Interim Programme Director — Operational Technology Resilience

Discover the consequential exposures

Establish a verified view of critical equipment, control networks, remote connections and engineering workstations. Use operational impact to prioritise discovery; a comprehensive inventory exercise must not postpone action on an already understood exposure. Distinguish an undocumented asset from an unsafe one while ensuring that uncertainty has an accountable owner.

Implement protection within equipment constraints

Agree a practical programme of network separation, remote-access control, monitoring and recoverability with engineering and operations. For each change, document the intended protection, equipment constraints, test method and conditions requiring rollback. Where a component cannot be modified promptly, develop compensating measures that can be maintained and checked.

Lead suppliers through evidence-based assurance of their access and support practices. Establish how emergency maintenance is authorised, observed and closed. Challenge proposals that shift risk between technology teams and operators without reducing the underlying exposure. Escalate investment decisions where resilience depends on replacing unsupported equipment or redesigning an operational process.

Engineering authority and programme delivery

The programme director owns delivery coordination, programme resources and escalation within the agreed mandate. Engineering authorities retain approval of equipment modifications and operating leaders retain control over service interruptions. Make these boundaries explicit before work begins.

Experience with controls that cannot be applied conventionally

Applicants need delivery experience at the boundary of technology security and industrial operations. Demonstrate how you have implemented controls on live infrastructure while respecting engineering assurance and maintenance discipline. A purely policy-based security background will not provide the operational depth required.

Explain your approach to a system that cannot be patched within the desired period. The assessment will look for credible analysis of exposure, feasible alternatives, monitoring and a route to permanent resolution. Experience directing multidisciplinary programmes and challenging specialist suppliers is essential.

Residual limitations must remain visible

Handover should include tested controls, current support responsibilities and a prioritised register of residual limitations. Success is evidenced by reduced uncontrolled access, improved fault and incident visibility and changes accepted by the people responsible for operating the infrastructure after the programme closes.