Cyber Security Specialist

Cyber Security Specialist - £550 Outside - 12 Months - Edinburgh (Remote)

Lorien is supporting a key public sector client in the recruitment of an experienced Cyber Security Specialist to provide security advice and assurance across major digital transformation projects. The role will cover cyber security and risk throughout the complete service lifecycle, including threat modelling, security design assessment, penetration-testing coordination, delivery evidence, go-live recommendations and operational handover.

Title: Cyber Security Specialist
Duration: 12 months initial with a potential 12-month extension
Location: Edinburgh (primarily remote with occasional onsite attendance required)
Rate: £550 per day Outside IR35

Essential Skills, Competences, Experience and Relevant Qualifications
* Strong experience delivering cyber security architecture, assurance and risk-management activities across enterprise-scale digital services.
* Demonstrable recent experience making a significant security contribution during the development of a new digital service.
* Experience supporting change projects from initial scoping and risk assessment through design, testing, release and operational handover.
* Strong experience conducting threat modelling and security risk assessments.
* Experience reviewing high-level and low-level solution designs and providing clear, evidence-based security recommendations.
* Ability to interpret security standards, accreditation requirements and industry best practices, adapting existing controls to individual projects.
* Experience maintaining security design assessments and owning the completion and accuracy of security-related delivery evidence.
* Experience planning and coordinating independent penetration testing, including scope definition, pre-test configuration, findings triage and remediation tracking.
* Experience providing security recommendations for stage-gate reviews and go-live decisions.
* Ability to perform basic hands-on security assessments using tools such as SSL Labs and CSP evaluators.
* Strong experience securing Azure-hosted development environments, applications and cloud services.
* Knowledge of application security testing, including SAST and DAST.
* Experience with enterprise security technologies including Microsoft Defender, firewalls, web application firewalls, antivirus and email-filtering solutions.
* Experience with enterprise technologies including Microsoft 365, Entra ID/Active Directory, PKI, Group Policy, SCCM, Windows Server and Hyper-V.
* Ability to define security operations processes, monitoring requirements and automation for new services.
* Experience working effectively within Agile project teams involving internal colleagues, delivery partners and third-party suppliers.
* Ability to work independently, take ownership and manage the security aspects of projects from initiation through to completion.
* Strong communication skills with the ability to provide clear, proportionate and risk-based recommendations to project teams and senior cyber security stakeholders.
* Ability to share knowledge with colleagues and complete an effective handover into Security Operations.

Desirable Skills
* Experience evaluating or implementing artificial intelligence within business-system designs.
* Experience evaluating the security of enterprise-scale network architecture.
* Experience securing Microsoft Dynamics and Power Platform solutions.
* Experience managing independent security testing from initial scope and preparation through to findings triage and remediation.