The Role

Unite Students recognise the importance of leveraging digital technologies to underpin our ambition. We are establishing three Digital Delivery Teams to take the lead on understanding the digital art of the possible, and translating that into compelling strategies and programmes which deliver business value. The three teams will focus on Digital Customer, Digital Colleague, and Digital Property which link directly to our three strategic imperatives of "great place to live", "great place to work", and "great place to invest". These teams will work in a lean/agile way to learn and scale solutions at pace.

Enabling and supporting our Business Delivery teams, we require an assertive, pragmatic, and action-oriented Information Security and Resilience function. The Head of Information Security and Resilience will be responsible for developing this capability.

The Head of Information Security and Resilience will be responsible for implementing and running the enterprise information security program. That will involve identifying, evaluating and reporting on legal and regulatory, IT, and cybersecurity risk to information assets, while supporting and advancing business objectives. This role is also responsible for ensuring that Unite Students achieves a high level of resilience in its information services and assets.

A key element of this role is working with colleagues across our business to determine acceptable levels of risk. You will proactively work with colleagues and strategic partners to implement practices that meet agreed policies and standards for information and cyber security.

You will build a strong, pragmatic, and capable function which acts as a "critical friend" to the rest of the technology team and broader business. You will advocate for innovative good practice, and ensure that conscious deviances from this are captured on the corporate risk register.

The ideal candidate is a thought leader, a builder of consensus and of bridges between business and technology. You will be an integrator of people, process and technology. While the Head of Information Security and Resilience is the leader of the information security program, they must also be able to coordinate disparate drivers, constraints and personalities, while maintaining objectivity and a strong understanding that cybersecurity is foundational for the organization to deliver on its business goals and objectives. Ultimately, the Head of Information Security and Resilience is a business leader, and should have a track record of competency in the field of information security and/or risk management, with significant experience in a senior leadership role.

The role will report into the Director of Digital and Information Technologies, and will work closely with others in the Digital and Information Technologies Leadership team.

What We`re Looking for in You

• Demonstrated experience and success in senior leadership roles in risk management, and information security
• Degree in business administration or a technology-related field, or equivalent work- or education-related experience
• Desired, but not required:
  • Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Information Security Manager (CISM), Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA), Certified in Risk and Information Systems Control (CRISC) or other similar credentials
  • Experience successfully executing programs that meet the objectives of excellence in a dynamic business environment
  • Experience with contract and vendor negotiations
• Knowledge and understanding of relevant legal and regulatory requirements
• Knowledge of common information security management frameworks, such as ISO/IEC 27001, ITIL, COBIT as well as those from NIST, including 800-53 and Cybersecurity Framework
• Sound knowledge of business management and a working knowledge of information security risk management and cybersecurity technologies
• Up-to-date knowledge of methodologies and trends in both business and IT
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, interpersonal and collaborative skills, and the ability to communicate information security and risk-related concepts to technical and nontechnical audiences at various levels
• Strategic leader and builder of both vision and bridges, and able to energize the appropriate teams in the organisation
• Ability to lead and motivate the information security team to achieve tactical and strategic goals, even when only "dotted line" reporting lines exist
• Excellent stakeholder management skills
• Excellent analytical skills, the ability to manage multiple projects under strict timelines, as well as the ability to work well in a demanding, dynamic environment and meet overall objectives
• Project management skills: financial/budget management, scheduling and resource management
• A master of influencing entities and decisions in situations where no formal reporting structures exist, but achieving the desirable outcome is vital.

What You`ll Get in Return

• A discretionary annual bonus so you can share in the company`s success
• 25 days` paid holiday and an annual holiday buying scheme, with 5 additional days awarded for long service
• A generous pension scheme - employer contributions between 5% and 11% depending on how much you save
• Various benefits to support your health and wellbeing including a Healthcare Cash Plan, an Employee Assistance Programme, a Wellbeing platform and a Gym benefit that you can share with your family and friends
• Enhanced Family Leave including 18 weeks full pay for birthing parents and 4 weeks for non-birthing parents
• Lots of other great benefits including an annual ShareSave scheme, Employee Life Assurance, a discounts portal and more!

About Unite Students

Founded in 1991, Unite Students is a FTSE 100 business and the UK`s leading provider of purpose-built student accommodation. You can find us in 25 leading university towns and cities, with 74,000 students calling US home! We are driven by our values, culture, and a commitment to develop diverse and inclusive teams, filled with positive energy and new ideas.

Instinctive inclusion. We know that to create and maintain a happy healthy organisation, we have to work hard to ensure inclusion isn`t just what we do but who we are.

People make Unite Students. Employees, students and neighbours all contribute to building environments where we can all thrive.

Room for Everyone

We`re proud to be an employer that embraces individuality, and we`re passionate about building inclusive teams. We focus on creating a collaborative culture where you can be you, where your voice is heard, and where you can truly belong. We take great pride in being rated Gold Investors in People and are constantly striving to provide the highest standard of learning and development opportunities and professional pathways for our people. Building a home for success, for both our employees and students, requires exceptional people with a passion for creating room for everyone, doing what`s right, keeping US safe, and raising the bar. Join us as we build better experiences for students that live with us.

We are US.