Cyber Risk Adviser (Assurance) - Government Digital Service - SEO
Government Digital & Data -
Location
Bristol, London, Manchester
About the job
Job summary
The Government Cyber Unit (GCU)'s mission is to protect public services from cyber threats and digital resilience failures. We are working to achieve a step change in our cyber and digital resilience across government, through delivery of the Government Cyber Action Plan (GCAP), and working closely with departments and national technical authorities including the National Cyber Security Centre to deliver. This is a challenging time to be working in cyber security and digital resilience, but we have an incredible opportunity to make a difference to people’s lives and promote national security by protecting the public services and national infrastructure they rely on. We work at the forefront of shaping the UK’s national response to emerging cyber and technology issues - from the increasingly complex range of state-sponsored cyber-attacks and supply chain compromises, through to the transformational benefits and security challenges of frontier AI and quantum computing.
We are committed to creating an inclusive and supportive working environment where people can learn, develop and do their best work. Continuous professional development and a focus on wellbeing is core to our unit culture. We welcome applications from candidates who share this ethos and are excited by our mission.
Following the announcement of machinery of government changes in July 2026, GCU and wider digital functions, including the Office of the Chief Technology Officer (OCTO), will transfer to the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). This role is in scope to transfer.
Please Note - The post holder may be required to support out of hours on-call rotas for responding to cyber and digital resilience incidents, for which remuneration and/ or flexible working arrangements will be available.
Job description
As a Cyber Risk Adviser (Assurance) you will directly contribute to the delivery of the Government Cyber Action Plan (GCAP) which aims to reduce cyber and digital resilience risks across government and the wider public sector. You will operate within the Assurance Team which works closely with organisations participating in GovAssure, the assurance scheme for critical systems in government. GovAssure assesses individual systems against the government’s minimum cyber resilience standard and supports organisations to understand and manage their cyber security risks.
There are two roles available – one in the Operations team and one in the Continuous Improvement team.
Key responsibilities:
As a Cyber Risk Adviser (Assurance) in the Operations team, you will:
- act as the main point of contact for a portfolio of government organisations, building trusted relationships and supporting them through the GovAssure process
- provide subject expertise in cyber assurance, advising security teams across government on the GovAssure process and supporting them to scope their critical systems and apply a proportionate, risk-based approach at each stage
- quality assure documents and evidence organisations submit, drawing on technical expertise where needed
- follow up with organisations to keep progress on track, and identify and escalate risks or issues that could affect delivery
- keep accurate, high-quality records of engagement, decisions and risks, giving government a clear and reliable picture of its cyber resilience across departments and supporting informed reporting and programme decisions
- lead projects and contribute ideas to improve and expand cross-government cyber assurance, working closely with the Continuous Improvement and Data teams
As a Cyber Risk Adviser (Assurance) in the Continuous Improvement team, you will:
- lead workstreams that drive change across the Assurance function, improving existing processes and developing new assurance products and approaches
- build trusted relationships with cross-government stakeholders, including Lead Government Departments, arm's length bodies, the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and delivery partners
- work with teams across GCU and external stakeholders to align assurance work with wider activities and priorities
- develop effective feedback collection methods, analyse findings, and use evidence to prioritise improvements
Person specification
We are looking for candidates to have:
- proven ability to build trusted relationships with technical and business stakeholders across a diverse range of organisations, regularly engaging and influencing them to achieve positive outcomes
- experience of working in national security, government cyber security or critical national infrastructure (CNI) protection, or a related area of government security, and applying an understanding of the threats these areas face
- experience of applying risk management principles in cyber security and/or security assurance, including familiarity with the National Cyber Security Centre’s Cyber Assessment Framework (CAF)
- a strong track record of managing competing priorities and delivering high-quality outcomes to deadlines, working independently, keeping others on track, and raising risks or issues early
- up-to-date knowledge of cyber security measures and wider protective security concepts, with experience of applying this to help organisations understand their security needs, assess how well their systems and services are protected, and share good practice with others.
