Description:
The Security Assurance Analyst (Joint Design Team) leads security design review, assessment and assurance for defence and aerospace IT programmes. Providing technical security guidance into joint design teams, you will conduct security assessments of proposed IT solutions, ensure MOD security compliance, identify security risks, and recommend security controls. This role requires strong security knowledge, analytical capabilities and the ability to work collaboratively with technical architects and customer teams.
Key Responsibilities
Security Design Review & Assessment
- Conduct detailed security reviews of IT architecture and design documentation.
- Assess security controls and identify gaps against MOD security requirements.
- Evaluate threat models and security assumptions underlying IT designs.
- Review security specifications for completeness and MOD compliance.
- Identify residual security risks and recommend mitigation strategies.
- Support authority leads and advise third parties.
MOD Compliance & Standards Verification
- Verify IT designs comply with Defence Security Policy and MOD Classification Guides.
- Assess adherence to ITAR regulations and export control requirements.
- Review security controls against IS1 (IS1A) and other MOD security standards.
- Validate data handling and classification compliance.
- Ensure personnel security and vetting requirements are addressed.
Joint Design Team Collaboration
- Participate actively in joint design team meetings and architecture workshops.
- Provide security input to infrastructure, network and application architecture decisions.
- Review proposed solutions from security perspective and recommend alternatives.
- Challenge assumptions and help identify security risks early in design phase.
- Support customer security decision-making through technical analysis.
Documentation & Reporting
- Prepare detailed security assessment reports documenting findings and recommendations.
- Document security control specifications and implementation guidance.
- Create security assessment matrices and compliance traceability matrices.
- Provide executive summaries of security findings for stakeholder communication.
- Maintain security documentation for compliance and audit purposes.
Risk Analysis & Mitigation Planning
- Conduct security risk assessments using appropriate risk methodologies.
- Develop risk matrices and prioritise risks based on likelihood and impact.
- Recommend security controls and mitigation strategies for identified risks.
- Support risk management processes and evidence gathering for MOD approval.
- Track risk mitigation and provide assurance of control implementation.
Security Control Validation
- Validate implementation of recommended security controls.
- Review security test plans and validation approaches.
- Provide assurance that security controls operate effectively.
- Support security certification and accreditation activities.
- Document security assurance evidence for MOD compliance.
Stakeholder Communication
- Communicate security findings and recommendations clearly to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
- Facilitate security discussions between design team and customer security teams.
- Explain complex security concepts in accessible language.
- Support customer understanding of MOD security requirements and implications.
What You’ll Bring
- Experience in information security including security assessment or assurance type role.
- Demonstrated experience conducting security design reviews and assessments.
- Strong background in defence, aerospace or government security programmes.
- Experience with security certification and accreditation processes.
- Experience managing a team in a security/JDT function.
- Working knowledge of IT architecture and design principles.
Technical Knowledge
- Comprehensive understanding of IT security controls and security frameworks.
- Strong knowledge of network, infrastructure, application and data security.
- Understanding of threat modelling and risk assessment methodologies.
- Familiarity with MOD security requirements, Classification Guides and security policy.
- Knowledge of ITAR regulations and export control requirements.
- Understanding of security standards (ISO 27001, NIST CSF, etc.).
- Practical knowledge of common IT architectures and technologies.
Personal Attributes
- Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
- Excellent leadership skills.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Attention to detail with ability to identify gaps and inconsistencies.
- Collaborative approach to working with architects and technical teams.
- Ability to explain complex security concepts clearly.
- Professional approach to challenging design decisions on security grounds.
- Commitment to security excellence and MOD compliance.