SOC Operations Manager

Sopra Steria Ltd; Kings Langley; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading cybersecurity firm in Kings Langley is seeking a SOC Operations Manager to lead and enhance its Security Operations Centre. In this role, you will develop a high-performing team while managing security incidents and driving operational excellence. The ideal candidate has extensive experience in 24x7 SOC environments and is familiar with industry frameworks and tools such as Splunk and Microsoft Sentinel. A strong emphasis on continuous improvement and effective communication is essential.

Benefits

Bonus

£6,600 car allowance

25 days annual leave

Private health care

Life assurance

Pension

Generous flexible benefits fund

Qualifications

• Proven experience leading SOC teams in a 24x7 environment.
• Ability to harness data analysis to detect threats and deliver insights.
• Strong track record in threat detection and incident management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop the SOC team, mentoring analysts and incident responders.
• Oversee incident management, managing the lifecycle of security incidents.
• Drive threat intelligence collection and coordinate vulnerability remediation efforts.
• Monitor, analyse, and report on security events and trends.
• Promote best practices in threat detection and incident response.

Skills

Leading SOC teams in a 24x7 environment

Familiarity with NIST Cybersecurity Framework

Ability to conduct data analysis

Strong track record in threat detection

Coaching analysts and building teams

Confident communication

Working knowledge of CREST SOC Maturity Model

Experience with ITIL processes

Education

Vendor-specific accreditations

Relevant security or management certifications

Tools

Splunk

Microsoft Sentinel

ISO 27001

Job description

Are you a SOC Operations Manager ready for your next challenge?

Sopra Steria’s Cyber Practice is seeking a SOC Manager to lead, shape, and elevate our Security Operations Centre. In this role, you will oversee security operations supporting multiple high-profile clients across diverse industries, driving excellence, innovation, and operational efficiency.

You will ensure the SOC operates at peak performance while continually improving processes, with a strong focus on ITIL service management principles and full alignment with CREST standards.

You will mentor and lead a skilled team of analysts, champion best practices in threat detection and incident management, and play a key role in safeguarding our organisation’s digital environment.

What you will be doing:

• Lead and Develop the SOC Team - mentor, coach, and manage analysts and incident responders, fostering a high-performing, continuously learning team.
• Oversee Incident Management - manage the full lifecycle of security incidents, ensure SLA compliance, and maintain escalation protocols.
• Drive Threat Intelligence & Vulnerability Management - direct threat intelligence collection, analyse risks, and coordinate vulnerability remediation efforts.
• Optimise SOC Operations - maintain and enhance operational documentation, processes, and tools, ensuring alignment with CREST and ITIL standards.
• Data-Driven Security Insights - monitor, analyse, and report on security events, trends, and risks, providing actionable insights for senior stakeholders.
• Champion Continuous Improvement - promote best practices in threat detection, incident response, training, and SOC performance reporting.

What we are looking for:

• Proven experience leading SOC teams in a 24×7 environment within an MSSP, driving operational excellence and continuous improvement.
• Familiarity with NIST Cybersecurity Framework, MITRE ATT&CK, Splunk, Microsoft Sentinel, and ISO 27001.
• Ability to harness data analysis to detect threats, identify trends, and deliver actionable insights.
• Strong track record in threat detection, incident management, and escalation handling.
• Skilled in coaching analysts, building high-performing teams, and managing effective shift patterns.
• Confident communicator, able to translate complex technical risks into clear business impacts for senior stakeholders.
• Working knowledge of the CREST SOC Maturity Model.
• Experience applying ITIL processes across incident, problem, and change management.

It would be great if you had:

• Vendor-specific accreditations (e.g., Splunk Certified, Microsoft SC-200).
• Relevant security or management certifications.

If you are interested in this role but not sure if your skills and experience are exactly what we’re looking for, please do apply, we’d love to hear from you!

Employment Type:

Full Time, Permanent

Location:

Hemel Hempstead

Security Clearance Level:

ideally SC or DV Cleared, willing to obtain DV clearance

Internal Recruiter:

Lee

Salary:

Negotiable on experience

Benefits:

Bonus, £6,600 car allowance, 25 days annual leave with the option to buy additional days, private health care, life assurance, pension, and generous flexible benefits fund

Loved reading about this job and want to know more about us?

Sopra Steria’s Aerospace, Defence and Security business designs, develops and deploys digital solutions to Central Government clients. The work we do makes a real difference to the client’s goal of National Security, and we operate in a unique and privileged environment. We are given time for professional development activities, and we coach and mentor our colleagues, sharing knowledge and learning from each other. We foster a culture in which employees feel valued and supported and have pride in their work for the customer, delivering outstanding rates of customer satisfaction in the UK’s most complex safety- and security-critical markets.