Credit: Pxfuel

The Department for International Trade has agreed to pay a recruiter £18,750 to help it find a new cybersecurity ambassador for UK defence and security exports.

The senior civil service job, which involves helping UK businesses looking to win major contracts with overseas governments and banks seeking to boost their cyber defences, has been open since Henry Pearson retired in April.

Bristol-based recruiter Sanderson Government and Defence was expected to complete identification of candidates by today, with the process of preliminary interviews and the creation of a shortlist scheduled to conclude by the week starting 22 November, according to a contract notice published this week.

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Full interviews are planned for the week starting 6 December, with the successful candidate chosen the following week then starting the job by 1 June 2022 at latest.

Before taking the role as cybersecurity ambassador in April 2019, Pearson had worked in senior roles for defence contractor Detica (now part of BAE Systems), as a consultant to the Ministry of Defence and as ambassador for academic engagement at GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre.

A government spokesperson said Sanderson Government and Defence was appointed to carry out the job search “due to the highly specialist and sensitive nature of the role”.