Financial Services Security Architect

Role Title: Financial Services Security Architect

Location: Leeds (Hybrid - 4 days on-site per week)

Day Rate: £467.50 Inside IR35

Duration: 6 months

The Role
We are seeking a highly experienced Security Architect with 15+ years of Information Security experience, including leadership in cloud security within the financial services sector. The role focuses on designing secure, scalable, and compliant architectures aligned with regulatory and business requirements.

Key Responsibilities

• Define and evolve cloud security architecture strategy, aligning with European regulations (GDPR, DORA, PSD2, NIS2) and industry standards.

• Act as a trusted advisor to senior leadership and engineering teams on cloud security.

• Lead security architecture reviews, risk assessments, and controls for enterprise applications and cloud platforms (AWS, Azure, GCP).

• Implement DevSecOps practices, including secure CI/CD pipelines and infrastructure-as-code templates.

• Ensure compliance with frameworks such as NIST CSF, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, and CSA CCM.

Essential Skills & Experience

• 15+ years in Information Security, 7-8+ years in Security Architecture.

• Cloud security architecture experience (AWS, Azure, GCP), multi-cloud preferred.

• Deep financial services security knowledge and regulatory experience.

• Expertise in IAM, network, data, application, container security, SIEM, and Zero Trust.

• DevSecOps and CI/CD security implementation experience.

• Relevant certifications desirable (CISSP, CCSP, AWS Security Specialty, Azure Security, GCP Security).

Desirable Skills

• Strong communication, leadership, and stakeholder management skills.

• Strategic thinking and problem-solving ability.

• Collaborative, adaptable, and detail-oriented approach.