Principal Enterprise Security Architect

  • National Physical Laboratory
  • Teddington, Middlesex
  • 25/05/2026
Full time Information Technology Telecommunications

Job Description

About the role

Our world-leading Time & Frequency department seeks a Principal Enterprise Security Architect to lead cyber security architecture, assurance, and operational services.

This is an exceptional opportunity to join the global authority in precision timing at a defining moment for UK digital infrastructure. Backed by a government investment of £180 million in the National Timing Centre (NTC) programme, we are developing a world first resilient time distribution capability that will provide industry with a robust complement to satellite systems such as GPS - which are increasingly vulnerable to disruption from solar storms, jamming and spoofing. This will underpin essential services, including:

  • Telecommunications
  • Online banking
  • Emergency response
  • Transport networks
  • Wider digital and data driven operations

Together, these services form the backbone of modern society - and your leadership will help ensure they remain secure, reliable and robust even if global navigation satellite systems fail.

Key Responsibilities
  • Lead the Cyber Security architecture and design function across NPL's PNT programmes to deliver at national scale
  • Oversee design, delivery, and running of Cyber Operational capability, and develop an enterprise architecture aligned with NPL's guiding principles
  • Lead the technical Cyber Security design of systems and services across several PNT programmes and technologies (at an organisational / inter organisational level)
  • Research, identify, validate and adopt new security tech, architecture, and methodology
  • Lead engagement with NPL's customers (across both UK Government and the private sector) on security risk and decision making
  • Communicate current / emerging threats, whilst designing security architecture to mitigate against them
  • Reporting to the Head of Cyber Security in CIO, you will provide enterprise wide risk consultancy, stakeholder engagement, and leadership
Qualifications & Skills
  • Referenceable in depth knowledge and experience in Cyber Security and IT (including business process design)
  • Understanding of IT networking and virtualisation technologies
  • Ability to define architecture roadmaps and associated strategies (including design analysis)
  • In depth assessment of IT systems, cloud offerings and IT Security controls, to provide an independent view of their compliance and effectiveness with Security Policy, IT Security standards, and regulatory requirements
  • Assessment of architectural designs to determine whether the relevant Security controls have been identified; in line with business objectives and risk mitigation
  • Experience of cross security domain approaches and solutions
  • Cyber Security Certifications: one of the following - CISSP, SCF (SABSA Chartered Security Architect), CISM - plus two (or more) additional industry recognised Security certifications or qualifications
  • This role requires holders of SC clearance with no restrictions, or the ability to obtain an SC clearance
Other Requirements

We actively recruit citizens of all backgrounds, but the nature of our work in specific departments means that nationality, residency and security requirements can be more tightly defined than others. To work at NPL, you will need to obtain BPSS security clearance. However, for the Time & Frequency department, you must have an SC clearance with no restrictions, or be able to obtain an SC clearance.