Sector security specialist

Salary: Circa £45,000 (negotiable based on experience) + comprehensive benefits package

Jisc grade: TCY3 (internal use only)

Job Type:  Permanent

Hours: 35 hours per week

Reports into: Head of sector resiliency and engagement

Working style: Remote - Predominantly remote working, and regular travel across the UK is required to Jisc offices and/or customers.

Please note: Due to the nature of this role SC security clearance is required.

About Jisc:

At Jisc, we're driven by a simple ambition: to use technology to transform education, research and innovation.

For more than 30 years, we've been the digital partner for the UK's education and research sectors, providing world-class networks, innovative digital services and expert guidance that help universities, colleges and research institutions thrive.

Our work supports millions of learners, educators and researchers every day, enabling everything from groundbreaking discoveries and life-changing research to exceptional digital learning experiences. While many people may not realise it, the technology and services we provide help power some of the UK's most important educational and research achievements.

Join Jisc and you'll be part of a purpose-driven organisation where your ideas can have a real impact. Together, we're shaping the future of learning, research and innovation for the benefit of society.

About the Team:

The Sector Resiliency and Engagement Team is focused on delivery and active engagement with the sector, developing awareness and training programmes to strengthen capability and resilience. The team works collaboratively across the sector to promote best practice and ensure that both security professionals and the wider education community remain informed of current threats and UK-specific risk trends. The team also provides specialist technical support to members and customers onboarding to the SOC, ensuring a smooth and effective transition into services.

About the role:

As a Sector security specialist within the Security Directorate, you will be responsible for designing, developing, and delivering cyber security and resilience training for the UK education and research sector. Your role will translate and deliver technical security concepts, frameworks, regulation, emerging threats, and good practice into practical and engaging learning that organisations can apply to improve their cyber resilience.

You will help develop and maintain a training roadmap aligned to evolving sector needs and deliver a range of training, workshops, exercises, and simulations.

The role will also contribute to building Jisc’s longer-term sector exercising, simulation, and capability development, ensuring training remains current, practical, and focused on measurable improvements in cyber resilience.

What you’ll be doing:

• Develop and maintain a Cyber Resilience Training Roadmap, working with the Head of Resiliency and Engagement, Head of Training Services, and subject matter experts to identify priorities based on sector needs, emerging threats, regulation, and Jisc’s cyber strategy.
• Design, develop, and deliver high-quality cyber resilience training and learning pathways for technical, security, and senior leadership audiences, using face-to-face, online, workshop, and practical learning approaches.
• Develop training that enables organisations to understand and practically apply relevant cyber security frameworks, standards, regulation, assurance approaches, and good practice, adapting content to the specific needs and challenges of the education and research sector.
• Develop and deliver practical cyber exercises and simulations, including red teaming, ransomware response, crisis management, tabletop exercises, and advanced incident response scenarios, including refreshing and expanding Jisc’s existing Ransomware Incident Response training.
• Develop and maintain engaging training materials, facilitator guides, exercises, scenarios, assessments, presentations, and supporting resources, working with internal and external subject matter experts to ensure content is technically accurate, relevant, accessible, and current.
• Deliver training, workshops, presentations, and practical sessions to Jisc members and the wider cyber community, supporting participants to translate learning into practical improvements within their organisations.
• Work collaboratively with Outreach & Engagement, Sector Resilience, Product, Marketing and Communications, and other relevant teams to coordinate, promote, and align training with wider Jisc cyber services and sector priorities.
• Represent Jisc at relevant sector events, conferences, workshops, and community activities, delivering presentations, demonstrations, and practical cyber resilience sessions.

What we are looking for:

• Proven experience designing, developing and delivering cyber security, cyber resilience or information security training to technical, operational and senior leadership audiences.
• Strong technical knowledge across core cyber security disciplines, including security operations, incident response, identity, endpoint, network, cloud, vulnerability management, logging and monitoring, with the credibility to engage with and challenge technical security professionals.
• Experience with enterprise security technologies such as Microsoft security, SIEM, EDR/XDR, cloud or network security.
• Experience developing and facilitating practical exercises, simulations, workshops and tabletop scenarios, ideally covering incident response, ransomware, crisis management or cyber resilience.
• Experience evaluating and improving training through feedback, assessment and measurable learning outcomes.
• Excellent training, facilitation and presentation skills, with the ability to deliver engaging learning both online and in person.
• Degree or equivalent professional experience in cyber security, information security, computing, technology or Industry-recognised cyber security qualifications such as CISMP, CISM, CISSP, Security+ or equivalent with a recognised cyber security qualification or demonstrable equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrable training, teaching, facilitation or learning development experience.

Don’t meet every single requirement?

We know that sometimes people can be put off applying for a job if they think they can’t tick every box, so we encourage you to apply even if you do not meet 100% of the requirements, but you feel this role is perfect for you. You may be just the right candidate for this or other roles!

Why work for us?

At Jisc, every role is meaningful, and every individual is valued. We foster a culture of continuous learning and personal growth, offering opportunities to develop new skills and make a real impact in education and research. With a strong focus on work-life balance, we embrace flexible working that prioritises outcomes over hours, empowering you to create a rhythm that energises both your professional and personal life.

Our Guiding Principles:

Jisc’s culture is powered by our four guiding principles: putting customers first, driving innovation, creating impact, and championing inclusive collaboration to deliver sustainable outcomes and shape a better future.

Discover the amazing benefits we provide! Here’s what you can look forward to:

• Flexible work pattern, which can adapt to suit your schedules and personal commitments
• 31 days annual leave (plus bank holidays) that includes three closure days over Christmas
• Buy up to an additional 5 days leave during the flexible benefits window
• Generous flexible pension schemes
• A range of wellbeing lifestyle benefits including company paid health care cash plan, mental health first aiders and support
• A company culture of continuous learning with access to thousands of LinkedIn Learning courses, and lots of resources and opportunities to support your development
• Financial well-being support including access to preferential loan and savings plans, mortgage advice, will writing tools and support and resources to help you make the most of your money
• A wide range of discounts and cashback from retailers and big-name high-street stores
• Family friendly policies including enhanced parental, maternity and paternity and co-parental leave as well as opportunity for career breaks
• Support your volunteering with up to 3 days volunteer leave

Equity, diversity and inclusion:

Jisc believe our people make all the difference in cultivating an inclusive culture that welcomes ideas, encourages innovation, and values belonging.

We work hard to create an equitable experience for our candidates and workforce which embraces all aspects of their identity including race and ethnicity, religion and belief, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, trans identities, age, class, disability, neurodivergence, or veteran status.

Application process:

Please let us know how we can best accommodate you throughout the recruitment process. We’re committed to making our process accessible and comfortable for everyone - just tell us what works best for you.

Interested? Don’t leave it too late to apply. We may close the vacancy early once we’ve received enough applications. 

Just so you know, we review CVs as soon as we can and aim to provide an update on your application within 4 weeks of receiving it.  However, you may hear from us a lot sooner, so please keep an eye out for our emails or calls! 

We’re really looking forward to getting to know the real you. While we encourage the use of AI tools to help you get started on your CV or cover letter, we encourage you to review your application before submitting. Make sure it truly reflects your own voice, experiences, and personality.

If you are currently a Jisc employee, please apply through your Dayforce Employee profile.

We have a thorough background screening process that verifies the details you share with us in your CV and your application. Any inaccurate information supplied during the application stages can lead to a job offer being withdrawn. 

Sponsorship:

Jisc has an active sponsor licence to recruit on a Skilled worker visa basis. Candidates wishing to apply who require sponsorship should determine the likelihood of obtaining a Certificate of Sponsorship for the role by assessing their circumstances against the relevant Home Office criteria. Jisc does not offer any financial re-imbursement towards the applicant costs, such as re-location, skilled worker visa and dependant costs or the immigration health charge.

No agencies please.

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