IT Security & Service Lead

Opus Recruitment Solutions Limited; Borough of Rossendale; Remote; GBP 80,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Opus Recruitment Solutions Limited is seeking an experienced IT Service & Security Lead to own day-to-day IT service delivery, security, and governance across four entities.

The role requires hands-on leadership, managing a cloud-first environment with Microsoft 365, Intune, and identity management, plus MDR and security monitoring.

You will coordinate regional support, oversee outsourced service desk, and produce monthly reports on operational and security metrics.

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading IT service delivery across multiple sites.
• Hands-on security operations including SIEM/XDR monitoring.
• Experience onboarding or managing MDR services.
• Familiarity with Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001, NIST CSF.

Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day IT service delivery across all entities.
• Oversee cybersecurity posture including risk management and control coverage.
• Define security monitoring requirements and manage an MDR provider.
• Oversee security operations: alert triage, incident investigation, and remediation.
• Lead vulnerability management, scanning, remediation, and reporting.
• Develop and maintain incident response procedures and escalation frameworks.
• Deliver security awareness programmes and phishing simulations.
• Manage outsourced service desk providers and regional support resources.
• Administer Microsoft 365, Intune, and identity management.
• Own network infrastructure, switching, wireless, and connectivity.

Skills

IT Service Delivery

Security Operations

MDR Management

Cloud Security

Identity Management

Vulnerability Management

IAM

Vendor Management

Tools

Microsoft 365

Intune

Entra ID

SIEM/XDR

Job description

We are looking for an experienced IT Service & Security Lead to take day-to-day ownership of IT service delivery, infrastructure, and security across four business entities. The aim is to provide colleagues in the UK, US, India, and Australia with dependable IT support while ensuring the technology estate remains secure, patched, and properly controlled.

You will own the security posture end-to-end, including monitoring, detection, response, and remediation across all regions.

This is a hands-on role with significant ownership. You will manage the outsourced service desk partner, oversee the internal support function, and establish standards for IT service management and security operations across the group. The environment is primarily cloud-first, leveraging Microsoft 365, Intune, and cloud applications, with a focus on identity, endpoints, networks, and third-party technology partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Own day-to-day IT service delivery across all entities, including incident, request, and change management.
• Take ownership of the group's cybersecurity posture, including risk management, control coverage, and security improvement initiatives.
• Define security monitoring requirements, select and manage an MDR (Managed Detection & Response) provider, and onboard relevant log sources.
• Manage security operations, including alert triage, detection tuning, incident investigation, and false-positive reduction.
• Lead threat and vulnerability management activities, including scanning, prioritisation, remediation, and reporting.
• Develop, test, and maintain incident response procedures, escalation frameworks, and leadership communications.
• Deliver security awareness programmes, phishing simulations, and user risk reporting.
• Manage outsourced service desk providers, ensuring SLA performance, escalation management, and service reviews.
• Lead and support the IT support function, including oversight of regional support resources.
• Administer Microsoft 365, Intune, identity management, and cloud-based business applications.
• Own network infrastructure across sites, including switching, wireless networks, connectivity, and peripheral devices.
• Manage joiner, mover, and leaver processes, as well as regular access reviews.
• Maintain data classification, information protection, labelling, and data loss prevention controls.
• Manage IT assets, licensing, hardware refresh planning, and associated budgets.
• Own backup, business continuity, and disaster recovery processes, including testing and documentation.
• Produce monthly service and security reports covering key operational and security metrics.
• Support project delivery by providing infrastructure and security expertise.

Essential Experience & Skills

• Proven experience leading IT service delivery within a multi-site organisation.
• Strong administration experience across Microsoft 365, Entra ID, Conditional Access, and Intune.
• Hands-on security operations experience, including SIEM/XDR monitoring, incident response, and threat management.
• Experience implementing, onboarding, or managing Managed Detection & Response (MDR) services.
• Working knowledge of Cyber Essentials Plus, ISO 27001, NIST CSF, or similar security frameworks.
• Practical experience with vulnerability management, patching, endpoint security, access management, and user awareness training.
• Experience managing outsourced IT service providers and holding them accountable to contractual obligations.
• Strong networking knowledge covering switching, wireless, and connectivity solutions.
• Ability to prioritise work across multiple regions and communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

Previous team leadership or line management experience