Security Manager

Working Pattern: Monday to Friday, including scheduled Duty Manager responsibilities as part of a rotational management rota covering operational requirements across the week and weekends.

This role is for a Security manager at a UK flagship shopping centre, located in the heart of the capital city of Cardiff. The centre attracts over 28 million guests per annum and has over 170 Brand Partners.

Job Purpose

The Security Manager is responsible for leading the security operation across the shopping centre, ensuring the delivery of a safe, secure, and welcoming environment for brands, guests, colleagues, and visitors. The role focuses on developing and implementing security strategies, driving operational excellence, managing risk, and ensuring contractual compliance while delivering value-added services that support the client's wider business objectives.

The post holder will provide strong leadership to security teams, build effective stakeholder relationships, and drive continuous improvement through innovation, data analysis, and the adoption of best practices.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership

-Develop and implement site-specific and portfolio-wide security strategies aligned to client and business objectives.

-Identify emerging threats, security risks, and industry trends, implementing appropriate mitigation measures.

-Lead the security function as a trusted advisor to key stakeholders, providing professional security guidance and recommendations.

-Support business growth by identifying opportunities to enhance security services and deliver added value.

Operational Management

-Ensure the effective delivery of all contracted security services in line with agreed service levels and KPIs.

-Maintain compliance with company policies, legislation, industry standards, and client requirements.

-Conduct regular operational reviews, audits, and security risk assessments.

-Develop and oversee security response plans for incidents, emergencies, and business continuity events.

-Monitor operational performance through data, reporting, and trend analysis to identify improvement opportunities.

Risk Management & Compliance

-Maintain a comprehensive understanding of security threats, vulnerabilities, and risk management principles.

-Ensure all security and health & safety documentation remains current and compliant.

-Lead investigations into security incidents, breaches, complaints, and serious occurrences.

-Ensure lessons learned are communicated and embedded into future practices.

-Oversee statutory and contractual compliance, including licensing and training requirements.

Stakeholder Management

-Build and maintain strong working relationships with clients, brands, emergency services, local authorities, City wide stakeholders and vice chair of Cardiff Against Business Crime.

-Act as the primary point of contact for all strategic security matters.

-Attend and lead client meetings, presenting performance data, risk assessments, and improvement plans.

-Influence decision-making through professional advice and evidence-based recommendations.

People Leadership

-Lead, motivate, and develop security management and frontline teams.

-Create a culture of accountability, engagement, and high performance.

-Conduct regular performance reviews, coaching sessions, and succession planning activities.

-Ensure recruitment, onboarding, and retention strategies support operational requirements.

-Promote diversity, inclusion, wellbeing, and employee engagement across the team.

Financial Management

-Manage budgets, payroll controls, and resource allocation.

-Identify efficiencies and cost-saving opportunities without compromising service quality.

-Monitor overtime, vacancies, training expenditure, and operational costs.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement

-Drive innovation through the use of technology, intelligence-led security practices, and data analytics.

-Review and improve existing processes to enhance service delivery and customer experience.

-Benchmark performance against industry best practice and implement improvements where appropriate.

-Lead change management initiatives and support organisational transformation programmes.

Essential

-Significant experience managing large-scale security operations.

-Proven ability to develop and implement strategic security plans.

-Strong leadership and people management skills.

-Excellent stakeholder and client relationship management experience.

-Experience managing budgets and operational performance.

-Demonstrable experience conducting investigations and risk assessments.

-Strong analytical and decision-making abilities.

-Excellent communication and presentation skills.

-SIA Front Line Licence.

-Full UK Driving Licence.

Desirable

-Security Management qualification.

-Membership of a professional security body.

-IOSH Managing Safely or equivalent.

-Counter Terrorism Awareness qualifications.

-Experience within shopping centres, mixed-use estates, or public venues.