Director, IT Operations & Security Strategy

Director, IT Operations & Security Strategy

Reporting to: Chief Operating Officer (COO)

Direct Reports: 3 Managers (IT Security, Architecture, Project Management)

Location: London (Hybrid)

Role Overview

This is a newly created senior leadership position designed to provide strategic direction, governance and oversight across Technology, Cyber Security and Business Change.

The role sits directly beneath the COO and is intended to bring together three critical functions under a single leader:

• IT Security

• Architecture

• Project Management / Change Delivery

Whilst there are capable managers in each discipline, the business requires an experienced leader who can operate across all three domains, align priorities, challenge decision-making where necessary, and create a cohesive technology strategy that supports future business growth.

This is not intended to be a hands-on technical management position nor a pure operational IT leadership role. Instead, the successful individual will act as the bridge between executive leadership and the technology organisation, ensuring technology investments, security initiatives, architectural decisions and transformation programmes are delivered in a coordinated and commercially effective manner.

Why the Role Exists

The organisation has recognised the need for greater strategic alignment across technology, cyber security and change functions.

Historically, these areas have operated successfully but with separate management structures. This appointment will provide:

• Clear strategic ownership across Technology, Security and Change.

• Greater alignment between business priorities and technology investment.

• Enhanced governance and executive visibility.

• Improved oversight of risk, resilience and regulatory obligations.

• More effective prioritisation and execution of transformation initiatives.

• Stronger collaboration between architecture, security and project delivery teams.

Leadership Structure

The Director will lead three established managers:

IT Security Manager

Responsible for:

• Cyber security strategy execution.

• Security operations and controls.

• Security governance.

• Risk management.

• Operational resilience activities.

• Regulatory and compliance requirements.

Architecture Manager

Responsible for:

• Enterprise architecture.

• Technology standards.

• Infrastructure strategy.

• Cloud and network evolution.

• Solution design governance.

• Future-state technology roadmaps.

Project Management Manager

Responsible for:

• Project portfolio management.

• Programme delivery.

• Resource planning.

• Change execution.

• Delivery governance.

• Business transformation initiatives.

Key Accountabilities

Technology Strategy & Leadership

• Develop and maintain the organisation's technology strategy.

• Ensure technology investment supports business priorities and long-term growth.

• Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, resilience and technology maturity.

• Guide major technology decisions and future-state planning.

Cyber Security & Operational Resilience

• Provide executive oversight of cyber security initiatives.

• Ensure security-by-design principles are embedded across technology and business change.

• Oversee technology risk and security governance.

• Support the organisation's operational resilience obligations.

• Challenge and validate security-related decisions and investments.

Enterprise Architecture & Technology Governance

• Ensure architecture decisions align with strategic objectives.

• Provide oversight of infrastructure, cloud, networking and application strategies.

• Challenge proposed technology solutions to ensure scalability, resilience and commercial value.

• Maintain governance standards and architectural consistency across programmes.

Transformation & Change Delivery

• Maintain oversight of the technology and change portfolio.

• Ensure programmes are appropriately prioritised and resourced.

• Remove barriers to delivery and manage cross-functional dependencies.

• Drive successful execution of strategic initiatives.

• Ensure change activities realise measurable business benefits.

Executive Stakeholder Engagement

• Act as a trusted technology adviser to the COO and senior leadership team.

• Translate complex technical issues into clear business outcomes.

• Support executive decision-making with balanced risk and opportunity assessments.

• Engage confidently with senior stakeholders, regulators, third parties and suppliers.

What Success Looks Like

Within the first 12-18 months, the successful hire will:

• Establish a unified technology, security and change leadership model.

• Create a clear technology and cyber strategy aligned to business objectives.

• Improve governance and executive reporting.

• Ensure architecture, security and project teams are operating against common priorities.

• Increase organisational technology maturity and resilience.

• Strengthen delivery oversight and transformation outcomes.

• Become the COO's trusted adviser on all technology, cyber security and strategic change matters.

Key Hiring Criteria

Must Have:

• Significant senior technology leadership experience.

• Experience managing multiple technology disciplines.

• Strong understanding of cyber security, technology risk and operational resilience.

• Architecture governance and roadmap experience.

• Enterprise change and transformation leadership experience.

• Ability to influence at Executive and Board level.

• Experience within financial services or another regulated environment.

Nice to Have:

• Experience supporting FCA-regulated organisations.

• Exposure to commodities, trading, banking or capital markets environments.

• Broad technical background spanning infrastructure, cloud, networking and security.

• Experience building technology strategy from the ground up.

Summary

This is effectively a "Head of Technology Strategy & Governance" role operating at IT Director level , with direct responsibility for Security, Architecture and Change Management through three experienced managers. The organisation is seeking a commercially minded technology leader capable of balancing strategic thinking, governance, cyber risk, architecture oversight and transformation leadership, whilst acting as a key adviser to the COO and wider executive team.