Head of Information Security

Valarian Technologies is a dual-use technology company building critical tools to safeguard the future in an era of evolving global security challenges. We're rethinking security beyond traditional military domains, addressing asymmetric threats that impact our technological advantage, economic strength, and democratic institutions.

We build Acra – the platform foundation for everything we do as a dual-use technology company. The platform’s name, rooted in the Greek word for citadel (or, fortress), reflects the design and purpose of our infrastructure-agnostic secure enclaves: protecting critical data. Some of the government and commercial workflows include: increased operational resiliency for mission-critical systems and functions; enabling organisations to more quickly and widely adopt emerging technologies while ensuring the integrity of their intellectual property; information flow during disaster response scenarios, and zero-trust / least-privilege environments for M&A, attorney-client privileged communications, etc. And we’ve only scratched the surface.

At our core, we're driven by a shared mission and a belief in making a tangible impact on our world. Whether you join our London HQ or the wider global organisation, you’ll be a part of collaborative, high-performing teams, creating cutting-edge software, platforms, and infrastructure.

The Role:

We are seeking an ambitious, technical Head of Information Security (Deputy CISO) to take full ownership of Valarian’s internal security posture, enterprise risk framework, and product compliance. Ideal for a Senior Security Manager, Architect, or Director stepping into their first CISO-level leadership role, you will embed security into our engineering culture, maintain customer trust, and ensure full compliance across global enterprise and defense standards.

What you’ll do:

• Drive Security Strategy & Governance: Design and execute Valarian’s Zero-Trust security roadmap, policies, risk assessments, and executive reporting for leadership and the board.

• Lead Compliance & Certifications: Own end-to-end audit readiness for enterprise and defense frameworks, including SOC 2 Type II, ISO 27001, Cyber Essentials Plus, and NIST 800-53.

• Partner with Product & Engineering: Embed DevSecOps and secure SDLC practices into our CI/CD pipelines; oversee pentesting, red teaming, and threat modeling across our core infrastructure.

• Enable Enterprise Sales: Serve as the technical security authority in high-stakes customer procurement reviews, vendor risk assessments (DDQs), and defense customer evaluations.

• Oversee Security Operations: Build and manage internal incident response capabilities, continuous monitoring, vulnerability management, and employee security awareness programs.

What we are looking for: 

• Progressive Experience: 6–10 years in cybersecurity (e.g., Lead Security Architect, SecOps Lead, or Security Director), ideally within high-security SaaS, cloud infrastructure, or defense tech startups.

• Hands-On Technical Expertise: Deep operational knowledge of Zero-Trust architectures, cloud security (AWS/GCP), container isolation, cryptography, and network security.

• Audit & Compliance Track Record: Proven experience taking a high-growth technology company through SOC 2 Type II or ISO 27001 certifications from start to finish.

• Stakeholder Management: Exceptional ability to bridge technical security requirements with business strategy for executives, developers, and defense customers alike.

• Certifications / Credentials: CISSP, CISM, CCSP, or equivalent hands-on experience in security engineering; familiarity with defense/government standards is a strong plus.

Nice to have:

• Community & Industry Presence: Active engagement, talk submissions, or regular attendance at major security conferences and research communities (e.g., DEF CON, Black Hat, BSides, or Chaos Communication Congress).

• Defense & Public Sector Standards: Prior experience navigating government procurement processes or defense-specific security frameworks (e.g., UK MOD Cyber Industry Standards, DISA STIGs, or CMMC).

• Hardware & Enclave Architecture: Familiarity with hardware-level security primitives, confidential computing, isolated enclaves, or secure communication protocols.

• Fast-Scaling Startup Background: Experience working in venture-backed, hyper-growth scale-ups alongside defense, intelligence, or elite security engineering teams.

• Security Clearance: Active UK Security Clearance (SC) or eligibility to undergo clearance checks.

Benefits:

Our benefits are designed to ensure our employees feel taken care of and are proud to be a part of the Valarian team. We are committed to consistently enhancing our benefit package, taking into account the overall well-being and needs of our teammates. Here are the key benefits accessible to all employees at Valarian Technologies:

• Equity – because you have the right to own what you’re building

• A competitive salary – because we value your unique skills

• Employer pension contributions – because you deserve a secure future

• Private health insurance - because your health is important to us

• Hybrid work setup – because everyone has different needs

• Rewarding company retreats and meetups that respect your work/life balance – because we love getting to know each other!

Life at Valarian

Our culture is built on inclusivity, compassion and flexibility – we want everyone to be empowered to achieve their goals at Valarian.

The work we do is vital, but so are the connections that make it happen. We thrive on the shared energy, spontaneous conversations, and mutual trust built when we spend time together. We operate on a hybrid model, gathering in our London office 3 days a week to support one another and collaborate. 

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.