Principal Cyber Security Adviser
| Posting date: | 08 January 2026 |
|---|---|
| Salary: | £99,483.00 to £115,287.00 per year |
| Additional salary information: | £99483.00 - £115287.00 a year |
| Hours: | Full time |
| Closing date: | 25 January 2026 |
| Location: | Leeds or London, LS1 4AP |
| Company: | NHS Jobs |
| Job type: | Contract |
| Job reference: | M9990-26-0016 |
Summary
The post holder should haveexpertisein managing cyber security risks in large and complex environments and should be able toevidencetheir commitment to continuing professional development. This is a lead role within the risk and assurance function, as such the post holder will need to have line management experience and the ability to deal with competing priorities and tight deadlines. They should also have the ability tobuild andmaintainstrong working relationships with other teams and be able to communicate cyber security risk topics to a range of stakeholders (both technical and non-technical). The post holder will provide efficient, effective and high quality, professional and well-co-ordinated cyber security leadership meeting all statutory, regulatory and NHS requirements ensuring alignment with the activity of the organisation. The postholder will have strong risk management and risk analysis skills and an expert grasp of the cyber components. The post holder will be responsible for: Establishing and leading a capability to assess system cyber risk and recommend proportionate national interventions (e.g. regulatory action, funding decisions, and technical support) to manage it. Personally, delivering risk assessments, potentially to extremely tight timescales and with limited information, including recommendations on how to proportionately manage the risk. Contribute to Cyber Improvement programme where relevant to areas of responsibility. Build relationships across Joint Cyber Unit, NHSE, and NHS more broadly to bothfacilitateown understanding of system cyber risk and embed a rational risk basis intoall ofthe units activity. Work closely with the cyber risk intelligence team to understand the state of system cyber risk and appropriately feed this into risk assessments. Essentialcriteria: Subject matterexpertiseacrossa number ofkey areas relating to cyber security. Strong risk management and risk analysis skills and an expert grasp of the cyber components. Evidence of post qualifying and continuing professional development. Should have an appreciation of the relationship between the Department of Health, NHS England and individual provider and commissioning organisations. Experience of delivering against competing priorities and deadlines while also directing the work of teams/individuals. A willingness to train to gain appropriate cyberqualifications. (ISACA: Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) Important Information for Role: Please be aware there are residency requirements you need to meet: All NHS England Cyber Security personnel must hold security clearance SC level as a minimum. To meet National Security Vetting requirements, you musthaveresidedin the UK for a minimum of 3 out of the past 5 years for SC clearance. Candidates who were posted abroad for service with HM Government, Armed Forces or within a UK government role will still be considered. The post of Principal Cyber Security Adviser has been awarded a Recruitment and Retention Premia (RRP) in response to current labour market conditions. In recognition of this, the role attracts an additional monthly RRP payment equal to 30% per annum. Please be aware that RRP is non-contractual and subject to review. All roles in the Technology, Digital & Data Directorate require a Basic DBS check. You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents. Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person. Secondments Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.