Principal Cyber Security Engineer

Leonardo UK Ltd; West of England; Hybrid; GBP 55,000 - 75,000; Full time

Job summary

Leonardo UK Ltd is seeking a Principal Cyber Security Engineer to join the Enterprise Security Engineering Team in Bristol. This role is pivotal in enhancing cyber defence for critical national systems, involving management of SIEM operations and collaboration with various stakeholders to ensure robust security solutions.

Benefits

Generous leave with additional flexi-days

Up to 15% employer pension contribution

Free access to mental health support

Bonus scheme for eligible employees

Access to over 4,000 online courses

Flexible benefits up to £500 annually

Hybrid working options

Qualifications

• Strong knowledge of networking protocols and systems.
• Operational experience with Unix/Linux and Windows environments.
• Ability to troubleshoot complex systems and applications.

Responsibilities

• Manage SIEM (Splunk) to ensure high availability and performance.
• Lead integrations of new log sources and enhance security configurations.
• Create and maintain technical documentation for systems engineering.

Skills

Knowledge of enterprise networking

Troubleshooting network issues

Experience with SIEM

Automation tools knowledge

Virtualisation technologies understanding

Education

Relevant bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Tools

Splunk

Palo Alto XDR

FireEye HX

Job description

Job Description:

Leonardo are currently seeking a skilled Principal Cyber Security Engineer to join our Enterprise Security Engineering Team in Bristol. This role offers the opportunity to make a real impact by shaping the future of cyber defence for the UK’s most critical national systems.

Your Impact

You will contribute to safeguarding vital national information systems by:

• Taking ownership of SIEM (Splunk) management to ensure high availability and performance
• Driving continual improvement in system configurations and overall security posture
• Leading integration of new log sources, ensuring alignment with Common Information Model (CIM) data structures
• Managing upgrades to Splunk agents and SIEM platforms to maintain a secure, up-to-date environment
• Supporting analysts as a subject matter expert in unlocking the full capabilities of Splunk
• Collaborating with users to design custom use cases that deliver meaningful data insights
• Understanding and translating complex or conflicting customer requirements into effective solutions
• Expanding high-level designs into detailed, low-level technical designs using best practices and professional judgement
• Making informed decisions on tools, technologies, and approaches—and confidently explaining those choices
• Creating and maintaining systems engineering documentation to support project delivery and lifecycle management
• Providing technical expertise across business units, including project delivery and potential involvement in bid development
• Working with third-party vendors and partners to deliver cost-effective, reliable solutions

What you’ll bring:

• Strong knowledge of enterprise networking, including TCP/IP networks, DHCP, and DNS
• Experience troubleshooting network and system issues at the packet level
• Infrastructure build and configuration experience
• Operational experience with both Unix/Linux and Windows environments
• Exposure to enterprise-grade systems and endpoint protection tools such as Palo Alto XDR or FireEye HX
• Ability to troubleshoot complex enterprise applications, including deployments and integrations
• Familiarity with automation tools and scripting languages such as Puppet, Python, Perl, PowerShell, Go, or Ansible
• Understanding of virtualisation and containerisation technologies

Security Clearance

This role is subject to pre-employment screening in line with the UK Government’s Baseline Personnel Security Standard (BPSS). An additional range of Personnel Security Controls referred to as National Security Vetting (NSV) may apply, this could include meeting the eligibility requirements for The Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV). For more information and guidance please visit: https://careers.uk.leonardo.com/gb/en/security-and-vetting

Why join us

At Leonardo, our people are at the heart of everything we do. We offer a comprehensive, company-funded benefits package that supports your wellbeing, career development, and work–life balance. Whether you're looking to grow professionally, care for your health, or plan for the future, we’re here to help you thrive.

• Time to Recharge: Enjoy generous leave with the opportunity to accrue up to 12 additional flexi-days each year.
• Secure your Future: Benefit from our award-winning pension scheme with up to 15% employer contribution.
• Your Wellbeing Matters: Free access to mental health support, financial advice, and employee-led networks championing inclusion and diversity (Enable, Pride, Equalise, Armed Forces, Carers, Wellbeing and Ethnicity).
• Rewarding Performance: All employees at management level and below are eligible for our bonus scheme.
• Never Stop Learning: Free access to 4,000+ online courses via Coursera and LinkedIn Learning.
• Refer a friend: Receive a financial reward through our referral programme.
• Tailored Perks: Spend up to £500 annually on flexible benefits including private healthcare, dental, family cover, tech & lifestyle discounts, gym memberships and more.
• Flexible working: Flexible hours with hybrid working options. For part time opportunities, please talk to us about what might be possible for this role.

For a full list of our company benefits please visit our website.

Leonardo is a global leader in Aerospace, Defence, and Security. Headquartered in Italy, we employ over 53,000 people worldwide including 8,500 across 9 sites in the UK. Our employees are not just part of a team—they are key contributors to shaping innovation, advancing technology, and enhancing global safety.

At Leonardo we are committed to building an inclusive, accessible, and welcoming workplace. We believe that a diverse workforce sparks creativity, drives innovation, and leads to better outcomes for our people and our customers. If you have any accessibility requirements to support you during the recruitment process, just let us know.

Be part of something bigger - apply now!

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Primary Location:

GB - Bristol - Coldharbour Lane

Contract Type:

Permanent

Hybrid Working:

Hybrid