Security Architect

Principal Security Architect & Engineering Lead

Location: Milton Keynes / London - Hybrid (2 days per week)

Are you an experienced Security Architect who enjoys influencing technology strategy, challenging decisions and driving security improvements across an organisation?

We're working with a well-established organisation undergoing a significant five-year technology transformation, creating an exciting opportunity for a Principal Security Architect & Engineering Lead to play a pivotal role in shaping its future security landscape.

This is a highly visible position requiring someone who can combine strong technical security architecture expertise with strategic thinking, leadership and the confidence to engage and influence senior stakeholders.

You'll be instrumental in ensuring security is embedded into major technology initiatives, working closely with architecture, engineering, infrastructure and business leadership teams to deliver secure, scalable and resilient solutions.

The Opportunity

As Principal Security Architect & Engineering Lead, you'll take ownership of security architecture principles, standards and technical direction across a broad and evolving technology estate.

The organisation is embarking on significant investment across cloud technologies, digital platforms, CRM systems and emerging technologies, including AI.

You'll play a central role in ensuring these initiatives are designed securely from the outset, balancing security requirements with business objectives and delivery priorities.

This is an opportunity for someone who enjoys being a trusted security advisor, technical authority and influential voice in architectural decision-making.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead the development and implementation of security architecture strategies, principles, standards and roadmaps aligned with business objectives.
• Act as the principal security architecture authority across major transformation programmes, ensuring security is embedded throughout solution design and delivery.
• Provide technical leadership and direction across security architecture and engineering activities.
• Partner with senior technology leaders, enterprise architects, engineering teams and business stakeholders to influence architectural decisions.
• Review and challenge solution designs, identifying security risks and recommending pragmatic, commercially sensible solutions.
• Drive secure-by-design principles across cloud, infrastructure, applications, identity and emerging technologies.
• Support the organisation's wider technology transformation, ensuring security capabilities evolve alongside new platforms and services.
• Translate complex technical security risks into clear, actionable recommendations for both technical and non-technical audiences.
• Champion continuous improvement, architectural governance and security engineering best practices.
• Build strong relationships across the business, constructively challenging stakeholders and gaining buy-in for security initiatives.

What We're Looking For

We're particularly interested in individuals who bring a combination of technical credibility, strategic leadership and strong stakeholder engagement.

• Significant experience in Security Architecture, ideally operating at Principal, Lead or Senior Security Architect level.
• Proven experience influencing security architecture decisions across complex enterprise environments.
• Strong knowledge of security architecture frameworks, secure-by-design principles and enterprise security controls.
• Broad technical understanding across cloud security, infrastructure, networks, identity, applications and security engineering.
• Experience supporting large-scale technology transformation, modernisation or cloud adoption programmes.
• Ability to engage confidently with senior stakeholders, challenge established thinking and communicate security risks effectively.
• A pragmatic, solutions-focused approach, balancing security requirements with commercial and operational priorities.
• Experience working within regulated, financial services or similarly complex environments would be advantageous.
• Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, SABSA or TOGAF would be beneficial.

The Person

Beyond technical expertise, we're looking for someone who can genuinely take ownership, command credibility and influence change.

You'll be comfortable working with senior and sometimes challenging stakeholders, confident in your recommendations and able to explain the reasoning behind architectural decisions.

You'll bring a collaborative but assertive approach, knowing when to challenge, when to compromise and how to build relationships that enable successful delivery.

Most importantly, you'll be someone who can operate strategically while remaining close enough to the technology to provide credible technical direction.

Why Consider This Opportunity?

• Play a key role in a major five-year technology transformation.
• Influence security architecture across cloud, digital platforms, infrastructure and emerging technologies.
• Work closely with senior technology and business leadership.
• Take ownership of architectural direction and help shape the organisation's future security capabilities.
• Join an established organisation offering long-term stability, investment and genuine opportunities to make an impact.