Associate Director, Security Technology Disaster Recovery Planning

The Associate Director, Security Technology Disaster Recovery Planning is responsible for leading the development, assurance, implementation, and oversight of disaster recovery and resilience strategies for critical security technology infrastructure and networks. This role integrates technology recovery solutions with robust business continuity planning to ensure organizational readiness and rapid recovery from disruptive events.

• Strategic
• Develop and maintain a comprehensive Security Technology disaster recovery framework to ensure continuity of operations.
• Align recovery strategies with organisational goals and regulatory requirements.
• Work with cross-functional teams in planning, testing, and executing recovery protocols.

• Technical
• Evaluate and support assurance of disaster recovery strategies at the operational and management levels, including cloud-based solutions, backup systems, work-around solutions and related recovery runbooks
• Collaborate with IT and infrastructure teams to ensure critical systems are resilient and recoverable.
• Consider emerging technologies and trends to enhance recovery capabilities and improve overall performance.
• Specific immediate priorities include:

§ Implement a rapid methodology for City Security Technology Critical systems Impact Analysis

§ Produce Business Impact Analysis (BIA) and IT DR Plans for critical on-premises city security technology systems and networks

§ Plan and prioritize recovery 'blocks', defining 'order of recovery'

§ Build disaster recovery run books, using available 'run book' system(s)

§ Work closely with Security technology teams, IT Technical Managers, Network Architects, Product Owners & IT SMEs

§ Produce a management-facing Critical Technology Recovery Strategy summary, to support Incident & Crisis Management and risk escalation requirements

§ Support additional Technology Resilience requirements, where relevant and useful

§ Support on-call incident and crisis response teams on IT DR related incidents

• Risk Management & Compliance
• Ensure compliance with industry standards and legal mandates.
• Support internal audits and external regulatory reviews.
• Training & Communication
• Develop and deliver training for the Security Technology team utilising developed recovery runbooks against relevant scenarios

o Provide Incident & Crisis team awareness training and awareness to incident and crisis team members

• Maintain clear communication channels during crises to coordinate response efforts.
• Prepare executive-level reports and updates on recovery readiness and preparedness.

Requirements

Qualifications:

• Relevant bachelor's degree
• 10+ years of experience in disaster recovery, business continuity, and technology resilience.
• Proven leadership in managing large-scale recovery operations and technology deployments.
• Certifications such as CBCP (Certified Business Continuity Professional) or CEM (Certified Emergency Manager), or their equivalent.
• Strong knowledge of disaster recovery software, cloud platforms, and cybersecurity frameworks.
• Excellent communication, analytical, and decision-making skills.

Preferred Attributes:

• Experience in high-impact industries (e.g., finance, healthcare, energy).
• Ability to work under pressure and lead and communicate effectively during incidents