Cloud Security Function Lead

Canada Life UK looks after the retirement, investment and protection needs of individuals, families and companies. We help to build better futures for our customers, our intermediaries and our employees by operating as a modern, agile and welcoming organisation.

Part of our parent company Great-West Lifeco, Canada Life UK has operated in the United Kingdom since 1903. We have hundreds of respected and supported employees committed to doing the right thing for our customers and colleagues.

Canada Life UK is transforming to create a more customer-focused business by providing our customers with expertise on financial and tax planning, offering home finance and annuities propositions, and providing collective fund solutions to third party customers.

Job Purpose

The Cloud Centre of Excellence (CCoE) is a newly established area of Canada Life, responsible for managing the overall Cloud Environment for the migration of existing applications and build of any new applications. The CCoE contains 6x Functions, ensuring that the environment is available, stable, secure, resilient and remains compliant with all organisational policies and standards.

The Cloud Security Function is responsible for managing the Security Services running within the Cloud environment, specifically:

• Vulnerability Management
• Data Security
• Security Key Management
• Security Incidents Management & Resolution
• Cloud Identity & Access Management
• Security Assurance & Monitoring
• Security Compliance Reporting
• Cloud Security Guidelines & Policy
• Secure Development Pipelines & Applications
• Infrastructure & Network Security

What you will do

The Cloud Security Function Lead is responsible for leading the Cloud Security team (Cloud Security Manager/s) and overseeing the operational activity of all Cloud Security Services, whether this is performed by Canada Life or another party. The role of the Security Function Lead is to pro-actively drive the vision of achieving a best-in-class security operations and services for Cloud responding to the emerging threat landscape.

This is an opportunity to be part of a new CCoE leadership team as well as grow the Cloud Security team alongside the wider CCoE.

Duties/Responsibilities

• Ensuring the Cloud environment remains compliant with all Security standards and policies, including within Canada Life and any external requirements that Canada Life must adhere to (e.g. Regulatory)
• Using delegated authority from the Head of the CCoE, give strategic direction on Cloud Security related matters, including making key decisions on behalf of the CCoE for Security related changes to the Cloud Environment
• Provide through leadership to the CCoE on Security and Cloud, ensuring Canada Life strives to adopt best in class practices
• Act as an active member of the Cloud community both internally and externally
• Act as a mentor and advisor to more junior members of the organisation
• Accountable for all Cloud Security related OKR's and KPI's
• Meet all Delivery deadlines allocated by portfolio programmes that depend on the Cloud Environment
• Establish and deliver Cloud Security roadmap aligned to business and risk management objectives and appetite and threat landscape

Desired Knowledge, Skills and Experience

• Proven experience and knowledge of Cloud Security and Cloud Infrastructure and Network environments, ideally Azure but not mandatory
• Deep knowledge and exposure of security controls, standards, operations and frameworks needed in a regulated landscape
• Extensive experience in driving and leading a security practice in multiple capacities
• Experience leading cloud (particularly Azure) security operations in hybrid cloud landscapes
• Strong negotiation and influencing skills and proven relationship builder
• Excellent communication skills at executive level
• A natural leader, with experience of leading or coaching others
• Strong knowledge and experience technical understanding of cloud migrations
• Able to explain technical concepts to a non-technical audience, emphasising key points for decisions and understanding

What you'll like about working here
As a Canada Life UK colleague, you'll receive a competitive salary and comprehensive reward package including income protection, private medical insurance and life assurance, along with a generous pension and bonus scheme. You'll also receive the support you need with your personal and professional development.

Diversity and inclusion
Canada Life is committed to a diverse and inclusive workplace. Our role as an employer of choice is to provide the right environment for talented people to do their best work, by respecting, understanding and valuing individual differences