Director of Professional Standards & Accreditation

Director of Professional Standards & Accreditation
Home based (with regular UK travel)
circa £65,000 pa
Full time – 35 hours per week

The Director of Professional Standards and Accreditation is a senior position focused on establishing, overseeing, and upholding the standards that support professional registration and the award of professional titles within the cyber security industry. The role is responsible for overseeing operations that support the Councils core duties to:

• Set and enforce the standards of competence and behaviour required of those whose name is included of the Register of Cyber Security Professionals;

• Approve qualifications, certifications and assessment routes delivered by third party providers recognised as leading to professional registration;

• Award the professional titles of Chartered, Principal, Practitioner and Associate cyber professional and associated specialist designations.

• Determine continuing competence and CPD requirements to support ongoing entitlement to remain on the Register and hold a professional title in cyber security.

• Investigate complaints related to the professional conduct, competence or fitness to practice of registered cyber security professionals and enforcement of sanctions where deficiency or failure is determined.

• Acting as the Council’s principal authority on professional assessment and accreditation, the Director will also serve as the strategic interface with Ofqual, QAA, and other qualification regulators, ensuring national recognition, consistency, and public trust across all pathways—from vocational and apprenticeship routes to higher education and chartered levels.

• The Director of professional standards & Accreditation will have direct line management responsibilities and will be accountable for the wider professionalisation team and outcomes, including the direct delivery of the Associate professional registration title.

Key Responsibilities and Functions:

• Standard Setting: Develop and implement the ethical code, process for ethical complaints and professional competency standards that registrants must meet and adhere to.

• Regulatory Oversight: Accountable for the accreditation and quality assurance of bodies licensed to provide recognised assessments or routes to registration with The Council.

• Policy Development: Contribute to the development of policy for The Council, ensuring it aligns with the organisation’s vision and statutory responsibilities.

• Compliance & Enforcement: Ensure that registrants comply with the standards and regulations applicable to them and take action when non-compliance occurs.

• Public Protection: Protect the interests of consumers by promoting high professional standards within the cyber security profession.Job Description | Director of Professional Standards & Accreditation

• Strategic Input: Provide advice and guidance on matters of professional registration, standards, assessment and quality assurance including Licensed Body accreditation to the leadership team and The Council Board of Trustees.

• Stakeholder management and collaboration: Work closely with our key partners including UK Government, Regulators, Industry, Academia and licensed bodies and engage them with our vision and mission.

• Ensure effective co-ordination and collaboration with volunteers to feed into the quality improvement cycle and growth of the Council (expert advisory panels/groups/moderation/TAPs etc)
• Co-ordination and oversight of the Ethics Committee and Panel.

• Leadership and Management: To recruit, manage, supervise and support the individual members of staff for the professionalisation team, including setting and agreeing objectives within the organisation’s appraisal framework.

Required Experience and Skills

Professional Expertise:

• Deep understanding of the processes and requirements that underpin the development, implementation and upholding of professional standards including competency frameworks, ethical codes and practice guidance.

• Substantial experience leading accreditation, assessment, and quality-assurance functions in a chartered, regulatory, or Ofqual-aligned organisation

• Knowledge and experience of assessment methodologies, validation, qualification design and structure, internal and external quality assurance and moderation approaches to support the recognition of routes to professional registration and award of professional titles.Job Description | Director of Professional Standards & Accreditation

• Experience with qualifications and career pathways – shaping progression routes, aligning with industry standards, and ensuring recognition nationally/internationally.

• Strong grasp of the UK education and qualification ecosystem, Ofqual, QAA, apprenticeships, higher-education frameworks, and national occupational standards, capable of aligning professional recognition with formal qualifications.

Essential Experience:

A minimum of ten years of significant experience operating in comparable organisations to UKCSC whether Chartered Institutes, professional associations or regulatory bodies with a public interest purpose to set and uphold professional standards, maintain a Register and award professional titles.

Regulatory Principles:

Understanding of professional regulation and the role it plays in providing public assurance, trust and confidence.

Strategic Thinking:

Ability to think strategically and contribute to the future direction of the cyber security council and wider cyber security profession.

Analytical & Problem-Solving Skills:

Capacity to interpret data and develop solutions to complex issues and drive continuous improvement.

Communication & Interpersonal Skills:

Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, able to represent the Council with clarity and authority to boards, regulators, and external partners.

Commercial & Business Acumen:

Sound business and commercial awareness to sustain and expand the Council’s professional-registration community.Job Description | Director of Professional Standards & Accreditation.

Leadership and Management:

• Experience of managing and leading a high performing team, with a management style that empowers others.

• Ability to work flexibly within changing priorities and a capacity to be adaptable as required to deliver completed tasks to set deadlines.

• Experience of engaging and working effectively with committees, public-interest boards, and volunteer stakeholders as part of development activities.

• To carry out such tasks as the COO/CEO may from time to time deem necessary for the effective and efficient functioning of the Council.

• Reporting requirements and attendance at key strategic meetings.

• Record of representing an organisation at national level with credibility and gravitas.

Accreditation and Qualification Expertise:

• Experience in education and training accreditation.

• Knowledge or experience of the education pathways (apprenticeships to degrees).

• Good understanding of the UK education system.

• Understanding of competence-based assessment methodologies (portfolios, experiential learning, exams, interviews).

To apply, please send your up-to-date CV, along with a covering letter showing how you meet the personal specification and key duties via the email application button.

Closing date for applications: Friday 15th May at 12:00pm