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Lead Technical Recruiter (Cyber Security, Data & IT Operations) @ UK Home Office | HR, Recruiting, Hiring

Salary: £76,117 plus skills allowance of up to £19,483 pending assessment

Location: Manchester (hybrid with 60% office attendance)

Advert Close: 11:55pm Monday 12th January 2026

This role requires Security Check (SC) clearance, which would normally need 5 years’ UK residency in the past 5 years. Candidates must also hold or be prepared to undergo NPPV3 clearance.

Home Office Cyber Security at the Home Office plays a vital role in protecting one of the UK’s largest government departments and its nationally critical digital infrastructure.

The Head of Cyber Security Strategy leads the development of cyber security strategy, aligning people, processes, and technology to protect critical services and data. This high-impact role offers the chance to influence senior leaders, deliver change at scale, and build a safer digital future for millions. The post holder will head a dynamic, cross‑functional team, connecting policy, delivery, and innovation to embed resilience across the department.

This role centres on leading the development, implementation, and evolution of the Home Office’s cyber security strategy and operating model. You will shape and drive strategic transformation across the department, ensuring cyber security is embedded into organisational design, delivery, and culture.

Responsibilities

• Leading the development, implementation, and maintenance of the cyber security strategy, ensuring alignment with departmental priorities and national objectives.
• Designing and delivering an effective cyber security operating model, enabling consistent and scalable delivery of strategic security outcomes across the organisation.
• Providing strategic direction and expert advice to senior stakeholders on cyber security priorities, investment, and transformation.
• Championing cyber security across the organisation, influencing policy, delivery, and innovation to embed security into business and technology decisions.
• Drawing conclusions from reviews, management information, insights and risk assessments to effectively drive strategic security outcomes, reporting to leaders and across government, to shape decision‑making.
• Collaborating with government and industry partners to share best practice and align strategic approaches to cyber resilience.
• Managing the delivery of critical cyber transformation programmes.

Person specification

You’ll have a demonstrable passion for cyber security, with the following skills or experience in:

• Taking a strategic approach to complex issues and delivering actionable insights to support senior decision making.
• Leading and mentoring diverse teams of security specialists.
• Producing, analysing or implementing security strategy in a large organisation and clearly articulating the business impact while balancing with practicality and effectiveness.
• Championing cybersecurity and ensuring ongoing appropriateness of practices while collaborating across business units for effective implementation.
• Developing and implementing cyber security processes and procedures including driving continual service improvements through the measurement and challenge of services and processes, tools and capability.
• Knowledge sharing and networking within the broader security industry, sharing best practice within and beyond the department.
• A Civil Service Pension with employer contribution rates of at least 28.97%.
• In‐year reward scheme for one‐off or sustained exceptional personal or team achievements.
• The ability to potentially adopt flexible working options that suit your work/life balance, plus the opportunity in future to take a career break.
• 25 days annual leave on appointment, rising with service.
• Eight days public holidays, plus one additional privilege day.
• 26 weeks maternity, adoption or shared parental leave at full pay, followed by 13 weeks statutory pay and a further 13 weeks unpaid, after qualifying service.
• Maternity and adoption support leave (also known as paternity leave) of two weeks full pay, after qualifying service.
• Paid leave for fostering approval processes, support when a child is substantively placed with you plus a foster to adopt policy.
• Support for Guardians and Kinship carers.
• Corporate membership of ‘Employers for Carers’ providing additional information and advice for carers, plus a ‘Carer’s Passport’ to discuss workplace needs and underpin supportive conversations.
• Time off to deal with emergencies and certain other unplanned special circumstances.

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Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Information Technology

Industries

Government Administration

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