15 years of progressive experience to lead the design, implementation, and governance of security across multiple platforms. This role requires deep expertise in complex security challenges, a proven record of strategic influence, and the ability to translate business requirements into secure, scalable, and compliant technical solutions.

Key Responsibilities
Security Leadership & Strategy

• Define and implement the company's security strategy across AI, blockchain, and cloud environments.
• Establish policies, standards, and governance frameworks aligned with industry best practices (ISO 27001, NIST, SOC2).
• Lead incident response, risk assessment, and threat modelling programmes.
• Build and mentor a world-class security team.

• Protect proprietary AI models, training data, and pipelines from data poisoning, model theft, or adversarial attacks.
• Secure ML infrastructure across data collection, preprocessing, model training, and deployment.
• Implement privacy-preserving techniques such as encryption, anonymisation, and federated learning.

• Oversee smart contract security audits, testing, and deployment pipelines.
• Protect user assets across wallets, custody solutions, and crypto exchange mechanisms.
• Monitor on-chain activity for suspicious behaviour, including rug pulls and Flash loan attacks.
• Partner with external firms for protocol audits, bug bounty programmes, and penetration testing.

• Implement best practices in cloud security (AWS, GCP, Azure), container security, and zero-trust networks.
• Harden DevSecOps pipelines to ensure secure software delivery.
• Collaborate with engineering teams to integrate security by design into products.

• Ensure regulatory compliance with GDPR, SOC2, ISO, PCI-DSS, and crypto-specific frameworks.
• Lead risk assessments for third-party vendors and service providers.
• Work with legal and compliance teams on KYC/AML security for crypto services.

• 15+ years of progressive experience in Information Security, with a minimum of 7-8 years focused on cybersecurity.
• Proven track record in cybersecurity strategy, team leadership, and incident management.
• Deep knowledge of blockchain protocols, smart contracts (Solidity, Rust), cryptography, and custody systems.
• Strong expertise in cloud security, DevSecOps, and secure software development life cycle (SSDLC).
• Understanding of AI/ML systems security, including model attacks and data integrity risks.
• Relevant certifications preferred: CISSP, CISM, CISA, CEH, OSCP, CCSK, or blockchain security certifications.

• Exceptional communication: Ability to articulate complex security concepts clearly to technical teams, senior management, and non-technical stakeholders.
• Strategic thinking & vision: Capability to anticipate future security challenges and develop long-term architectural solutions.
• Problem-solving & analytical prowess: Ability to diagnose complex security issues, identify root causes, and devise innovative solutions.
• Influence & persuasion: Proven ability to gain buy-in and drive adoption of security best practices across diverse teams.
• Collaboration & teamwork: Strong team player able to work effectively with cross-functional teams (development, operations, compliance, audit).
• Leadership & mentorship: Experience leading security initiatives, guiding junior team members, and fostering a culture of continuous learning.
• Adaptability & resilience: Ability to thrive in fast-paced, evolving environments and navigate ambiguity proactively.
• Attention to detail: Meticulous in design and review to ensure no critical security gaps.