Security Development and Test Director
Role details
Job location
Tech stack
Job description
o Partner with sales and business development teams to define and articulate the value proposition of the security development and testing offerings.
o Represent the function in client engagements, pre-sales discussions, and technical assessments.
o Design and present tailored solutions based on customer-specific challenges and threat landscapes.
o Collaborate on statements of work (SOWs) and influence product roadmaps.
- Service Delivery Assurance
o Oversee performance and quality of services delivered, ensuring SLA and KPI compliance.
o Implement governance mechanisms and standardised methodologies.
o Act as the primary escalation point for complex engagements.
o Conduct regular client reviews to identify enhancement opportunities.
- Budget and Financial Management
o Develop and manage financial plans, including budgeting and profitability analysis.
o Monitor expenses and identify cost reduction opportunities.
o Ensure profitability through forecasting and margin analysis.
o Refine pricing models and maximise billable utilisation.
- Secure Architecture and DevSecOps Integration
o Define and govern secure architecture standards across development teams, ensuring alignment with enterprise security policies, regulatory requirements, and industry frameworks (e.g., NIST, OWASP, ISO 27001).
o Lead the strategic integration of security into DevOps pipelines, embedding security controls and automated testing into CI/CD workflows to enable secure-by-design delivery.
o Oversee the implementation and optimisation of security tooling, including Static Application Security Testing (SAST), Dynamic Application Security Testing (DAST), Software Composition Analysis (SCA), and container security scanners.
o Establish architectural review boards and security design checkpoints to validate that new systems and applications meet defined security requirements before deployment.
o Drive continuous improvement in DevSecOps maturity, using metrics and feedback loops to refine processes, reduce risk exposure, and accelerate secure delivery.
o Collaborate with enterprise architects, engineering leads, and product owners to ensure security is embedded from ideation through to deployment and maintenance.
o Champion threat modelling and secure design practices, ensuring development teams proactively identify and mitigate risks during the design phase.
o Mentor and upskill engineering teams on secure coding, architectural risk assessment, and DevSecOps principles to build a culture of shared security ownership.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
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Secure Architecture Compliance Rate: Percentage of projects that meet defined secure architecture standards and pass architecture review gates.
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DevSecOps Integration Maturity: Measured progress in embedding security controls into CI/CD pipelines, including automated testing, code scanning, and policy enforcement.
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Security Testing Coverage: Proportion of applications and systems that undergo static, dynamic, and interactive security testing before release.
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Vulnerability Remediation Velocity: Average time taken to remediate critical and high-severity vulnerabilities identified during development and testing phases.
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Toolchain Utilisation Effectiveness: Adoption and effective use of security tools (e.g., SAST, DAST, SCA) across development teams, measured by scan frequency and issue resolution rates.
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Training and Awareness Uptake: Percentage of development and QA staff completing secure coding and DevSecOps training programs.
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Audit and Compliance Pass Rate: Success rate in internal and external audits related to secure development practices and testing controls.
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Innovation and Automation Impact: Number of manual security testing processes replaced or enhanced through automation, contributing to faster and more reliable delivery
Requirements
It starts with amazing people, challenging projects and a work environment that supports the creation of tangible solutions that make an impact. You will need to have a broad experience of security service delivery management and have evidence of experience in a number of the following fields of expertise:
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10+ years in secure software development and testing, 5+ in leadership.
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Proven success in managing large-scale secure development projects.
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Excellent communication and client relationship skills.
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Experience managing crisis situations and leading diverse teams.
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Strong English writing and verbal communication skills.
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Attention to detail and ability to build high-performing teams.
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Relevant certifications (e.g., CISSP, CISM, CSSLP, CEH).
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Valid right to work in the UK and eligibility for UK SC clearance