Security Architect Jobs in the UK (No ghost jobs, direct from employers)

Pros: 9 day fortnight Salary sacrifice pension is decent (for a DC scheme), but a far cry from the previously in place DB scheme (Access to the CS Alpha scheme now we're an ALPB would be better, and can be done) Work is interesting (very much depends on the team), and probably about as guilt-free as you can get working in defence. Extremely relaxed work culture – managers (at least in my experience) largely leave you to get on with your work. Absolutely no pressure to crunch and stay later to deliver, in most teams. Reservists and Cadet Forces instructors get additional 10 days leave a year for those activities. Secondments are possible, only requiring line manager approval. Good network for professional registration support.

Cons: Manufacturing engineers are little more than glorified technical administrators at AWE – the process is extremely rigid and leaves little room for creativity in your problem solving. If you have CAD skills, they won’t be used here, unless you’re in a 100% tooling role – AWE don’t let MEs model their own designs. It is extremely easy to get pigeon-holed as an ME in this business. The work is so non-technical, and the products so specialised, I genuinely think it’s difficult to gain valuable experience and skills that will benefit you should you want to move on. Largely, your job as an ME is to do the leg work to implement changes exactly as requested by a scientist or SME. It is not complex work, and certainly does not require an engineering degree, as evidenced by the numbers of front line workers moving into the role when they come off the tools. (not that there’s anything wrong with that necessarily, but buyer beware) Like many others, I have found the incredible amount of bureaucracy staggering. NOTHING is ever simple, everything requires several sign-offs from multiple people, and some people are so swamped that it takes months (yes, months) to get their signature for anything. You learn to put project stage gates in weeks in advance in order to align people’s calendars, with the project grinding to a halt in the meantime. There are endless “changes” trumpeted from the top pushed in the name of innovation, future-proofing, etc. But nothing ever really changes for the workforce. Senior management seem completely detached from the organisation. You never see them leave their office, let alone walk their patch and see what the staff have to deal with first hand. The estate is in poor condition, to put it mildly. A large number of buildings date from the 1950s, with no insulation, single glazed windows and poor amenities. People complain of having no heating in winter, and baking in the summer. Luckily, I’m in a (relatively) modern building, yet still have to put up with draughts, leaks and generally ageing infrastructure. There are a number of projects that are aiming to address this, but these are years away, won’t solve the issue for all staff, and staff are still expected to carry on regardless. Parking is atrocious, it is not uncommon for people to arrive at work at 6AM to get a space. If you arrive after 7:45 you will most likely have a significant walk to your office. People have resorted to dumping their cars in the road as the situation is so bad. The EV chargers have been broken for months, with no sign of them being repaired on the horizon. Moving to an ALPB has tanked an already extremely slow procurement process. It is a world unto itself trying to buy something for the company, with multiple people who are miles from the project able to stick their oar in to block purchases, adding weeks (seriously) to the procurement process. Travel expenses take weeks to get paid back. Vast majority of engineering roles are on-site 5 days a week, meaning you'll probably want to live in the Reading/Basingstoke/Newbury triangle which are characterless, expensive, soul-sucking towns. YMMV, of course. The business is currently undergoing restructuring including up to making 800 people redundant. The way this has been done is woeful. This has been reported in local/national press, and the union have been trying their best to get the business to treat the workforce with respect, however sadly this restructuring is the latest in a long line of actions from the top that show that they just don't care about anyone junior to themselves. Strike action has now been authorised and things are getting ugly, with the business starting to play dirty tricks to minimise the number of people going on strike, rather than getting round the table, answering the (basic) questions from the union, and working together to achieve a mutually beneficial outcome. Another example of bullying staff from those at the top.

Pros: Flexible working arrangements Interesting work

Cons: Pay is sub-par and there is no access to civil service pension or similar despite being public sector. Despite a very public anti-harassment and bullying campaign, it is completely tolerated and staff are discouraged from coming forward. If you do, complaints are not investigated properly and the perpetrators are protected. Mediocrity is tolerated and high performers are expected to pick up the slack. Senior leaders are clueless and live in a bubble, avoiding the real issues. Progression is impossible.

Pros: e technical environment is excellent; colleagues are approachable and genuinely willing to dive into complex problem-solving. When you land a high-profile project, the work is incredibly engaging and unique. Flexible working hours and relaxed time frames

Cons: There is zero strategy from the higher levels of management. They make an announcement and then no further direction is given so the staff are left to pick up the pieces. For the past 5 years they have been preaching "we need to change and simplify" and nothing has changed for the better in fact very much the reverse. They have basically recycled the same speech over 5 years and its getting very waring. The middle management are nice but powerless to help you solve problems so you are left floundering or giving up. The job isnt really manufacturing engineering its more project management / configuration control. You have little to no say in how items are manufactured and near zero practical work. The business paralysed by over bearing processes that the management have no desire to or willingness to change. They just tell you to do things simpler without enabling you to do it