Third Party Risk Lead Cyber

UK ONLY
Key Responsibilities

Lead and continuously improve The organisation's third‑party cyber risk assurance process, covering onboarding, risk assessment, due diligence, and ongoing monitoring.
Develop and maintain a robust vendor criticality assessment model, ensuring assurance activities are aligned to supplier risk level.
Define and own due diligence requirements for critical and high‑risk third parties in alignment with DORA, NIS2, PRA, FCA, and other emerging regulatory obligations.
Produce dashboards, scorecards, and MI reports that provide senior stakeholders with meaningful insight into the organisation's third‑party cyber risk posture.
Embed third‑party security controls into vendor governance processes, working closely with Procurement, Legal, Technology, and Risk.
Monitor compliance with industry frameworks such as CIS Controls, NIST, GDPR, and sector‑specific guidance.
Support contract reviews and provide expert input on security clauses, ensuring risk‑based decisions are supported by strong security requirements.
Maintain process documentation, templates, and training materials for all third‑party security assurance activities.
Track developments in vendor security, regulatory change, and emerging threats, ensuring the programme remains aligned to best practice.
Provide data, commentary, and risk metrics for divisional or organisational IT risk reporting.
Escalate material risks or emerging issues to the Cyber Governance Manager and BISO leadership when required.
Performance Objectives

Build a comprehensive understanding of the organisation's supplier landscape and existing vendor governance controls, taking full ownership of third‑party cyber risk management.
Identify gaps within current third‑party cyber risk processes and deliver a clear roadmap to mature security controls and oversight.
Demonstrate measurable improvements in third‑party cyber assurance, including reduced risk exposure and increased visibility across leadership teams.
Skills and ExperienceSpecification
Essential

Experience in cyber security, information security, or technology risk roles with a focus on third‑party/vendor risk management.
Bachelor's degree in Information Security, Technology Risk Management, or a related discipline.
Professional certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CRISC, ISO 27001 Lead Implementer/Lead Auditor, or equivalent.
Experience working in regulated industries and applying regulatory expectations to third‑party assurance programmes.
Proven experience designing, executing, and improving structured vendor due diligence processes.
Strong understanding of vendor‑held assurance artefacts such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, CSA STAR/CAIQ, and security questionnaires.
Ability to communicate complex vendor‑related cyber risks clearly to both business and technical audiences.
Skilled in facilitating cross‑functional meetings, workshops, and risk discussions with diverse stakeholders.
Confident presenting information, acting as an SME, and influencing decision‑making at all levels.
Strong analytical, conceptual thinking, and structured execution skills.
Ability to drive initiatives, coordinate effectively across teams, and manage outcomes to agreed targets.
Results‑driven mindset with a commitment to continuous improvement.
Strong communication skills with the ability to translate technical issues into actionable business insight.
Passion for championing good cyber behaviours and staying informed about emerging cyber and vendor‑related threats.Desirable

Experience with third‑party risk management or GRC platforms.
Ability to develop meaningful MI and dashboards (e.g., using Power BI) and convert data into clear insights and decisions.
Experience within the specialty insurance, financial services, or wider regulated industries.

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