Security Engineer

About this role

*£54,992 - £62,778*(as of April 2025 pay band figures)

The Cheshire West and Chester Council Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) department has recently undergone a huge transformation and is looking for a *Security Engineer*to lead the protection of the Councils’ hosting, networks, and data infrastructure. The post holder will support the implementation and maintenance of the systems used to protect computer systems and networks and track incidents.

For more information on the role and the DDAT department, please visit the Digital, Data and Technology recruitment site and read the candidate letter.

Digital Data and Technology External | CWC Recruitment

Organisation

Cheshire West and Chester Council

Job Category

ICT

£54,992 per annum

£62,778 per annum

Weeks per year

52.143

Employment Type

Permanent

Ref No

W4654

Documents

• Candidate letter - Security Engineer.pdf

(PDF, 77.54kb)

• Security Engineer job profile.pdf

(PDF, 461.95kb)

Cheshire West and Chester Council is a place where everyone can Thrive – through our core values of Teamwork, Honesty, Respect, Innovation, Value for Money and Empowerment.

Cheshire West and Chester Council brings a fresh and energetic approach to providing top quality services for its many customers and communities.

The Cheshire West and Chester Council Digital, Data and Technology (DDAT) department has recently undergone a huge transformation and is looking for a Security Engineer to lead the protection of the Councils’ hosting, networks, and data infrastructure. The post holder will support the implementation and maintenance of the systems used to protect computer systems and networks and track incidents.*

This is an exciting opportunity to join a newly created and progressive team with big ambitions for the future. This role is a Grade 12, *£54,992 - £62,778*(as of April 2025 pay band figures). Closing date for applications is midnight on 12th August 2026.

For more information on the role and the DDAT department, please visit the Digital, Data and Technology recruitment site and read the candidate letter:

Digital Data and Technology External | CWC Recruitment

Role responsibilities include

• Lead day to day operational security across the DDaT service, including incident response, cross team coordination, security assessments, vulnerability scanning and code audits
• Identify and resolve security vulnerabilities by developing technical solutions, researching emerging threats, building threat models and driving automation of security improvements
• Oversee phishing testing and awareness activity, working with the security analyst team and reporting outcomes to senior management
• Support the development and continuous review of cyber security policies, ensuring they remain effective in a changing threat landscape
• Act as the main point of contact for operational security matters, providing guidance and support across the council and monitoring security tools to manage risks effectively
• Participate in the out of hours rota, responding to alerts and incidents raised by the SOC

We are seeking a skilled and motivated cyber security professional with a strong technical background, supported by a degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity or equivalent experience, and relevant industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CompTIA Security+ or CISA. You will bring proven experience in securing network and infrastructure environments, including firewalls, encryption, VPNs and endpoint protection, alongside hands on experience of vulnerability identification and remediation, for example through penetration testing and threat analysis. A solid understanding of security tools, monitoring, reporting and auditing, as well as familiarity with ISO27001 and modern practices such as patch management and DevOps or SecOps, is essential.

You will have practical experience of protecting a range of systems and data platforms, including Windows and legacy environments, and be confident in monitoring network activity to detect and prevent intrusion. The ability to write secure code, for example in Python or similar languages, to support automation and continuous improvement is important, along with up to date knowledge of emerging threats and attack methods.

You will be a strong communicator and collaborator, able to explain technical concepts clearly to a range of audiences and build effective working relationships across the organisation and with external partners. You will be self motivated, resilient and able to manage competing priorities in a fast paced environment, using sound judgement to balance business needs and technical constraints while delivering practical, innovative solutions. Experience within local government or in roles such as a security analyst or penetration tester would be advantageous.

For more detailed information on what the role involves and person specification requirements, please review the job profile.

By joining Cheshire West and Chester Council, you will be part of a *GOLD Investors in People (IiP) organisation*which is focused on building a stronger future where we all play our part in thriving, caring and sustainable communities.

To find out more information about what it is like to work for Cheshire West and Chester Council including our rewards and benefits please see www.cwcrecruitment.co.uk

No candidate will meet every single requirement - if your experience looks a little different from what we've identified and you think you can bring value to the role, we'd love to learn more about you!

Cheshire West and Chester Council are committed to equality and diversity in employment. Please see the Equality Policy for more information.

Cheshire West and Chester Council have adopted a Local Living Wage for our employees which means that all employees will receive a minimum of £13.45 per hour for all contracted hours.

For any technical enquiries please email Sourcingteam@ecwip.co.uk and quote job reference number in all correspondence.

About security roles for ex-police

Security management, operations and consultancy roles. Years of operational policing — command, incident response, public order — translate directly into corporate security, and employers in this sector actively rate police experience.