Government Cyber Security Strategy Lead (job share)

Posting date:	21 July 2025
Salary:	£61,005 to £66,400 per year
Additional salary information:	The salary amounts are for a full time Grade 7- this will be scaled accordingly to 0.6FTE.
Hours:	Full time
Closing date:	10 August 2025
Location:	London
Company:	Government Recruitment Service
Job type:	Permanent
Job reference:	417369/1

Summary

The Government Digital Service (GDS) is the digital centre for Government, where we are collectively responsible for setting, leading and delivering the vision for a modern digital Government. As the Cyber Directorate, our mission is to protect public services and the wider Government from cyber threats, set strategic direction for Government and the public sector on cyber security, finding standards and policies through the Government Cyber Security Standard and the Cyber Policy Handbook. We assure system and organisation cyber security via initiatives such as GovAssure. Our team leads the operational response to cyber threats, vulnerabilities and incidents through the Government Coordination Centre (GC3) and manages the GCSS Portfolio to implement strategy across central Government and departments.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a pivotal role in UK National Security by ensuring that core government functions are resilient to cyber attack, thereby strengthening the UK as a sovereign nation and delivering the government’s vision for modern digital government. In this role, you will craft and define the strategic target states for cyber security and digital resilience across the entire public sector, set priorities that will shape the future of governmental functions, and integrate the transformative outcomes of the Government Cyber Security Strategy (GCSS) into wider departmental objectives, unlocking opportunities for successful delivery.

In June 2025, it was announced that the Government Cyber Directorate will move from the Cabinet Office to the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) as a part of a machinery of government change. This change aims to bring together the digital transformation of public services into one central department, presenting exciting opportunities and positioning DSIT to lead the government’s digital agenda.

This role is in scope to formally transfer to DSIT when the machinery of government change takes place. If your start date is on the transfer date, when this is confirmed, you will be appointed direct to DSIT and your appointment will be unaffected by the machinery of government change. We are currently consulting with our Trade Unions on which policies, terms and conditions will apply on transfer. The statement of changes applied to all other Cabinet Office staff will also apply to you if you are successful.

This is an exciting opportunity to play a key role in UK National Security: ensuring that core government functions are resilient to cyber attack, strengthening the UK as a sovereign nation, and delivering the government visions for modern digital government.

This job is being advertised as a job share role (0.6 FTE) to be shared with our current G7 colleague who is delivering in the role at 0.6 FTE. You will work in partnership with your job-share partner, collaborating to fulfil the aims and objectives of one full-time role.

This will require clear coordination and communication over the working week as well as a willingness to work flexibly to keep things running smoothly. The days and schedule for the job share will be discussed with the successful candidate. You can contact our current G7 colleague who is happy to discuss the role informally via katie.robertson@cabinetoffice.gov.uk

This role is considered a Senior Delivery Manager role under the DDaT framework. If you are successful, you will go through a skills assessment either at interview or once you have started, and this assessment will be submitted along with a business case in order to have your pay uplift approved by the Pay & Rewards team.

In this role, you will:

• Lead Strategy Development and delivery: Ensure the GCSS remains fit for purpose including defining the strategic target states for cyber security and digital resilience across the entire public sector.
• Integrate the transformative outcomes of the GCSS into wider governmental objectives, unlocking opportunities that enhance successful delivery across departments.
• Align initiatives with the overarching digital strategies, fiscal priorities, and national security goals to ensure a cohesive and robust response to an ever-evolving landscape.
• Build Stakeholder network: Establish and nurture your own network of strong relationships with cross-government departments, industry leaders, academia, and international partners to align strategic efforts and share best practice.
• Ensure Data-Driven Decision Making: Collaborate with our performance team to harness evidence and insights to inform policy development and strategic decisions on how best to mitigate the cyber security threat.
• Communicate Strategically: Effectively convey complex cyber security concepts and strategic priorities to senior officials, Ministers

The above list of job duties is not exclusive or exhaustive and the post holder will be required to undertake such tasks as may reasonably be expected within the scope and grading of the post.

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