Cyber Security Lead

English Technology Cyber Security Lead

Salary: £71,800 – £96,100 per annum

Location: Cambridge, UK – Hybrid with 40-60% of time in the office 

Contract: Permanent

Hours: Full time, 35 hours per week

Ready to own cyber security for the technology behind English learning used by millions of people around the world?

We are Cambridge University Press & Assessment, a world-leading academic publisher and assessment organisation and a proud part of the University of Cambridge.

This is a rare chance to shape and own the cyber security agenda for English Learning Technology. You will set the direction, organise and build the team. You will also grow as a leader, backed by our commitment to your development. Learn more about our Pursuing Potential employee value proposition. You will align to and support the Group Security strategy for the entire organisation.

About the role

As our Cyber Security Lead, you will provide the strategic, technical and governance leadership for cyber security across the English Learning Technology function. You will set the direction, shape the priorities, and make sure security is built into how we plan, build and run our technology.

You will report to the Deputy Director and work closely with our central security team, helping delivery their enterprise strategy. You will be the go-to authority on cyber risk. You will give senior leaders a clear, honest view of where we stand across our applications, platforms, suppliers and services. And you will make sure risks and vulnerabilities are spotted, prioritised and dealt with. You will also lead and develop a small security operations team.

In this role you will:

• Set the cyber security strategy and priorities for the function, in step with our wider security approach.
• Be the expert voice on cyber risk, giving senior leaders clear advice and honest challenge.
• Keep an authoritative view of our security posture across applications, platforms, suppliers and services.
• Lead security governance and reporting, so decision-makers can see the risks, threats and progress that matter.
• Shape technology, architecture and investment decisions, so security is built in from the start.
• Lead security assurance for major systems, projects and suppliers, and steer how we tackle vulnerabilities and incidents.
• Hold teams and suppliers to account for the controls and fixes they have committed to.
• Lead, coach and grow your security operations team.

This is a hybrid role. You will typically spend 40–60% of your time connecting face-to-face at your dedicated location. We also welcome other flexible working requests from your first day, including adjustments you may need for a disability or long-term health condition.

About You

You are an experienced cyber security leader. You have worked at a senior level in a complex technology environment. You bring deep expertise in security strategy, governance, risk and assurance. You also have strong, hands-on knowledge of application, platform and cloud security, including AWS.

You are confident influencing senior stakeholders and offering honest challenge on cyber risk. You have a track record of setting security strategy and driving risks, vulnerabilities and incidents through to resolution. You know the key standards and frameworks, such as ISO 27001, NIST, Cyber Essentials and OWASP. And you have the people skills to build a strong team and work well across technology, legal, procurement and suppliers.

If that sounds like you, we would love to hear from you. You will stand out even more if you can also show:

• A recognised security certification, such as CISSP, CISM or CCSP.
• Hands-on experience with tools like AWS security services, SonarCloud and Tenable.
• Experience building secure-by-design and DevSecOps practices into the software development lifecycle.
• Experience working alongside a central security function.
• Experience in a regulated, education or publishing environment.

For a detailed job description, please refer to the link at the bottom of the advert on our careers site.

We are a Disability Confident (DC) employer that is committed to equality and inclusion ensuring our recruitment process is accessible to all. The DC scheme's Offer of an Interview commitment applies to applicants who opt in, and disclose a disability or a long-term health condition, and who best meet the minimum criteria for the role. In instances where interviewing all qualifying candidates is not practicable and/or appropriate, we prioritise those who best meet the minimum criteria, as we would for applicants who do not have a disability or long-term health condition.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is an approved UK employer for the sponsorship of eligible roles and applicants under the Skilled Worker visa route. Please refer to the gov.uk website for guidance to understand your own eligibility based on the role you are applying for.

Rewards and benefits

We will support you to be at your best in work and to live well outside of it. In addition to competitive salaries, we offer a world-class, flexible rewards package, featuring family-friendly and planet-friendly benefits including:

• 28 days annual leave plus bank holidays
• Private medical and Permanent Health Insurance
• Discretionary annual bonus
• Group personal pension scheme
• Life assurance up to 4 x annual salary
• Green travel schemes

Ready to pursue your potential? Apply now.

We aim to support candidates by making our interview process clear and transparent. The closing date for all applications will be 27 September 2026. We will review applications on an ongoing basis, and shortlisted candidates can expect interviews to take place from shortly after it closes.

If you are shortlisted and progressed through the stages, you can expect:

• A 15-minute screening call with the Hiring Manager.
• First stage virtual interview via MS Teams. You will be provided with a brief to complete a role-related task, to be returned by email in advance of your interview.
• Final stage interview: in-person at our offices in Cambridge.

If you require any reasonable adjustments during the recruitment process due to a disability or a long-term health condition, there will be an opportunity for you to inform us via the online application form. We will do our best to accommodate your needs.

Please note that successful applicants will be subject to satisfactory background checks including DBS due to working in a regulated industry.

We are committed to an equitable recruitment process. As such, applications must be submitted via our official online application procedure. Please refrain from sending your CV directly to our recruiters. If you experience technical difficulties or require additional support with submitting your online application, contact the Recruiter.

Why join us

Joining us is your opportunity to pursue potential. You will belong to a collaborative team that is exploring new and better ways to serve students, teachers and researchers across the globe – for the benefit of individuals, society and the world. Sharing our mission will inspire your own growth, development and progress, in an environment which embraces difference, change and aspiration.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it is safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, gender identity and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background.

We believe better outcomes come through diversity of thought, background and approach. We welcome applications from people from all backgrounds and communities, actively seeking to employ people from a wide range of different communities.