SOC Shift Leader

MBDA; Stevenage; On-site; GBP 70,000; Full time

Job summary

A leading defence organization in Stevenage is seeking a passionate SOC Shift Lead to enhance operational excellence within their Cyber Security Operation Centre. The role focuses on providing mentorship while overseeing teams dedicated to threat detection. Ideal candidates should have a strong background in Cyber Security, specifically in Network Security, and possess excellent communication skills. A salary of circa £70,000 plus additional benefits including a bonus and pension contributions is offered, along with opportunities for professional growth.

Benefits

Bonus of up to 21% of base salary

Maximum total pension contribution of up to 14%

Enhanced parental leave up to 26 weeks

Qualifications

• Career background in Cyber Security with a focus on Network Security and Infrastructure.
• Ability to lead by example and foster a high-performing team culture.
• Experience in mentoring, peer coaching, or quality assurance within a SOC environment.

Responsibilities

• Ensure operational excellence and team continuity across multiple shifts.
• Review and assess analyst triage and case notes.
• Act as a mentor for less experienced analysts.

Skills

Cyber Security experience

Network Security

Mentoring and coaching

Excellent communication

Knowledge of OSI Model

Experience with SIEM tools

Job description

An exciting opportunity for a passionate SOC Shift Lead to join a unique, multi-national Information Management function. Ideal candidates should be committed to protecting our critical systems and ensuring the integrity and security of our network infrastructure.

Salary: Circa £70,000, depending on experience+ Shift Premium
Location: Stevenage

Shift pattern: This role is on prem only. Shifts consisting of days (including early shift) and nights (including evening shift), with two working weekends per month and rest days, within an agreed team rota

Security Clearance: British Citizen or a Dual UK national with British citizenship.

This role will require SC Clearance and applicants will be required to undergo DV clearance if they do not already possess it. Restrictions and/or limitations relating to nationality and/or rights to work may apply. As a minimum and after offer stage, all successful candidates will need to undergo HMG Basic Personnel Security Standard checks (BPSS) and a Security Check (SC) clearance, which are managed by the MBDA Personnel Security Team.

What we can offer you

• Company Bonus: Bonus of up to 21% of base salary
• Pension: maximum total (employer and employee) contribution of up to 14%
• Enhanced parental leave: offers up to 26 weeks for maternity, adoption and shared parental leave -enhancements are available for paternity leave, neonatal leave and fertility testing and treatments
• Facilities: Fantastic site facilities including subsidised meals, free car parking and much more

The opportunity

An opportunity has arisen within the Cyber Security Operation Centre (SOC) to establish a new pivotal role that ensures operational excellence and team continuity across a 24x7 defence environment. The SOC Shift Lead will provide quality assurance & continuity working across three rotating teams of Tier 1 and Tier 2 analysts, providing live operational oversight, procedural assurance, and ongoing mentorship.

This role ensures each analyst team is aligned with evolving cyber threat detection standards, works in sync with response and intelligence functions, and delivers consistent high-quality casework across shifts. This is a senior operational role that builds upon the responsibilities of a senior SOC Analyst, introducing additional duties in mentoring, knowledge dissemination, quality control, and SOC capability uplift.

If you are looking to leverage your technical skills in a values led company that values innovation and diversity, this is the place to make an impact.

Shift Continuity & QA

Operational assurance and standard enforcement across all active shifts. Review, assess, and QA analyst triage, case notes, and escalations. Ensure seamless shift handovers by maintaining clear communication protocols and supporting consistent documentation.

Mentorship & Analyst Development

Act as mentor for less experienced analysts, delivering just-in-time support and real-time knowledge sharing. Identify capability gaps within the shift team and report training needs to SOC management. Facilitate awareness of the latest threats, detection guidance, and tooling updates through briefings or job aids.

Escalation & Communication Interface

Serve as the first point of contact for non-critical escalations and queries within the shift team. Liaise with SOC Manager, CTI, and IR leads to clarify or communicate updated response requirements. Contribute to and support the alignment of ongoing SOC initiatives, project deliverables, and best practice dissemination.

Feedback & Continuous Improvement

Log procedural or workflow issues observed during shifts and propose improvements. Recommend updates to SOPs and playbooks based on frontline observations. Capture metrics on alert handling efficiency, response delays, and knowledge pain points

The MBDA SOC Shift Lead reports to the SOC Manager. The MBDA SOC Shift Lead conducts a range of analysis and assists the incident response team with investigations that need to be escalated to an embedded MBDA member of staff.

What we're looking for from you

• A career background in Cyber Security. Security awareness and experience in all areas of IT, primarily Network Security, Infrastructure and the secondary area being Operating Systems & Applications.
• Ability to lead by example, enforce standards diplomatically, and foster a high-performing team culture.
• Prior experience in mentoring, peer coaching, or quality assurance within a SOC environment.
• Excellent written and verbal communication for coordination, escalation, and documentation purposes.
• Demonstrable understanding of the OSI Reference Model and the network communication protocols, including but not limited to DNS, HTTP/S, SSL, SMTP, FTP/S, LDAP/S.
• Demonstrable experience with Security Information Event Monitoring Tools and/or Network Packet Capture tools.

Our company: Peace is not a given, Freedom is not a given, Sovereignty is not a given

MBDA is a leading defence organisation. We are proud of the role we play in supporting the Armed Forces who protect our nations. We partner with governments to work together towards a common goal, defending our freedom.

We are proud of our employee-led networks, examples include: Gender Equality, Pride, Menopause Matters, Parents and Carers, Armed Forces, Ethnic Diversity, Neurodiversity, Disability and more

We recognise that everyone is unique, and we encourage you to speak to us should you require any advice, support or adjustments throughout our recruitment process.

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