Principal Security Engineer - Automotive Ops Lead

Hamilton Barnes Associates Limited; Brackley; On-site; GBP 90,000 - 110,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

100% renewable energy powering the br

On-site gym

Subsidised on-site restaurant

On-site parking with EV charging

Generous bonus scheme

Mercedes car lease scheme

Private medical cover

On-site GP

Life assurance

25 days annual leave

Family-friendly working environment

Employee wellbeing programmes

Job summary

Hamilton Barnes Associates Limited is seeking a Principal Information Security Engineer to own day-to-day security operations and the technology stack supporting cyber defence. The role is hands-on, delivering technical outcomes with a focus on operational excellence while guiding a small security team at our Brackley headquarters.

You will own and operate security tooling, drive improvements, and partner with IT to enable risk-informed decisions.

Qualifications

• Proven experience running hands-on security operations in a complex environment.
• Strong understanding of attacker tactics, techniques and procedures, and how to defend against them.
• Experience owning and working directly within a security tooling stack (configuration, tuning, integrations).
• Broad, fundamentals-led understanding across identity, endpoint and email security (tool-agnostic mindset).
• Strong communication skills, with the ability to work effectively across technical teams and business stakeholders.
• High attention to detail and strong operational discipline.
• A hands-on security engineer first, who enjoys being in the tooling and close to the detail.
• Comfortable providing direction within a small team while remaining directly involved in delivery.

Responsibilities

• Lead day-to-day security operations, including monitoring, triage, investigation and incident response through to recovery.
• Own and operate the security tooling stack, remaining hands-on in configuration, tuning, integrations and continuous improvement.
• Drive practical improvements that strengthen controls, reduce attack paths and improve signal over noise.
• Act as a trusted partner to IT and the wider business, providing clear, pragmatic security advice and enabling risk-informed decisions.
• Translate developments in the threat landscape into tangible updates to controls and delivery priorities.
• Work directly within a small, high-performing security team, contributing to delivery rather than operating at a distance.
• Provide direction and guidance, helping prioritise work and maintain high operational standards while remaining hands-on.
• Manage and optimise third-party relationships (e.g. MSSPs, tooling vendors), ensuring performance and value.

Skills

Hands-on security ops

Threat ttp knowledge

Security tooling stack

Identity/endpoint security

Communication skills

Operational discipline

Hands-on engineering

Small team delivery

Ownership and delivery

Risk-informed decisions

Tools

CrowdStrike

SOAR scripting

Managed security providers

Job description

Hamilton Barnes Associates Limited is seeking a Principal Information Security Engineer to own day-to-day security operations and the technology stack supporting cyber defence. The role is hands-on, delivering technical outcomes with a focus on operational excellence while guiding a small security team at our Brackley headquarters.

You will own and operate security tooling, drive improvements, and partner with IT to enable risk-informed decisions.