Advanced Cyber Threat Analyst

M&GPrudential; Stirling; Hybrid; GBP 65,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Pension up to 18%

38 days annual leave

Private healthcare

Job summary

M&G is seeking an Advanced Cyber Threat Analyst to strengthen security operations and drive detection engineering across cloud, endpoint, identity, email and network environments.

You will perform intelligence-led threat hunting, develop detections and use AI-assisted analysis to improve response, with a focus on reducing risk and strengthening resilience. Flexible working is supported in a hybrid model.

Qualifications

• Experience in a Security Operations environment and incident response.
• Ability to develop or tune detections and analytical rules.
• Knowledge of threat intelligence and adversary behaviours.

Responsibilities

• Investigate complex security incidents across cloud, endpoint, identity, email and network.
• Assess business impact and containment actions for incidents.
• Maintain investigation records and decision rationales throughout lifecycle.
• Conduct intelligence-led threat hunts and improve detections.

Skills

Security operations

Cyber incident investigation

Threat hunting

Detections development

AI-assisted analysis

Threat intelligence

Risk assessment

Documentation & audit

Azure security

Tools

Microsoft Defender

Microsoft Sentinel

Entra

Defender for Endpoint

Defender for Identity

Defender for Cloud

Job description

At M&G, our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions. Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions. Through telling it like it is, owning it now and moving it forward together with care and integrity; we are creating an exceptional place to work for exceptional talent. We will consider flexible working arrangements for any of our roles and offer workplace adjustments to ensure you have the support you need to succeed in your role.

Advanced Cyber Threat Analyst

The Role: The Advanced Cyber Threat Analyst is a technical specialist within Security Operations. The role identifies, investigates and responds to cyber threats while continuously strengthening M&G’s defensive capabilities. The role combines advanced incident investigation, intelligence-led threat hunting, detection engineering and AI-assisted analysis. The analyst uses evidence and professional judgement to assess threat, coordinate and action proportionate response and translate investigative findings into lasting security improvements. Working across cloud, endpoint, identity, email and network technologies, the role collaborates closely with Threat Intelligence, Security Operations Engineering, internal stakeholders and external security service providers to improve resilience and reduce cyber risk.

Main Responsibilities:

• Investigate complex security incidents across cloud, endpoint, identity, email and network environments.
• Assess the potential business impact of incidents and recommend proportionate containment, remediation and recovery actions.
• Maintain accurate investigative records, evidence and decision rationales throughout the incident lifecycle.
• Conduct intelligence-led threat hunts based on adversary campaigns, behaviours, tactics, techniques and procedures.
• Identify attack paths, security weaknesses, detection gaps and opportunities to strengthen M&G’s security posture.
• Translate investigation, threat hunting and threat intelligence findings into improved detections, controls and response processes.
• Develop, tune and validate analytical rules to ensure they remain effective against evolving threats and reduce unnecessary alert activity.
• Work with Security Operations Engineering to improve telemetry, data quality, detection coverage, tooling integrations and automated workflows.
• Use AI-assisted analysis and advanced analytics to support triage, investigation, threat hunting, detection engineering and reporting.
• Validate AI-generated outputs and retain accountability for analytical conclusions, response decisions and security recommendations.
• Act as a technical escalation point for complex alerts and incidents requiring advanced investigation or specialist expertise.
• Communicate complex threats, risks, decisions and recommendations clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Collaborate with internal teams and external security service providers to coordinate effective investigation and response activity.
• Identify and deliver practical improvements to Security Operations processes, procedures and defensive capabilities.
• Maintain effective controls, documentation and audit evidence, supporting internal and external audit activity where required.

Key Knowledge, Skills and Experience:

Essential:

• Practical experience working within a Security Operations environment.
• Strong capability in cyber incident investigation and response.
• Experience analysing activity across endpoint, identity, cloud, email or network security technologies.
• Experience conducting structured, intelligence-led threat hunting.
• Ability to develop, tune or validate security detections and analytical rules.
• Understanding of how threat intelligence and adversary behaviours can inform investigations, threat hunts and detection improvements.
• Experience using security data and evidence to assess risk and recommend proportionate actions.
• Knowledge of Microsoft Azure security environments, including Entra and Microsoft Defender capabilities.
• Sound judgement when operating with incomplete, conflicting or time-sensitive information.
• Strong documentation, governance and audit discipline.
• Knowledge of responsible AI-assisted security operations, including the need for human oversight and validation.

Desirable:

• Experience with Microsoft Sentinel, including log analysis, analytical rule management and playbook development.
• Experience with Endpoint Detection and Response technologies, including Microsoft Defender for Endpoint.
• Experience with Microsoft security technologies such as Entra, Defender for Identity and Defender for Cloud.
• Experience developing investigation, enrichment or response automation.
• Experience working in financial services or another highly regulated environment.
• Relevant industry certifications such as CompTIA Security+, CySA+, ISC2 SSCP or equivalent SANS certifications.
• Relevant Microsoft certifications such as SC-200 or AZ-500.

What we offer:

We’re dedicated to supporting your wellbeing and helping you thrive, both at work and beyond. Our benefits are designed to help you balance your professional and personal life, and financially plan for the future.

• A valuable pension scheme of up to 18% (13% made up of employer contributions and 5% employee contributions).
• Access to our Share Save and Share Incentive Plan, alongside financial wellbeing and support services to help give you real confidence to put your money to work.
• Enjoy 38 days annual leave (including bank holidays), with the opportunity to purchase up to five extra days.
• Our Time Off When You Need It policy gives you the flexibility - to balance work and personal commitments.
• Our market-leading Inspiring Families policy includes comprehensive support and paid parental leave covering maternity, adoption, surrogacy, and paternity leave - because supporting families is an important part of our inclusive culture.
• Health & Protection cover includes Private Healthcare, Critical Illness cover and Life Assurance for you, with additional family options - for peace of mind.

To explore more about life at M&G and our full benefits offering, visit Life at M&G

M&G we strive to have a diverse workforce and an inclusive culture, underpinned by our policies and employee-led networks that offer networking, support and development opportunities for the diverse communities our colleagues represent.

We welcome applications from people of all backgrounds – across gender, ethnicity, age, disability, sexual orientation and more – including neurodivergent individuals, career returners and those with military service experience.

M&G is proud to be Level 3: Disability Confident Leader under the UK Government Disability Confident employer scheme, and we welcome applications from candidates with disabilities and long‑term health conditions.

If you would like to participate in the initiative, you will have the opportunity to indicate this on your application.

We are committed to providing an inclusive recruitment process. All candidates have the opportunity to request reasonable adjustments when applying. If you need any additional support at any stage, please contact us at: [e-mail]

M&G is a leading international savings and investments business, managing money for around 4.6 million individual clients and more than 900 institutional clients in 38 offices worldwide. As at 31 December 2024, we had £345.9 billion of assets under management and administration. Our purpose is to give everyone real confidence to put their money to work. With a heritage dating back more than 175 years, we have a long history of innovation in savings and investments, combining asset management and insurance expertise to offer a wide range of solutions. Our two distinct operating segments, Asset Management and Life, work together to provide access to balanced, long-term investment and savings solutions.