SOC Analyst

Virgin Money UK; Greater London; Hybrid; GBP 28,000 - 36,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading financial services provider in the UK is looking for a Cyber Security Analyst to manage security alerts and assist in incident response. The role involves collaborating with various teams to ensure effective security measures and continuous improvement of processes. Ideal candidates will have experience in cyber security or IT roles, showcasing strong relationship-building skills and knowledge of essential IT concepts. This position offers a competitive salary, hybrid working arrangements, and extensive benefits.

Benefits

25 days holiday, increasing to 30

Private medical insurance

Competitive pension

Annual performance-related bonus

Training and development opportunities

Flexible benefits scheme

Life assurance

Up to 2 days paid volunteering

Qualifications

• Experience working in Cyber Security or IT roles.
• Demonstrable knowledge of Networking, Hardware, Operating Systems & Cloud Computing.
• Ability to engage with technical and non-technical teams.

Responsibilities

• Handle cyber security alerts from triage through to closure.
• Assist in Incident Response activities to mitigate threats.
• Identify potential service improvements for better efficiency.
• Support BAU demands including process development and reporting.

Skills

Problem-solving mindset

Ability to build relationships

Knowledge of basic IT concepts

Understanding of Cyber Security concepts

Fast learner of new technologies

Job description

Overview

Business Unit: Chief Operating Office
Salary Range: £28,800 - £36,000 per annum DOE + shift allowance + benefits
Location: UK Hybrid with occasional travel to key hubs when required.
Contract Type: Permanent
Working Pattern: This role operates on a shift pattern of 3 days, 3 off, 3 nights, 3 off

Our Team

This role sits within the Detect & Respond sub-team of the Group Security Operations Centre, under the Cyber Security tower in Security & Resilience.

Working with the team you will be analysing and responding to security events as they surface, making initial judgements as to possible severity, seeking support and guidance where needed, and escalating or developing mitigation recommendations to help defend our systems and data.

Your role will often require close collaboration with other parts of the business to help identify, enable, and drive the right investigation steps and response actions. The GSOC defends the whole of Nationwide and Virgin Money's estate, both Member-facing and support capabilities, requiring engagement and communication with both technical and non-technical teams across the business.

You'll help mature our internal processes, developing or defining appropriate detection, response and containment capabilities as well as contributing to the GSOC Strategy. You will help shape our future technology direction, suggesting and assisting with innovative ways to combat contemporary cyber threats so we remain fit to find and confront malicious activity.

What you'll be doing

• You'll be handling cyber security alerts from triage through to closure, making and evidencing high quality decisions and escalating where appropriate
• There will be opportunities to play a supporting role in Incident Response activities to enable the prompt identification, investigation and mitigation of threats, acting across various roles and responsibilities to achieve cyber risk reduction in cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments
• You'll be expected to identify potential service improvements to enable GSOC Detect & Respond to operate more effectively and efficiently, providing feedback and taking ownership to deliver improvement activities where appropriate
• Supporting BAU operational demands, including process/playbook development, use case review, and the collection and production of Management Information
• This role will require you to work closely with other teams across S&R, TOCs and COO to drive positive security outcomes

We need you to have

• Experience of working within a Cyber Security (e.g., SOC, Cyber Incident Response, Penetration Testing) or IT (e.g. Service Desk, Sysadmin) role
• A problem-solving mindset, with the ability to use structured and analytical approaches
• Demonstrable knowledge of basic IT concepts, including but not limited to Networking, Hardware, Operating Systems & Cloud Computing
• Working knowledge of core Cyber Security concepts and tooling, and the ability to apply this understanding to investigations
• The ability to build good working relationships with both technical and business stakeholders, gaining their respect and trust based on your knowledge and professionalism
• The ability and desire to quickly learn new technologies

It's a bonus if you have but not essential

• CompTIA Security+ (or equivalent Defensive Security certification)
• CompTIA Network+ (or equivalent Networking certification)
• Certified Ethical Hacker (or equivalent Offensive Security certification)
• MS SC-200 (or equivalent Security Tooling certification)

Red Hot Rewards

• 25 days holiday per year, increasing over time to 30. Plus, an option to buy more, giving you even more choice.
• Private medical insurance
• A highly competitive pension to help you build a strong foundation for retirement
• Access to an annual performance-related bonus
• Training and development to help you progress your career
• A great selection of additional benefits through our flexible benefits scheme
• Life assurance to provide peace of mind for you and your loved ones
• Up to 2 days of paid volunteering a year

If we're lucky to receive a lot of interest, we may close the advert early. Please ensure to submit your applications as soon as possible.

Say hello to Virgin Money

Virgin Money is so much more than just a bank. As part of the Nationwide group, together we're the UK's first full-service mutual bank serving millions of retail and business customers and all driven by our purpose; Banking but fairer, more rewarding and for the good of society. With us, you'll be part of an organisation uniquely positioned to make a difference to the lives of customers, communities and broader society and embark on a collaborative, customer obsessed, and fun-filled career journey. Embrace the weekdays, enjoy fantastic perks, and make a meaningful positive difference. Time to discover what it means to be part of the first mutual full-service banking provider.

Be yourself at Virgin Money

At Virgin Money, we celebrate everyone. We have fun, think big, and relentlessly include each other, all in pursuit of our purpose: Banking - but fairer, more rewarding, and for the good of society. We're committed to creating an inclusive culture where colleagues feel safe and inspired to contribute, speak up and be heard.

As a Disability Confident Leader, we're committed to removing any obstacles to inclusion. If you need any reasonable adjustments or support making your application, contact our Talent Acquisition team [e-mail]

Please note: If we receive a high volume of eligible applications, we may need to prioritise candidates whose skills and experience most closely align with the role, while still ensuring fair and equitable consideration for all applicants.

Now the legal bit

We're in the process of bringing Virgin Money and Nationwide together which, subject to Court approval, will happen on 2 April 2026. You can find out more about what this means at https://uk.virginmoney.com/nationwide-transfer. If you're successful in securing a role with us, your employment will move automatically to Nationwide when this transfer goes ahead.

Although some of our roles allow you to be based anywhere in the UK, we'll need you to confirm you have the right to work in the UK.

If you're successful in securing a role with us, there are some checks you need to complete before starting. These include credit and criminal record checks and three years' worth of satisfactory references. If the role is part of the Senior Manager Regime and Certification Regime, it requires enhanced pre-employment checks - we'll ask for six years of regulatory references, and once in the role, you'll be subject to periodic employment checks.

Advertised: 05 Feb 2026 GMT Standard Time
Applications close: 19 Feb 2026 GMT Standard Time