Senior Cyber Security Operator

On behalf of The Ministry of Justice, we are looking for a Senior Cyber Security Operator Inside IR35 for a 12 Month Remote Contract with occasional visits to the London Office. An active SC Clearance is an essential requirement for this role; as a minimum, you must be willing & eligible to undergo checks.

The Role

You will conduct safe, simulated cyber-attack simulations against our technology estates, acting as a real-world adversary might, to test our defences, highlight weaknesses and contribute cyber security expertise and insight in support of the department's strategic security decision-making functions. You will be familiar with exploitation methodologies across a wide range of technologies, from classic enterprise technology stacks to modern digital services. You will have a well-developed ability to tactically assess and execute a diversity of attack types, including chained attacks and evasion techniques, to achieve your desired goal. You have a keen instinct for evading detection and avoiding disruption to MoJ's operations.

Key Responsibilities:

• Designing and executing threat intelligence-based full-spectrum cyber-attack simulations, including long-term campaign planning, persistence, and post-exploitation operations against the Ministry of Justice.
• Adopting a red team approach, discovering high-impact weaknesses across the organisation's most important technology estates and business areas, and validating whether the overarching cyber security apparatus is working effectively.
• Communicating technical findings in clear risk and impact-focused terms to senior stakeholders, enabling effective understanding and support for strategic decision-making.
• Development and implementation of tools and methodologies to augment and automate team offensive and analytical capability.
• Mentoring junior Red Team members to improve their skills and capabilities, along with wider knowledge transfer to other security and non-security teams to help build a culture of cyber security in the department.

Skills and Experience

Essential:

• Proven ability to plan and execute complex, multi-phase operations.
• Scenario-driven adversary simulation.
• Threat intelligence analysis and assessment.
• Exploitation of a wide range of technologies, including infrastructure, web application and cloud platforms: Microsoft Entra, Active Directory, M365, macOS, Kubernetes, CI/CD, AWS, Azure.
• Post-exploitation, persistence and lateral movement, including tactical analysis of attack paths leading to high-value targets.
• Conducting engagement activities in line with operational security best practice and within a range of threat actor capabilities and tradecraft.
• Deep understanding of security technologies found in end-user and server operating systems and supporting infrastructure, including relevant architectural and operational patterns of at-scale deployment and administration of complex Legacy and modern enterprise environments.
• Experience using, developing and deploying tools in support of red teaming activities, including attack infrastructure, C2 frameworks and infrastructure-as-code technologies.
• Strong communication skills with the ability to clearly explain complex technical issues related to vulnerabilities and risk to diverse audiences, including senior stakeholders, in support of vulnerability management, threat mitigation, and risk-based decision-making.
• Participation in GCASE/GBEST/CBEST/TIBER engagements.

Desirable:

• Experience in threat and/or vulnerability research, including publication and presentation to the wider cyber security community.
• Background in a related discipline, such as protective monitoring, incident response, security engineering or security architecture.
• Certifications in the field of red team: CCSAS, CRTL.

Please be aware that this role can only be worked within the UK and not Overseas.

Disability Confident: As a member of the Disability Confident Scheme, MOJ guarantees to interview all candidates who have a disability and who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of candidates who have a disability who meet all the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. This scheme encourages candidates with a disability and/or neurodivergence to apply. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

Armed Forces Covenant: The Ministry of Justice guarantees to interview veterans or spouses/partners of military personnel who meet all the essential criteria for the vacancy. In cases where we have a high volume of ex-military candidates/military spouses or partners, who meet all of the essential criteria, we will interview the best candidates from within that group. In exceptional circumstances, we may also need to apply the desirable criteria in our shortlisting process which may include holding active security clearance.

In applying for this role, you acknowledge the following: this role falls in scope of the Off Payroll Working in the Public Sector legislation. Any rates of payment quoted will reflect the gross rate per day for the assignment and will be subject to appropriate taxes and statutory costs. As such, the payment to the intermediary and your income resulting from this contract will be different.