Security & Vetting Support Officer

We're making a difference: Together, we can ensure that there is enough water for everyone, now and in the future., Portsmouth Water are delighted to have an opening for a Security and Vetting Support Officer, to join the Security team.
In this role, you will play a vital role in protecting our water services by ensuring that only trusted, suitable, and authorised individuals have access to critical assets, sites, systems, and sensitive information, in line with the Security and Emergency Measures Direction (SEMD) 2022. At its core, this role exists to reduce the risk of security threats, particularly insider threat and supply chain risk, by carefully managing who has access, the purpose of that access, and whether it remains appropriate over time.

What will you be doing?, Coordinate and manage personnel security vetting for employees, contractors, and third parties in line with SEMD 2022 and PSG requirements, maintaining a central vetting register and ensuring ongoing compliance.
- Control, review, and maintain access to sensitive sites, assets, and systems, ensuring access is role-appropriate, risk-proportionate, regularly audited, and promptly updated for leavers or role changes.
- Support the identification and management of insider threats, including behaviour monitoring, incident investigation, and appropriate escalation of security concerns. Implement and uphold security controls such as segregation of duties, dual control, and supervision to mitigate risks in sensitive roles.
- Ensure contractors, consultants, and supply chain partners meet vetting, access, and contractual security requirements in line with company standards.
- Protect sensitive information and assets, ensuring appropriate classification, secure handling, and storage (e.g. personnel records, site diagrams, emergency plans).
- Support SEMD 2022 compliance activities, including evidence gathering, internal audits, assurance reporting, and preparation for regulatory inspections.
- Manage and support incident reporting and escalation processes, ensuring incidents are recorded, investigated, and lessons learned are implemented.
- Promote security awareness through training, guidance, and engagement, fostering a security-conscious culture aligned with SEMD and NPSA guidance.
- Act as a liaison between internal and external stakeholders (e.g. People Team, IT/OT, operations, security functions, contractors, vetting providers), providing clear security advice.
- Ensure compliance with Health and Safety policies and company values, maintaining safe working practices and completing required training.
- Create ID badges and manage vehicle passes.

Experience in personnel or security roles, ideally in regulated or high-risk environments
- Working knowledge of SEMD 2022 and relevant security and regulatory frameworks
- Strong understanding of physical security, access control, and insider/supply chain risks
- Experience with vetting (e.g. BPSS/NSV), pre-employment checks, and sensitive role approvals
- Ability to manage physical and logical access using IAM and access control systems
- Skilled in risk assessment, incident investigation, and compliance activities
- Solid grasp of confidentiality and need-to-know principles
- Experience supporting audits, inspections, and regulator engagement
- Strong analytical skills, including gap analysis and process improvement
- High standards of record-keeping, audit discipline, and document control
- A clear communicator, able to explain security requirements to non-specialists
- Demonstrates integrity, discretion, sound judgement, and ability to prioritise effectively
- Ability to obtain a UK National Security Vetting standard of Security Check (SC)

Desirable

- Willingness to participate in an on-call rota, providing support outside normal working hours
- Hold a Full UK driving licence and be willing to travel across multiple operational sites as required.
- Familiarity with NPSA threat and people-risk guidance (or equivalent), including experience conducting multi-site security surveys or vulnerability assessments
- Understanding of third-party assurance, supplier governance, and enterprise/operational risk frameworks, including contributing to risk registers., Disability Confident
About Disability Confident
A Disability Confident employer will generally offer an interview to any applicant that declares they have a disability and meets the minimum criteria for the job as defined by the employer. It is important to note that in certain recruitment situations such as high-volume, seasonal and high-peak times, the employer may wish to limit the overall numbers of interviews offered to both disabled people and non-disabled people. For more details please go to .

We recognise people want to work in a variety of different ways, and that's why we're happy to consider flexible working arrangements. Please feel free to talk to us at interview about the flexibility you may be looking for.
Please note, we may close this advert early if we receive a high volume of applications - so we encourage you to apply as soon as possible to avoid missing out.
We're committed to equality, diversity and inclusion, and we actively encourage applications from all sections of society.
Please be aware, the Company has a responsibility to ensure that all employees are eligible to live and work in the UK.
Due to the high volume of applications we may receive, we're unable to respond to every applicant individually. If your application is of interest, we'll usually be in touch within 4 weeks of receiving it.
What can Portsmouth Water offer you?

At Portsmouth Water, we believe in rewarding our people. Here's just a taste of what's waiting for you when you join the team:
Holidays Made Better
Enjoy 25 days of annual leave, plus bank holidays, giving you plenty of time to relax, recharge, and explore.
A Pension That Works for You
We'll help secure your future with a generous pension scheme, contributing up to 15% - because your tomorrow matters as much as your today.
Performance Pays Off
You could earn a non-contractual bonus of up to 6% of your basic salary, linked to company performance - because when we succeed together, you should benefit too.
Family Comes First
Whether you're welcoming a new arrival through birth or adoption, we've got your back with enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave and pay.
Social Events
All expenses covered summer and winter social events
️ Peace of Mind, Always
Our life assurance scheme gives your loved ones extra security, with a 4x salary lump sum benefit in case the unexpected happens.
Comprehensive Wellbeing Support
Whether you need confidential mental health and wellbeing advice 24/7 through our Employee Assistance Programme, or physical health support via our Virtual GP service (available 8am-10pm, 7 days a week for you and your immediate family), help is always close at hand with the HealthHero app.
PW Perks - Treat Yourself!
Enjoy exclusive discounts at thousands of retailers, plus exciting benefits like:

- Electric Vehicle Scheme (after 1 year)
- Cycle to Work Scheme

- Health Cash Plan
…and so much more!