IT Security Operations Lead

Buckinghamshire Council; Aylesbury; Hybrid; GBP 70,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Flexible working

Employee Assistance Programme

Gym membership discount

Costco membership

Travel discounts with Arriva

Job summary

Buckinghamshire Council is seeking an IT Security Operations Lead to own and evolve cyber security detection, monitoring and incident response across the organisation. You will work with SOC, IT teams and external partners to strengthen security posture and drive improvements.

The role requires strong technical depth, strategic thinking and collaborative leadership to protect critical services while supporting digital transformation and an ambitious IT strategy.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in cyber security operations including threat detection, monitoring, and incident response.
• Strong understanding of recognised security frameworks and best practices.
• Credibility to act as a trusted SME and communicate complex technical information to diverse audiences.

Responsibilities

• Lead cyber security detection and response capabilities.
• Oversee incident management, investigation and threat mitigation activities.
• Drive continuous improvement of security tools, processes and controls.
• Provide expert advice, assurance and reporting to governance groups.

Skills

Cyber security ops

Threat detection

Incident response

Security governance

Stakeholder management

Leadership

Education

Cyber Security degree

CISSP

CISM

ITIL Foundation

Tools

SIEM

SOAR

EDR

Threat intel

Job description

This is an exciting opportunity to take ownership of a critical area of cyber security and make a real impact across the organisation. Working closely with our Security Operations Centre (SOC), IT teams, partners and suppliers, you'll lead the delivery of our security monitoring, threat detection and incident response capabilities, helping ensure we remain resilient against an ever-evolving cyber threat landscape. No two days are likely to be the same. You'll be involved in everything from overseeing cyber incident response and analysing security events, to improving security tooling, embedding best-practice frameworks and helping shape our long‑term cyber security strategy. You'll play a key role in driving continuous improvement, ensuring we have the right people, processes and technology in place to respond effectively when threats arise The role offers the opportunity to work with industry‑leading frameworks and technologies such as NIST, MITRE ATT&CK, SIEM, SOAR and EDR platforms, while collaborating with stakeholders across the organisation to strengthen our overall security posture. Whether you're influencing strategic decisions, leading improvement initiatives or responding to emerging security challenges, your expertise will help safeguard essential services and support our ambitious digital future.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and develop cyber security detection and response capabilities.
• Oversee cyber incident management, investigation and threat mitigation activities.
• Drive continuous improvement across security tools, processes and controls.
• Provide expert advice, assurance and reporting to key stakeholders and governance groups.
  As an 'any-desk' worker, you'll need a desk, screen a keyboard to get your job done. You'll need to be connected to our network to access digital folders and resources, but this can either be from home or an office location when required. You will be required to work from the office a couple of times a week, depending on your role and team requirements., We're looking for an experienced cyber security professional who is both technically strong and highly collaborative. You'll be someone who enjoys solving complex challenges, keeps pace with emerging threats and technologies, and can confidently translate technical information into meaningful insights for a range of audiences. You'll be a natural relationship-builder who can influence stakeholders, lead improvements and drive positive outcomes across teams.

To be successful in this role, you'll bring significant experience within cyber security operations, particularly in threat detection, monitoring, incident response and security assurance within complex IT environments. You'll have a strong understanding of recognised security frameworks and best practices, with the credibility and expertise to act as a trusted subject matter expert. Experience managing security technologies, leading service improvements and working with both internal and external partners will be essential. You'll ideally hold a degree in Cyber Security (or equivalent experience) alongside recognised industry certifications such as CISSP or CISM and ITIL Foundation. Most importantly, you'll be proactive, resilient and committed to continuous improvement, with a passion for protecting services and helping the organisation stay ahead of emerging cyber risks. For full details of the knowledge, skills, experience and qualifications required, please refer to the Job Description.

Ready to play a leading role in protecting critical services and shaping the future of cyber security? If you're passionate about staying one step ahead of emerging threats and thrive in a fast‑paced technical environment, this could be the perfect opportunity for you. As our IT Security Operations Lead, you'll be responsible for leading and evolving our cyber security detection and response capabilities, ensuring we can effectively identify, investigate and respond to security threats across the organisation. This is a key role that combines technical expertise, strategic thinking and operational leadership to help keep our systems, services and communities secure.

Buckinghamshire Council is a relatively new organisation that combines the strengths and expertise of the previous five councils in the county to create positive change for local people, communities, and businesses. We are firmly focused on the future and have made a clear commitment to serve residents better and to provide stronger representation for Buckinghamshire, both locally and nationally. It's an exciting time to join our IT Service. With the launch of our new IT Strategy 2025-2030, we are embarking on an ambitious programme to modernise and simplify our technology, strengthen cyber security and governance, and make better use of digital, data and AI. Our people are central to delivering this ambition, and we are building a skilled, collaborative and customer‑focused IT Service where colleagues have the opportunity to shape change, develop their capabilities and make a real difference to the Council and the communities it serves.

We reserve the right to close the vacancy once we have received sufficient applications.

Buckinghamshire Council is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults at risk.

This post is exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974 and therefore applicants are required to declare:

• All unspent convictions and conditional cautions

For further information on filtering please refer to Nacro guidance and the guidance published by the Ministry of Justice (see, in particular, the section titled 'Exceptions Order').

Our values

We have a set of values, which our employees have chosen, that represent what we are - Proud, Ambitious, Collaborative and Trustworthy. By joining Buckinghamshire Council, you can expect:

• a fair and inclusive culture
• the chance to really make a difference to those around you
• health and well‑being initiatives including an Employee Assistance Programme, Mental Health First Aiders and mindfulness workshops
• a unified voice through our Employee Representative Group
• ongoing support, and the opportunity to develop and progress in your career with us
• opportunities to take part in fun activities such as fundraising and social events

At Buckinghamshire Council, we know that our biggest strength comes from the people that work for us, and that's why we're working hard to ensure we continue to be an accessible and inclusive organisation. From dedicated staff networks overseen by our Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering Group, to proudly standing as a Disability Confident employer, it's important to us that all our colleagues feel engaged, listened to, and valued. Our offer of flexible working empowers a productive and happy workforce and allows employees to combine work with other responsibilities and commitments. We believe our workforce should reflect the diverse communities we service in Buckinghamshire, and are looking for like‑minded individuals to join us in promoting equality, fairness, and inclusion for everyone.

We recognise and reward you Hard work and success deserves recognition. That's why we pride ourselves on the benefits we give our people. We actively encourage a good work‑life balance and promote flexible and agile working arrangements. We provide discounts on various Cafés, restaurants, shops and auto enrolment onto our generous Pension Scheme. In addition to the opportunity to gain membership to Costco, we have discounted gym memberships, travel discounts with Arriva and much more.