Principal Cyber Assurance Advisor, Senior Associate (UK, Remote)

Intelance is a UK consulting firm specialising in cyber assurance, enterprise architecture, and AI governance. We are an IASME Certification Body across Cyber Essentials, Cyber Essentials Plus, and IASME Cyber Assurance, with a growing ISO 27001 book and advisory work across financial services, healthcare, SaaS, and private equity-backed businesses.
We are appointing a small number of Principal Cyber Assurance Advisors to our senior associate panel. This is a senior, part-time advisory relationship for operators at CISO, partner, or director level. You will shape how we position, sell, and deliver cyber assurance to demanding clients, and lend your name and judgement to a firm that takes the work seriously.
This is not a delivery role. It is a seat at the top of the practice.
Tasks
* Act as a named Principal Advisor on client engagements, bids, and governance forums.
* Shape assurance strategy for clients across ISO 27001, IASME Cyber Assurance, NIST CSF, SOC 2 readiness, supplier assurance, and cyber risk governance.
* Chair or sit on client steering committees, risk committees, and board-level security reviews.
* Provide senior quality assurance over major deliverables: ISMS scopes, Statements of Applicability, risk assessments, audit responses, and board reports.
* Coach Intelance delivery leads and associates. Raise the ceiling of the practice.
* Contribute to proposals and pursuits where senior credibility is required.
* Represent Intelance at selected industry events, roundtables, and client briefings.
* Input into Intelance service design, pricing, and positioning across the Cyber Assurance practice.
* Where interest aligns, advise on adjacent areas: AI governance, enterprise architecture for security, and cyber value creation inside private equity portfolios.
Requirements
* 15 or more years in information security, cyber risk, or assurance, with significant time at CISO, partner, director, or head of practice level.
* Proven track record leading or overseeing ISO 27001 certifications, complex assurance programmes, and regulated sector engagements.
* Deep working knowledge of ISO 27001:2022, IASME Cyber Assurance, NIST CSF, and SOC 2. You do not need all four at expert level, but three at fluent level is the minimum bar.
* Credibility at board and executive committee level. Comfortable challenging a CEO, CFO, or private equity sponsor.
* Strong existing professional network in the UK cyber and risk community.
* Visible and credible LinkedIn presence. This matters for this role.
* Based in the UK with the right to work in the UK.
* Able to operate outside IR35 via a limited company, or on a compliant basis.
* Willing to be named publicly as a Principal Advisor of Intelance Digital Enablement, on our website, proposals, and LinkedIn, while on the panel.
* Clean professional record. References at executive level will be taken.
Desirable:
* Former CISO in a regulated sector: financial services, healthcare, legal, defence, critical national infrastructure.
* Prior Big Four or top-tier boutique partner or director experience.
* Experience inside or advising private equity portfolio companies.
* Published thought leadership, keynote or conference track record.
* CISSP, CISM, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor, or equivalent senior credentials.
Benefits
* Senior day rate, negotiated individually, paid on 14-day terms.
* Equity or revenue-share arrangements considered for the right individuals on a case-by-case basis.
* Named inclusion on the Intelance website, proposal credentials, and selected marketing, with your consent on each instance.
* Direct partnership with firm leadership. Real influence over practice direction.
* Referral fee on originated client work, negotiated individually given the seniority of this role.
* A professional home for senior operators who want to keep shaping serious work without the drag of a Big Four diary.
* Quarterly Principal Advisors forum to shape practice strategy.
We are appointing a very small number of Principal Advisors. The bar is high and the selection process is discreet.
Process: confidential conversation with the founder, a structured discussion on a live client situation, references at executive level, and a signed Principal Advisor Agreement. Expect two to four weeks from first conversation to appointment.
Enquiries welcome before a formal application.