Cyber Security Analyst - Threat Hunting

NHS; Exeter, Leeds; On-site; GBP 57,000 - 66,000; Full time

Job summary

A national health service organization in England seeks a Cyber Security Analyst specializing in Threat Hunting. You will conduct threat hunting using XDR and SIEM tools, support incident response, and develop automated workflows. A post-graduate degree and Security Clearance (SC) are required. The salary ranges from £57,372 to £65,652 annually, reflecting the importance of this role in ensuring the security of healthcare systems.

Qualifications

• Basic knowledge of endpoint security and compliance.
• Proven knowledge of tools for intrusion detection.
• Working knowledge of forensics investigations for IT security.

Responsibilities

• Conduct threat hunting in extended detection and response tooling.
• Deputise for the Cyber Security Senior Analyst when needed.
• Develop capability for Threat Operations requirements.

Skills

Cyber threat detection

Intrusion detection and prevention

Digital threats analysis

Forensics investigations

Security Information and Event Management (SIEM)

Education

Post-graduate level degree or equivalent level of experience

Job description

Cyber Operations purpose is to support safe care and build public trust by building NHS England's cyber resilience and enabling the wider health system to be cyber resilient, supporting Transformation Directorate's purpose of delivering the best care and outcomes for the NHS.

The Cyber Operations sub‑directorate consists of 4 operational areas: Cyber Security Operations Unit (CSOU), Cyber Delivery Unit (CDU), Cyber Improvement Programme, Chief Information Security Office Function (CISO).

To support our strategy to improve NHS England's cyber resilience, we are recruiting for a Cyber Security Analyst who is a Threat Hunting specialist. This role is within the Cyber Security - Threat Hunting team, one of three core pillars of the Threat Operations pod within NHS England's CSOU. The Threat Hunting team is responsible for several key functions:

• Multi-Platform Threat Hunting at Scale – Run hunting queries and analytics across large datasets using a variety of cloud-based and hybrid security solutions.
• Custom Analytic and Detection Development – Writing and reviewing custom rules to deploy against national monitoring solutions to provide specialised monitoring to NHS bodies against common threat actor tactics and techniques.
• Specialist Incident Support – Providing technical support to CSOU IM function and NHS organisations where appropriate during high complexity incidents.

Main duties of the job

Main duties of the role include:

• Threat Hunt in Extended Detection and Response (XDR) and SIEM tooling.
• Deputising for the Cyber Security Senior Analyst (Threat Hunting) in their absence.
• Develop capability in support of Threat Operations requirements, including coding and technology development.
• Act as a technical support in advanced forensic investigations in support of Security Operations function.
• Simulate adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures in support of detection development.
• Perform dynamic & static analysis of malicious programs and tools where relevant in support of detection development.
• Development of automation workflows and playbooks to support threat hunting team workload.

About us

Our work supports the NHS to deliver high quality services for patients and best value for taxpayers.

Our staff bring expertise across hundreds of specialisms – including clinical, operational, commissioning, technology, data science, cyber security, software engineering, education and commercial – enabling us to design and deliver high‑quality NHS services.

We lead the NHS in England by:

• Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
• Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
• Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care.
• Optimising the use of digital technology, research and innovation.

Earlier this year, the Government announced that NHS England will gradually merge with the Department of Health and Social Care, leading to full integration. The aim is to create a smaller, more strategic centre that reduces duplication and eliminates waste.

If successful at interview, we will initiate an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) via the Electronic Staff Record (ESR). This retrieves key data from your current or previous NHS employer to support onboarding, including competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD) and annual leave entitlement. You may opt out at any stage of the recruitment process.

Eligibility and Residency Requirements

All NHS England Cyber Security personnel must hold Security Clearance level SC as a minimum. To meet National Security Vetting requirements, SC clearance requires 5 years continuous UK residency. In certain cases, this can be reduced to 3 years continuous UK residency, with additional overseas checks for the previous 2 years. Candidates who were posted abroad for service with HM Government, Armed Forces or within a UK government role are still considered. Failure to achieve the SC after an offer will result in the job offer being withdrawn.

Employment Terms

Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only; agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application. The reason for the fixed term of this contract is a short‑term vacancy.

Person Specification

Knowledge

• Basic knowledge of concept, issues and techniques of endpoint security; ability to ensure security compliance of endpoint devices in various circumstances.
• Proven knowledge of tools, techniques and processes of intrusion detection and prevention; ability to detect, resolve and prevent intrusion behaviours to protect organisational networks.
• Working knowledge of technologies, methods and tools of forensics investigations for IT security violations or potential threats; ability to identify, uncover and evaluate violations, warning reports, suspected incidents and insidious events.
• Working knowledge of concept, procedures and processes of Security Information and Event Management (SIEM); ability to utilise related applications to protect organisational networks from cyber risks.

Skills and Experience

• Demonstrate knowledge of proactively detecting cyber threats, techniques, and the processes of identifying adversaries through the analyses of machine data.
• Proven knowledge of techniques, approaches and processes of digital threats; ability to detect, monitor, analyse and prevent digital threats.

Qualifications

• Post‑graduate level degree or equivalent level of experience.

Disclosure and Barring Service Check

This post is subject to the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act (Exceptions Order) 1975 and as such it will be necessary for a submission for Disclosure to be made to the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly known as CRB) to check for any previous criminal convictions.

Salary: £57,372 to £65,652 a year (includes a RRP payment of 20%).