Zero Trust - Delivery Lead

Position: Zero Trust - Delivery Lead

Location: Reading 2 days p/week; remote 3 days

Type: Contract, 6 months, Inside IR35

Rate: £700 p/day Assignment Rate

We are seeking a Zero Trust Delivery Lead to join a major cyber security transformation programme. You will lead the design and delivery of an enterprise Zero Trust strategy while driving implementation across a complex, global, federated organisation.

For clarity, this role requires both a strong Zero Trust / network security subject matter expert and a proven delivery lead capability. Experience in only one of these areas will not be sufficient for the scale and complexity of this programme.

You will own the end-to-end Zero Trust workstream, translating strategy into a practical architecture and then into a global implementation blueprint across 11 divisions. This includes defining how identity, device, network, application, and data controls work together to enforce consistent, policy-driven access across a highly distributed environment. You will also oversee delivery of key Zero Trust capabilities such as conditional access, device compliance, secure remote access, privileged access controls, and network segmentation, ensuring alignment across multiple parallel transformation programmes.

Key Responsibilities:

- Lead the Zero Trust workstream from strategy definition through to implementation and BAU transition
- Define the enterprise Zero Trust strategy, architecture, and phased global rollout roadmap
- Develop a scalable, practical Zero Trust blueprint for adoption across multiple divisions and geographies
- Translate architecture into delivery plans, standards, and reference designs that can be adopted at pace
- Coordinate delivery across identity, endpoint, network, cloud, and cyber architecture teams
- Manage dependencies across multiple workstreams including identity transformation and network security
- Oversee programme governance, including milestones, risks, issues, budgets, and reporting
- Engage and influence senior stakeholders across Group and divisional IT teams to secure alignment and adoption
- Manage key vendor relationships, ensuring delivery against scope, quality, and timelines
- Support adoption and change across divisions, ensuring solutions are embedded and operationally sustainable
- Ensure smooth transition of Zero Trust capabilities into BAU ownership and support models

Skills & Experience:

- Proven experience delivering Zero Trust or large-scale network/security transformation programmes
- Strong background in enterprise security architecture and Zero Trust principles across identity, device, network, and cloud domains
- Experience working with identity and access technologies such as Entra ID, Conditional Access, PIM, Intune, and Zscaler (or equivalent)
- Ability to design and deliver at scale in complex, federated, multi-country organisations
- Strong programme delivery capability including governance, planning, budgeting, risk and dependency management
- Experience managing multiple stakeholders across Group and divisional IT environments
- Strong understanding of cyber security frameworks such as NIST and ISO 27001
- Excellent communication and stakeholder engagement skills at senior and executive level
- Relevant certifications (CISSP, CISM, SABSA, TOGAF, MSP) highly desirable

This is a high-impact leadership role for a delivery-focused cyber security professional who can bridge architecture and execution to deliver a global Zero Trust transformation across a complex enterprise landscape.