Head of Security

About this role

HEAD OF SECURITY - JAMESTOWN, LONDON

Leads and shapes the security strategy across UK & Ireland, ensuring the safety of customers, colleagues, and assets – combining strategic leadership, operational oversight, and risk management to deliver a safe, secure environment and protect the business from fraud, theft, and other threats.

Long Description

What you'll be doing

• Develop, implement and maintain a comprehensive security and loss-prevention strategy aligned with the organisation’s commercial objectives, operational priorities and risk appetite.
• Provide visible executive leadership for the transformation and continuous improvement of security operations across the UK and Ireland estate, ensuring consistent standards, controls and operating procedures.
• Act as the senior point of accountability for all security matters, including critical incident response, crisis management, major investigations and business continuity support.
• Establish and maintain an effective security governance framework, with clear policies, escalation protocols, decision rights and assurance processes.
• Ensure compliance with all applicable legislation, regulatory requirements and internal policies, including UK and EU data protection requirements, Security Industry Authority regulations, human rights considerations and health and safety standards.
• Direct a programme of security risk assessments, site audits and control reviews across the estate, ensuring that remedial actions are proportionate, prioritised, assigned and completed within agreed timescales.
• Lead or oversee sensitive and complex investigations relating to theft, fraud, violence, misconduct, organised crime and other security breaches, ensuring evidence is obtained, retained and handled appropriately.
• Work in close partnership with Legal, the People Team, Store Operations, Risk, Technology and other relevant functions to investigate incidents, manage risk and deliver effective resolutions.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with Store Managers, Operations Managers, landlords, police forces, industry bodies, insurers and specialist security partners.
• Provide regular, high-quality reporting to senior leadership on security performance, emerging threats, incident trends, material risks, control effectiveness and recommended interventions.

Long Description

• Define and monitor appropriate security performance measures, using data and intelligence to identify trends, prioritise investment, deploy resources effectively and evaluate outcomes.
• Manage the outsourced security guarding contract, holding providers accountable for service delivery, legal compliance, colleague standards, incident response, cost control and value for money.
• Oversee the Security Operations function, including real-time CCTV monitoring, incident triage, escalation, intelligence gathering, command and control, and coordinated operational response.
• Set the strategic direction for security technology, including CCTV, access control, alarms, body-worn video and analytical tools, ensuring solutions are compliant, effective, scalable and commercially justified.
• Develop and test crisis-management, emergency-response and business-continuity arrangements, ensuring lessons from incidents and exercises are translated into measurable improvements.
• Prepare and manage the security budget, business cases and investment programme, ensuring expenditure is risk-based, controlled and aligned with agreed business priorities.
• Recruit, lead and develop a high-performing security team, setting clear expectations, strengthening capability and promoting professional, ethical and accountable conduct.
• Develop and deliver security awareness, violence-prevention and incident-response training to strengthen capability and personal safety across operational teams.
• Champion a proactive security culture in which colleagues understand their responsibilities, report concerns promptly and apply agreed controls consistently.
• Maintain current knowledge of relevant threats, legislation, technology and industry good practice, advising senior leaders on changes that may affect the organisation.

Long Description

Essential

• Security strategy and leadership: Ability to develop and deliver a risk-based security and loss-prevention strategy across a complex, multi-site organisation.
• Risk assessment and mitigation: Strong capability in identifying threats, assessing operational vulnerabilities and implementing proportionate controls.
• Incident and crisis management: Proven ability to lead responses to serious incidents, protect people and assets, maintain business continuity and coordinate post-incident reviews.
• Loss prevention and investigation: Expertise in preventing and investigating theft, fraud, stock loss and other security breaches, using evidence-led methods and clear case management.
• Security systems and technology: Sound knowledge of CCTV, access control, alarms, body-worn cameras and data-led monitoring, with the ability to assess effectiveness and return on investment.
• Strong understanding of relevant UK and Ireland legislation, data protection, surveillance requirements, health and safety responsibilities and evidence-handling standards.
• Stakeholder and partnership management: Ability to influence senior leaders and work effectively with operations, people teams, legal advisers, insurers, landlords, suppliers and law-enforcement agencies.
• Commercial and financial judgement: Ability to balance security risk with customer experience, operational practicality and cost, while managing budgets and supplier performance.
• People leadership and capability building: Proven experience of leading security teams, setting clear standards and building security awareness and accountability across operational teams.
• Communication and influencing: Confident communicator who can present complex risks clearly, provide decisive recommendations and produce concise reports for senior leadership.
• Data analysis and performance management: Ability to identify trends, define meaningful performance measures and use insight to prioritise resources and improve outcomes.
• Integrity and sound judgement: High levels of discretion, resilience and ethical decision-making when handling confidential, sensitive or high-pressure matters.
• Commercial and financial judgement: Ability to balance security risk with customer experience, operational practicality and cost, while managing budgets and supplier performance.
• People leadership and capability building: Proven experience of leading security teams, setting clear standards and building security awareness and accountability across operational teams.
• Communication and influencing: Confident communicator who can present complex risks clearly, provide decisive recommendations and produce concise reports for senior leadership.
• Data analysis and performance management: Ability to identify trends, define meaningful performance measures and use insight to prioritise resources and improve outcomes.
• Integrity and sound judgement: High levels of discretion, resilience and ethical decision-making when handling confidential, sensitive or high-pressure matters.

.

Long Description

Why join SSP?

At SSP, we’re passionate about creating places people want to be - whether that’s for our customers, our partners or our colleagues.When you join us, you’ll be part of a business where commercial thinking, collaboration and ownership really matter, and where your work can make a visible difference.

We Offer

• Employee discounts across our brands
• Friends and Family Discount App
• Award-winning training, apprenticeships and development programmes
• Health and wellbeing support
• Hybrid working with flexibility to support work–life balance
• An inclusive and diverse workplace, with employee networks and communities

Start the best part of the journey with us.