Deputy Director for Government Cyber Operations
| Posting date: | 28 November 2025 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £81,000 to £117,800 per year |
| Additional salary information: | Non civil servants will be expected to start at the salary minimum if successful. Standard pay rules apply for existing civil servants. |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 14 December 2025 |
| Location: | London |
| Company: | Government Recruitment Service |
| Job type: | Permanent |
| Job reference: | 437934/1 |
Summary
The GC3 coordinates the Government's response to cross-cutting and critical cyber security vulnerabilities, threats, and incidents, and enables cyber defenders across Government to work together and to “defend as one”. The GC3 is a joint initiative sponsored by the Government Digital Service (GDS) and the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC).
This role is based in the Cabinet Office, but is in-scope for a planned move to GDS later in 2025. Regardless of where you are based, you should expect to work closely alongside colleagues from all sponsoring organisations, and wider Government and the public sector.
Government Cyber are looking for an experienced and senior operational cyber security professional to lead government cyber operations, digital resilience and the Government Cyber Coordination Centre. In this role you will be responsible for driving transformation, leading the design, implementation, operation and continual improvement of the GC3 and its capabilities. This role reports to the Director for the Government Cyber Unit.
As the Government Cyber Unit, our mission is to protect public services and the wider Government from cyber threats and non-malicious failures. We are responsible for driving cyber security and resilience transformation across government and the public sector as well as managing government-wide cyber risk on behalf of the DSIT Permanent Secretary. We set strategic direction for Government and the public sector on cyber security and digital resilience, defining 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.
You will play a key role in government cyber security, taking decisions that affect the breadth of government and driving strategic improvement and change. You will need to be a confident, inspiring and inclusive leader, committed to the support and development of your staff.
Responsibilities
- Lead the GC3, providing strategic direction, decision making, and management to the transformation, cyber operations, business operations, and communications functions.
- Work collaboratively with partner organisations to design, and lead the implementation and delivery of, the GC3 operating model, strategy and roadmap.
- Work collaboratively with GDS and other partners to scale GC3 operational capabilities to address government digital resilience challenges, and iterating the wider operating model, strategy and roadmap as required.
- Lead the Government Cyber unit engagement with senior stakeholders in partner organisations, central Government functions, Government departments and the wider public sector.
- Lead the cross-government response to critical security vulnerabilities, threats and incidents, leading engagement with NCSC and national security processes (e.g., COBR) as required.
- Brief senior stakeholders on cyber security threats, vulnerabilities, incidents, and mitigations, and lead on ministerial briefings and parliamentary business.
- Engage with and influence wider cyber security and digital resilience efforts across Government, representing the GC3 and wider cross-Government cyber security operations community.
- Contribute to the evolution of the Government Cyber Security Strategy objectives and priorities, ensuring that these remain fit for purpose and enable government organisations to raise their cyber security maturity in an evolving threat landscape.
- Maintain an ongoing understanding of the threat and vulnerability landscape, and cyber security operations best practices, in order to provide credible and informed advice and guidance.
- Act as an escalation point for, line manage, and provide coaching and mentoring to GC3 function leads.
- Play an active role across government as a champion for the network defender community and as part of Cyber Directorate senior leadership.
- Be an advocate for excellence in all things relating to leadership and people management.
- Deputise for the Director for Government Cyber Security as required.
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