Senior Enterprise Security Architect- 6 Month Contract- Inside IR35- Hybrid in London

Contract Type: Initial 6 month contract (Inside IR35)

Rate: £700 per day Inside IR35
Location: Hybrid in London

Role Overview:

A senior contract role responsible for leading the foundational implementation of the CIS Critical Security Controls across a large enterprise. The position requires a strategic yet hands-on architect to transition the organisation's security posture to a CIS-aligned framework. Based in London, the role operates across infrastructure, cloud environments, governance, and executive stakeholder engagement on a 6-month contract basis.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the end-to-end design and implementation roadmap for CIS Controls (v8 or latest), mapping existing technical controls to the CIS framework.
• Define and enforce secure architecture patterns across on-premises, hybrid, and multi-cloud environments (AWS, Azure, GCP) in line with CIS Benchmarks.
• Develop enterprise-wide security policies, standards, and procedures aligned to CIS Implementation Groups (IG1, IG2, IG3).
• Oversee technical implementation by collaborating with DevOps, Network Engineering, and IT Operations to automate security configurations, hardening, and patching.
• Serve as the primary subject matter expert, reporting on security requirements, risk posture, and programme milestones to executive leadership and technical teams alike.

What You Will Ideally Bring:

• CIS Controls expertise - Deep, hands-on experience implementing CIS Critical Security Controls at scale within large, complex enterprise environments.
• Cloud security architecture - Strong architectural design experience across AWS, Azure, and GCP, including cloud-native security practices and secure migration programmes.
• Security automation & IaC - Proficiency in "Security as Code" principles with hands-on experience in Python, PowerShell, Terraform, or Ansible for automated hardening and configuration management.
• Senior stakeholder management - Proven ability to engage and influence at executive level, translating complex security risks into clear business language through reports and presentations.
• Broad cybersecurity seniority - 10+ years in cybersecurity with a minimum of 5 years in a senior architecture role; ideally holding certifications such as CISSP, CISSP-ISSAP, or cloud-specific security credentials.