Network & Cyber Security Architect — Build & Lead Security

An established UK defence technology and engineering business is hiring a Network & Cyber Security Engineer to own and build out its security function from the ground up. This is a high-ownership role for someone who wants to design the frameworks, tooling and processes rather than inherit them, with a genuine path to building and leading a team as the function matures. Eligibility: This role is subject to security restrictions. Applicants must be British Nationals under UK nationality law and eligible for UK Security Vetting (UKSV). What you'll be doing Reporting to the Head of Operations, you'll: Design and implement network and cyber security across a Fortinet/FortiGate firewall estate and a hybrid Active Directory environment Drive full value from Microsoft 365 E5, Defender, Purview, Compliance and Entra ID Secure on-premises services and infrastructure Partner with a DevSecOps function to embed secure‑by‑design across CI/CD pipelines Lead vulnerability management end to end, and act as the internal expert on incidents and technical risk Build security policy and documentation aligned to ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials, GDPR and Defence Cyber Certification (DCC) What you'll need Proven experience securing hybrid on‑prem and cloud environments, particularly Microsoft 365 Hands‑on Fortinet/FortiGate and enterprise network security architecture Strong Microsoft security tooling: Defender, Purview, Entra ID, Conditional Access, Intune SIEM and IDS/IPS configuration, tuning and threat response VMware vSphere / VDI experience A practical, risk‑based approach and the confidence to influence at all levels Nice to have SC-200, MS-500, Fortinet NSE 4, CISM, CISSP, CEH or CREST. Scripting in PowerShell, Python or Bash. Container security (Docker, Kubernetes). Blue/Red team or pen‑testing exposure. Interested, or know someone who'd be a strong fit?

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