Critical National Infrastructure Security Manager - 34590

Critical National Infrastructure Security Manager - 34590
1
National
National
Staff Grade 7
Permanent
Security
Full Time, Compressed Hours
£68,820

24/05/2026, 23:55 hours

BS07 Job Family Role Profile Business Support Services, Grade 7

Basic Check

CNIS (Critical National Infrastructure and Systems) Security Manager

Are you an inspirational and collaborative leader with technical security knowledge? Are you keen to use your skills to protect the organisation, our assets, and our employees?

As the CNIS Security Manager you will lead a small team to who will provide strategic leadership, consistent standards, and expert capability across physical, personnel, cyber, and supply chain security for CNIS. They will ensure compliance with national security obligations, resilience, and manage risk.

You will own the CNIS strategy, policy, and assurance for CNIS assets, provide authoritative leadership, be a key point of contact for CNIS with external agencies, and internal governance.

In this role you will:

  • Set CNIS policy and standards, working with internal teams to align with asset management standards, issue governance and assurance cycles
  • Maintain strategic risk view across Areas, and Chair a CNIS Risk & Assurance Board
  • Act as primary liaison with NPSA, NCSC, CTSA and relevant government departments
  • Approve threat response postures and prioritised security improvement plans
  • Sponsor role-based vetting standards, work with key stakeholders on complex personnel/protective security decisions
  • Act as escalation point for commercial/security conflicts and derogations
  • Work closely with the Corporate Security Team to provide visibility and assurance of CNIS Security risks to the Security Risk Owner.
You will lead a small advisory team within Corporate Management, Assurance and Security, who are focused on protecting the organisation and strengthening its resilience. Acting as a centre of excellence, you will provide consistent CNIS standards and assurance. The welcoming team delivers varied work, and there is an expectation you will support wider team activity, giving you broad exposure across key organisational priorities, developing leadership capability and collaborative relationships with senior stakeholders across the organisation.
  • 7 or more years in security risk/critical infrastructure, with an understanding of physical, personnel, cyber/operational technology, and supply chain security 
  • proven leadership skills to achieve outcomes, promote partnership, influence, and inspire others
  • building effective partnerships to jointly manage risks, and with internal and external organisations,
  • able to work with senior people, manage multiple priorities, and competing demands on yourself and your team
  • experience of inspiring culture change, stakeholder management, clear communicator leading communications and engagement, and implementing business change solutions is beneficial
  • There is a conditional requirement to achieve Developed Vetting (DV) level of National Security Vetting 

Everyone that joins us is required to undertake training and participate in incident response duties when needed. An incident role is an essential part of working for the Environment Agency, how we help communities and prevent harm to the environment. 

Further information on incident response can be found within your candidate pack.

There will be an informal session to hear more about the role and ask questions on Wednesday 13th May at 12.15.  For further details please contact Emma Young at emma.young@environment-agency.gov.uk to join the session or receive a transcript of the session.

Interviews are scheduled to take place from week commencing 8th June 2026.

To apply for this post, please provide examples for each of the competencies below.

Builds and Sustains Relationships
Key to your success in this role will be your ability to work well with others. Please give an example of a time when you built a strong working relationship that led to successful joint delivery. What did you do to establish rapport, and what was the outcome?
Leads People
In this role you’ll be working with a new team. Give an example of when you strengthened team identity or improved team culture. What steps did you take and what impact did it have?
Delivers Results Through Others
In this role, you and your team will work in partnership with others internally and externally. Describe a time when you secured the commitment of others outside your team - to deliver a shared objective. How did you influence, coordinate and support them?
Manages Change
Please provide an example of a time when you led or supported a significant change. What was the situation, what actions did you take, and what was the outcome?
If you are applying from the Civil Service please note that the Environment Agency is not a part of HM Civil Service and you would not be a Crown Servant in the event of being appointed. Therefore, you will not be eligible for continuous service. For applicants who currently work in local government or other bodies listed in the Redundancy Payments (Continuity of Employment in Local Government etc) (Modification) Order 1999, you may be eligible for continuous service for the purpose of calculating any future redundancy payment. If you are unsure of your status then you should contact your own HR Team.

We are fully committed to having a diverse and inclusive workforce to reflect the communities we serve. We welcome flexible working patterns for all our vacancies, including job share, so please include clearly any information regarding your preferred working arrangements on your application.

We also have a Guaranteed Interview Policy to support those with a disability who are seeking employment. We have committed to guaranteeing an interview to anyone with a disability whose application meets the minimum criteria for the post.

The Environment Agency, as a Non-Departmental Public Body, is committed to providing value for money and utilises Central Government frameworks and contracts for all external recruitment needs. For this reason, we are unable to engage with the market directly through post, email or phone calls . Should you wish to become a support supplier on one of these frameworks or contracts please visit https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/become-a-crown-commercial-service-supplier/becoming-a-supplier-through-the-crown-commercial-service-what-you-need-to-know for more information.

Artificial intelligence can be a useful tool to support your application, however, all examples and statements provided must be truthful, factually accurate and taken directly from your own experience. Where plagiarism has been identified (presenting the ideas and experiences of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own) applications may be withdrawn and internal candidates may be subject to disciplinary action. Although the Environment Agency is a non-departmental public body sponsored by Defra, we subscribe to and align with the candidate guidance on the use of artificial intelligence found on the  Civil Service Careers website. Please review for more information on appropriate and inappropriate use.

This Vacancy is closed to applications.