SOC Shift Lead

Sopra Steria Limited; Hemel Hempstead; On-site; GBP 39,000 - 65,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

25 days annual leave

Health cash plan

Life assurance

Pension

Job summary

Sopra Steria Limited in Hemel Hempstead OR Farnborough is seeking a Lead SOC Analyst to head a high‑performing 24/7 Security Operations Centre. You will take ownership of major security incidents and act as the primary escalation point for high‑priority threats.

You will hunt, investigate and respond to sophisticated cyber attacks, analyse logs and network activity, and drive improvements to detection capabilities and SOC tooling while mentoring junior analysts.

Qualifications

• Minimum SOC experience with incident detection, investigation and response.
• Experience leading/coaching analysts in security operations.
• Knowledge of MITRE ATT&CK or similar threat frameworks.
• Experience with SIEM tooling, tuning, and playbooks.

Responsibilities

• Lead and inspire a team of SOC Analysts within a 24/7 SOC.
• Own major security incidents, acting as escalation point for high-priority threats.
• Hunt, investigate and respond to sophisticated cyber attacks across client environments.
• Analyse network traffic, endpoint activity, logs to uncover malicious behaviour.
• Drive continuous improvement of detection capabilities and SOC processes.
• Mentor analysts and represent SOC in stakeholder discussions.

Skills

SOC leadership

Incident detection

Threat hunting

Scripting (Python/PowerShell/Bash)

Tools

Microsoft Sentinel

Splunk

Job description

Clearance: Eligible for SC and DV Clearance Shift based: 2 x 6am to 6pm 2 x 6pm to 6am 4 days off.

What You'll Be Doing:

? Lead and inspire a team of SOC Analysts within a fast-paced 24/7 Security Operations Centre. Take ownership of major security incidents, acting as the primary escalation point for high-priority threats. Hunt, investigate and respond to sophisticated cyber attacks across client environments. Analyse network traffic, endpoint activity, logs and alerts to uncover malicious behaviour. Drive continuous improvement of detection capabilities aligned to the MITRE ATT&CK framework. Enhance SOC processes, tooling, playbooks and operational effectiveness. Mentor and develop analysts, helping build the next generation of cyber security talent. Represent the SOC in operational discussions with stakeholders, partners and customers.

What You'll Bring:

Proven experience working within a Security Operations Centre (SOC). Strong incident detection, investigation and response experience. Deep understanding of network and host-based attack techniques. Hands-on experience with SIEM technologies such as Microsoft Sentinel or Splunk. Experience leading, coaching or mentoring analysts in an operational security environment.

It would be great if you had:

• Detection engineering or threat-informed defence experience.
• MITRE ATT&CK framework knowledge.
• Python, PowerShell or Bash scripting skills.
• Malware analysis or reverse engineering exposure.
• CREST, Blue Team Level 1 or similar cyber security certifications.

Salary and Benefits

Employment Type: Permanent

Location: Hemel Hempstead OR Farnborough

Security Clearance Level: Eligible for DV and SC Clearance.

Salary: Up to £65K +shift allowance

• Benefits: 25 days annual leave with the choice to buy additional holiday days, health cash plan, life assurance, and pension.

About the Company

Lead the Defenders. Hunt the Threats. Protect What Matters. Cyber threats don't sleep and neither do the teams that stop them. At Sopra Sterias, our Security Operations Centre stands on the front line of cyber defence, protecting some of the UK's most critical organisations. As we continue to grow our managed security services, we're looking for an experienced Lead SOC Analyst to take charge of a high-performing team and help shape the future of our 24/7 Cyber Security Operations capability. This is more than a leadership role. You'll remain hands‑on in the fight against cyber threats, leading investigations, driving incident response, mentoring analysts, and strengthening our detection and response capabilities across multiple complex client environments. Whether you're already leading a SOC team or you're a senior analyst ready to take the next step, this is your opportunity to make a real impact in a mission‑critical security environment.

Office based: Hemel Hempstead OR Farnborough