Lead security engineer

Band 8a · Security engineer · 560 job evaluation points

A lead security engineer sets the technical direction for security engineering, and makes sure controls work together across the organisation.

Responsibilities

Set the technical direction and standards for security controls across the organisation.
Lead the security design for major programmes, such as moves to cloud hosting or a new electronic patient record.
Make sure controls protect against ransomware and support fast, safe recovery of clinical systems.
Balance security with clinical usability, working with clinical leads on access and authentication.
Advise the cyber security manager on technical risk and investment.
Lead and develop security engineers.

Skills

Skill	Expected level	What this level means
Security technologyUK GDaD PCF	Expert (4)	You can: explain complex system architectures identify and explain how easy or difficult it will be to exploit vulnerabilities lead and influence security technology in the security industry
Information securityUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: design solutions and services with security controls included, specifically engineered to mitigate security threats
Designing secure systemsUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	You can: design and review system architectures through the development of patterns and principles
Cyber risk managementUK GDaD PCF	Practitioner (3)	Senior leadership skill: the UK GDaD PCF defines it with one statement, not by level. You can: Examples of leadership using this skill: maintain a clear understanding of the cyber and information security risks across the whole organisation develop and implement risk assessment processes oversee the assessment of the organisation's partners and supply chain for potential threats or vulnerabilities building a culture where teams have awareness of, and take responsibility for, risks and mitigating them advising programme owners and people running IT services about risks in a way that enables them to act on that advice communicating with senior leaders in a way that enables them to make decisions about accepting or mitigating risk
Identity and access managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: design and run identity and access services review access regularly and fix problems
Vulnerability managementThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: prioritise vulnerabilities by risk, including to patient services scope and manage penetration tests and remediation
Security operationsThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: investigate and contain security incidents write detection rules and threat hunts improve runbooks and tooling after incidents
Information governance and data protectionThis reference	Practitioner (3)	You can: lead data protection impact assessments and information sharing agreements advise teams on lawful basis, consent, confidentiality, and retention investigate incidents and recommend improvements
Understanding health and care servicesThis reference	Working (2)	You can: explain the clinical and care workflows your work supports use common health care terms correctly with clinical and care colleagues recognise when a change could affect patient care and raise it
People managementThis reference	Working (2)	You can: supervise day-to-day work and give feedback take part in recruitment and induction hold regular one-to-one conversations

Typical qualifications and experience

Extensive experience of leading security engineering for complex services.

Band 8a outline

Knowledge: Expert knowledge of a discipline and its management.
Autonomy: Interprets organisational policy for a service; sets the team's direction.
Scope: A service area or a discipline across the organisation.
Leadership: Manages a team, or leads a discipline without line management.
Accountability: A service area, its staff, and its budget.

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Factor	Level	Level summary	Points
Communication and relationship skills	5	Gives highly complex or contentious information needing developed persuasion and negotiation, presents to large groups, or communicates where there are significant barriers to acceptance.	45
Knowledge, training, and experience	7	Highly developed specialist knowledge across the range of the specialism (master's level or equivalent).	196
Analytical and judgemental skills	5	Judgements on highly complex facts or situations needing analysis, interpretation, and comparison of options.	60
Planning and organisational skills	4	Plans a broad range of complex activities or strategies, adjusting them as needed.	42
Physical skills	2	Skills gained through practice, such as standard keyboard use or driving.	15
Responsibility for patient and client care	1	Helps patients, clients, or relatives during incidental contact.	4
Responsibility for policy and service development	4	Implements policy and develops policy or services for a service or several areas.	32
Responsibility for financial and physical resources	3	Authorises payments, buys some assets or supplies, monitors or holds a delegated budget, or maintains assets.	21
Responsibility for people	3	Manages a group of staff day to day, teaches core or specialist training, or gives core HR advice.	21
Responsibility for information resources	5	Designs and develops major information systems, or runs information systems for several services as the main duty.	34
Responsibility for research and development	2	Regularly does research, development, trials, or equipment and system testing as part of the job.	12
Freedom to act	5	Works within general policies, and in most cases decides how to interpret them.	45
Physical effort	1	Sitting, standing, and walking, with little physical effort.	3
Mental effort	4	Frequent prolonged concentration, or occasional intense concentration.	18
Emotional effort	1	Rare exposure, or occasional indirect exposure, to distressing circumstances.	5
Working conditions	2	Occasional unpleasant conditions, frequent travel or outdoor work, or near-continuous screen use on most days.	7
Total (Band 8a: 540 to 584)			560

Lead security engineer

Responsibilities

Skills

Typical qualifications and experience

Band 8a outline

Job evaluation (illustrative)

Self assessment