Job summary
- Main area
- Cyber Operations
- Grade
- NHS AfC: Band 8a
- Contract
- Fixed term: 11 months (Until 31/10/2026. Secondment only for current NHS Employees.)
- Hours
- Full time - 37.5 hours per week
- Job ref
- 990-TD-CY-17782-E
- Employer
- NHS England
- Employer type
- NHS
- Site
- Wellington Place, Leeds / Hexagon House, Exeter
- Town
- Leeds / Exeter
- Salary
- £66,828 - £75,218 Per Annum (this includes a RRP payment of 20%)
- Salary period
- Yearly
- Closing
- 04/11/2025 23:59
Employer heading

Senior Cyber Security Analyst (Ops - Cloud)
NHS AfC: Band 8a
Our Organisation
The NHS is building a culture that is positive, compassionate and inclusive – and we all have our part to play.
As employers we are committed to protecting and promoting the physical and mental health and wellbeing of all our colleagues. This underpins our values as set out in the NHS Constitution and supports us to be an Employer of Choice, while helping our colleagues to deliver high quality services for our patients and communities.
As a flexible employer, we want to support you to work in a way that is best for the NHS, our patients and you. Talk to us about how we might be able to accommodate a flexible working arrangement whether that’s a job share, part time, hybrid working or another flexible pattern. In addition, although the role advertised may have a ‘home’ office base indicated, we remain committed to supporting flexibility around workplace locations. If it works for the service, we will do our best to make it work for you.
We are an accredited Living Wage Employer which means that every colleague working for our organisation and third-party contractors will earn a real Living Wage. We are one of over 15,000 organisations, who voluntarily chose to pay the real Living Wage.
Job overview
The Senior Security Analyst (Ops) sits within the Protective Monitoring function of the Cyber Security Operations Centre (CSOC). The CSOC is made up of Protective Monitoring, Incident Management, Threat Operations, Engineering and Consultancy. The role is a Tier 3 analyst in the Cloud Protective Monitoring Sub team.
Cyber Operations purpose is to support safe care and build public trust by building NHS England’s cyber resilience and enabling the wider health system to be cyber resilient, supporting Transformation Directorate’s purpose of delivering the best care and outcomes for the NHS.
The Cyber Operations sub-directorate consists of 4 operational areas:
- Cyber Security Operations Unit (CSOU)
- Cyber Delivery Unit (CDU).
- Cyber Improvement Programme.
- Chief Information Security Office Function (CISO)
The post of Senior Security Analyst has been awarded a Recruitment and Retention Premia (RRP) in response to current labour market conditions. In recognition of this, the role attracts an additional monthly RRP payment equal to 20% per annum.
Please be aware that RRP is none contractual and subject to review.
Main duties of the job
As a Senior Security Analyst Ops you will:
- Provide Tier 3 security analytics and incident response for service-specific security monitoring.
- Deputise for Security Lead (Analyst) in their absence.
- Act as an escalation point for Tier 2 Analysts for incidents and investigations.
- Offer mentorship and guidance to Tier 2 Analysts to support others and their own growth and development.
- Keep up to date with the latest security and technology developments, including researching and evaluating emerging cyber security threats and ways to manage them.
- Use advanced analytic tools including SIEMs, and Cloud Consoles to determine emerging threat patterns and vulnerabilities.
- Apply experience and knowledge to assist with investigations of triggered security alerts.
- Support with the development and automation of SOC processes, to mature the security monitoring service.
- Assist with the refinement of Use Cases and identification of areas for improvement of overall security posture.
Working for our organisation
The NHS England board have set out the top-level purpose for the new organisation to lead the NHS in England to deliver high-quality services for all, which will inform the detailed design work and we will achieve this purpose by:
- Enabling local systems and providers to improve the health of their people and patients and reduce health inequalities.
- Making the NHS a great place to work, where our people can make a difference and achieve their potential.
- Working collaboratively to ensure our healthcare workforce has the right knowledge, skills, values and behaviours to deliver accessible, compassionate care
- Optimising the use of digital technology, research, and innovation
- Delivering value for money.
If you would like to know more or require further information, please visit https://www.england.nhs.uk/.
Colleagues with a contractual office base are expected to spend, on average, at least 40% of their time working in-person.
If you are successful at interview, we will run an Inter Authority Transfer (IAT) in the Electronic Staff Record system (ESR). This transfer gathers valuable information from a previous or current NHS employer to support the onboarding process, including; statutory and mandatory competency status, Continuous Service Dates (CSD), and annual leave entitlement. You will have the opportunity throughout the recruitment process to inform us if you do not consent.
Detailed job description and main responsibilities
Please see the attached Job Description and Person Specification for more information about the role and responsibilities.
Please ensure your supporting statement includes demonstratable evidence and specific examples on how you meet the criteria for each of the key skills specified. This will be used in both the shortlisting and interview processes
Due to the nature of this role, previous experience working in an ‘Analyst’ role within a Cyber Security Operations Centre is essential.
Essential Qualifications required
- SANS SEC504 (GIAC GCIH)
- SANS SEC511 (GIAC GMON)
- SANS SEC541 (GIAC GCTD)
- SANS FOR508 (GIAC GCFA)
- SANS FOR509 (GIAC GCFR)
- AZ-500: Azure Security Engineer Associate
- AWS Certified Security – Speciality
Important: Please be aware there are residency requirements you need to meet:
All NHS England Cyber Security personnel must hold Security Clearance level as a minimum. To meet National Security Vetting requirements, SC clearances require 5 years continuous UK residency. In certain cases, this can be reduced to three years continuous UK residency, with additional overseas checks for the previous two years. Candidates who were posted abroad for service with HM Government, Armed Forces or within a UK government role - will still be considered.
Please make sure you meet these requirements before applying for this role. You don’t need to have SC already, however, failure to achieve the requirements for SC after offer will result in the job offer being withdrawn. For further advice please check https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/united-kingdom-security-vetting-clearance-levels/national-security-vetting-clearance-levels#security-check-sc
Please be aware that should you be successful in this position, you will be hired to the job title of Senior Security Analyst and this job title is advertised to attract the right skills needed for the role.
The post of Senior Security Analyst has been awarded a Recruitment and Retention Premia (RRP) in response to current labour market conditions. In recognition of this, the role attracts an additional monthly RRP payment equal to 20% per annum.
Please be aware that RRP is non-contractual and subject to review
Secondments
Applicants from within the NHS will be offered on a secondment basis only, agreement should be obtained from their employer prior to submitting the application.
Please note that the reason for the fixed term of this contract is short term vacancy
You can find further details about the role, including key responsibilities and accountabilities, alongside the organisational structure and person specification in the attached Job Description and other supporting documents.
Person specification
Knowledge
Essential criteria
- Working knowledge of modules, processes and technologies of Information Security Operation Centre (ISOC); ability to detect, response and utilise related platform and applications to perform cyber security initiatives.
- Extensive knowledge of techniques, approaches and processes of digital threats; ability to detect, monitor, analyse and prevent digital threats.
- Proven knowledge of tools, techniques and processes of intrusion detection and prevention; ability to detect, resolve and prevent intrusion behaviours to protect organisational networks.
Desirable criteria
- Working knowledge of concept, issues and techniques of cloud security; ability to ensure security compliance of cloud infrastructure in various circumstances.
- Working knowledge of concept, issues and techniques of endpoint security; ability to ensure security compliance of endpoint infrastructure in various circumstances.
Skills and Experience
Essential criteria
- Previous experience working in an Analyst role within a Cyber Security Operations Centre
- Evidence of continuous professional development
Qualifications
Essential criteria
- Masters level degree or equivalent level of experience
Applicant requirements
This post will require a submission for Disclosure to be made to check for any unspent criminal convictions.
Documents to download
Further details / informal visits contact
- Name
- Connor Downes
- Job title
- Security Lead (Analyst)
- Email address
- [email protected]
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