Innovation Lead - Cyber

This role is central to Plexal’s innovation and technology consulting services, with a specific focus on cyber security and the evolving impact of AI on the threat landscape.
As an Innovation Lead, you will act as a subject‑matter expert, helping organisations understand how cyber technologies are developing, how AI is shaping both defensive and offensive capabilities, and what this means for strategic decision‑making. This includes analysing emerging cyber technologies, assessing risks and opportunities, interrogating vendor claims, and translating complex concepts into actionable insights for senior leaders. You will also support horizon‑scanning activities, helping clients anticipate future developments in cyber and AI.
This is a hands‑off, non‑coding role suited to individuals with strong analytical capability, a solid grounding in cyber security, and an interest in how AI is transforming the field. You will be deployable across a wide range of client projects, providing expert input wherever cyber and AI considerations are relevant.

What You'll Do

• Lead projects focused on cyber security and AI‑enabled technologies.
• Scope research questions, select appropriate methodologies, analyse findings, and produce high‑impact reports and presentations.
• Act as a subject‑matter expert on cyber security and AI, providing clients with clear, evidence‑based insights.
• Monitor emerging cyber and AI trends, threat vectors, market dynamics and regulatory developments to shape Plexal’s innovation strategy.
• Assess technology robustness, interrogate vendor claims, and evaluate risks, trade‑offs and opportunities.
• Support clients to engage effectively with the cyber innovation ecosystem, including startups, academia and industry.
• Build and maintain strong relationships with senior stakeholders across public and private sectors.
• Contribute to horizon‑scanning activities to identify future cyber and AI developments.
• Mentor and upskill team members through knowledge sharing, playbooks and practical demonstrations.
• Manage project budgets and ensure spend is aligned with delivery requirements.

Your Skills

• Strong research and analytical skills, including methodological thinking and the ability to frame ambiguous problems.
• Demonstrable expertise in cyber security concepts, threat landscapes, system architectures and security principles.
• Clear interest in how AI is enabling, accelerating or hindering cyber security.
• Ability to interrogate vendor claims and assess the robustness of cyber and AI‑enabled technologies.
• Exceptional ability to translate complex technical concepts into clear insights for senior leaders and non‑technical audiences.
• High‑quality written communication suitable for advisory work and strategic recommendations.
• Commercial awareness and ability to build and nurture strategic relationships.
• Strong influencing, facilitation and stakeholder‑management skills.
• Ability to work proactively and independently within a matrix environment.

Your Experience

• Background in cyber security, research, academia, innovation or emerging technology.
• Experience conducting qualitative and/or quantitative research and producing high‑quality analytical outputs.
• Evidence of building trust‑based relationships with senior stakeholders.
• Experience contributing to collaborative delivery teams.
• Ability to provide an outside‑in perspective on emerging cyber and AI trends, market needs and technologies.

Who You Are

• Higher Education degree, or equivalent knowledge gained via work experience.
• Energised by solving complex problems and exploring emerging technologies.
• Passion for cyber security and curiosity about AI’s role in shaping the future threat landscape.
• Flexible, resilient and comfortable working in a dynamic, evolving environment.
• Team player and motivated self‑starter.
• This role may require some national travel for delivery of projects and travel to all Plexal sites.

As a start-up, we thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment dedicated to empowering innovators. We embrace individuals who leverage technology and creativity to tackle our greatest challenges head-on. We strongly advocate for maintaining a harmonious work-life balance, our goal is to ensure every member of our team can authentically be themselves and live their best lives. We firmly believe that innovation and creativity flourish when we cultivate a diverse workforce, comprising highly skilled individuals with a wide range of perspectives to contribute.
In return we will offer you:

• Salary: £65,000 - £80,000 depending on skills and experience
• A generous pension scheme (with a company contribution of up to 10%)
• Private healthcare, life assurance and critical illness cover

As a start-up, we thrive in a dynamic and fast-paced work environment dedicated to empowering innovators. We embrace individuals who leverage technology and creativity to tackle our greatest challenges head-on. We strongly advocate for maintaining a harmonious work-life balance, our goal is to ensure every member of our team can authentically be themselves and live their best lives. We firmly believe that innovation and creativity flourish when we cultivate a diverse workforce, comprising highly skilled individuals with a wide range of perspectives to contribute.
In return we will offer you:

• Salary: £65,000 - £80,000 depending on skills and experience
• Annual bonus scheme
• A generous pension scheme (with a company contribution of up to 10%)
• Private healthcare, life assurance and critical illness cover
• 25 days holiday plus bank holidays
• Volunteering day

Plexal is an equal opportunities employer and we actively encourage applicants from individuals from all backgrounds. We are a Disability Committed employer and are willing to make reasonable adjustments throughout the recruitment process.

About us

Plexal is the innovation and growth company helping to strengthen the UK’s technology capabilities through collaboration.
With teams in London, Manchester and Cheltenham, we work closely with government, industry, startups and academia to drive economic growth and reinforce national security.
Founded by Delancey in 2017, Plexal delivers four core services: creating workspaces for innovators, running innovation programmes and consultancy, building regional tech clusters and helping SMEs scale strategically.
By closing the gap between early-stage and established organisations – across the public and private sectors at home and abroad – we’ve impacted over 1,200 businesses, added £731m to the UK economy and helped create 9,400 jobs.
Headquartered at Here East on the Queen Elizabeth Olympic Park, Plexal partners with organisations including the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, the National Cyber Security Centre, Airbus, Amazon, Barclays Eagle Labs, Google Cloud, TfL, The Alan Turing Institute and the University of Oxford.

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