Lead Security Operations Center (SOC) Engineer - Remote

Placements24; Kimberley; Hybrid; CAD 75,000 - 126,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Performance bonuses

Fully remote

Health benefits

Stock options

Professional development

Leadership role

Job summary

Placements24 is seeking a Lead Security Operations Center (SOC) Engineer for a fully remote role based in South Africa. You will establish and lead the SOC, defining strategy, processes, and technologies to protect digital assets and customer data.

The ideal candidate brings 6+ years in cybersecurity with 3+ in SOC leadership, strong SIEM/SOAR expertise, and proven ability to mentor a high-performing team, while staying current with threats and security trends.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in cybersecurity, with at least 3 years in a SOC or incident response leadership role.
• Proven experience in designing, building, and operating SOC functions.
• In-depth knowledge of SIEM, SOAR, IDS/IPS, EDR, and other security monitoring technologies.
• Strong understanding of network security, host security, and common attack vectors.
• Experience with incident response methodologies and forensic analysis techniques.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python) for automation is highly desirable.
• Relevant certifications such as GCIH, GCIA, CISSP are a plus.
• Ability to work effectively in a fully remote, collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the Security Operations Center (SOC) function.
• Developed and implement SOC strategies, policies, and procedures.
• Oversee security monitoring, threat detection, and initial incident response activities.
• Implement, configure, and manage SIEM, SOAR, IDS/IPS, and other security monitoring tools.
• Develop and refine threat detection use cases and incident response playbooks.
• Lead and mentor the SOC analyst team, providing guidance and training.
• Conduct threat hunting exercises to proactively identify security threats.
• Analyze security alerts, investigate incidents, and provide timely resolution.
• Collaborate with other security teams (e.g., Incident Response, Threat Intelligence) to enhance security posture.
• Stay current with emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and security technologies.

Job description

About the Role

Our client, a rapidly expanding fintech company, is looking for an experienced Lead Security Operations Center (SOC) Engineer to build and manage their Security Operations function. This position is fully remote, offering maximum flexibility and the opportunity to work from anywhere in South Africa . You will be responsible for establishing and leading the SOC, defining its strategy, processes, and technologies. This includes overseeing security monitoring, incident detection, and initial incident response activities. The Lead SOC Engineer will implement and manage SIEM, SOAR, and other security monitoring tools, ensuring effective threat detection and analysis. You will play a critical role in protecting the company's digital assets and customer data from a constantly evolving threat landscape. The ideal candidate possesses strong technical expertise in SOC operations, a proven track record in incident response, and excellent leadership skills to build and mentor a high-performing SOC team. This is a foundational role in shaping our client's cybersecurity defense capabilities.

Key Responsibilities

• Establish and lead the Security Operations Center (SOC) function.
• Developed and implement SOC strategies, policies, and procedures.
• Oversee security monitoring, threat detection, and initial incident response activities.
• Implement, configure, and manage SIEM, SOAR, IDS/IPS, and other security monitoring tools.
• Develop and refine threat detection use cases and incident response playbooks.
• Lead and mentor the SOC analyst team, providing guidance and training.
• Conduct threat hunting exercises to proactively identify security threats.
• Analyze security alerts, investigate incidents, and provide timely resolution.
• Collaborate with other security teams (e.g., Incident Response, Threat Intelligence) to enhance security posture.
• Stay current with emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and security technologies.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field, or equivalent practical experience.
• Minimum of 6 years of experience in cybersecurity, with at least 3 years in a SOC or incident response leadership role.
• Proven experience in designing, building, and operating SOC functions.
• In-depth knowledge of SIEM, SOAR, IDS/IPS, EDR, and other security monitoring technologies.
• Strong understanding of network security, host security, and common attack vectors.
• Experience with incident response methodologies and forensic analysis techniques.
• Excellent leadership, communication, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in scripting languages (e.g., Python) for automation is highly desirable.
• Relevant certifications such as GCIH, GCIA, CISSP are a plus.
• Ability to work effectively in a fully remote, collaborative environment.

Benefits

• Highly competitive salary and potential for performance bonuses.
• Fully remote position, allowing work from anywhere in South Africa.
• Comprehensive health and wellness benefits.
• Stock options in a rapidly growing company.
• Generous budget for professional development and training.
• Opportunity to build and lead a critical security function.
• Collaborative and innovative company culture.