Lead OSINT Analyst in Sheffield

DarkSkope delivers intelligence for clients operating in complex, high-stakes environments. We protect brands, assets, reputations, and people by cutting through noise and focusing on what actually matters.

As Lead OSINT Analyst, you will own our intelligence capability. You will shape how intelligence is collected, analysed, and delivered across our services. This is a hands-on leadership role, not a passive research position.

To succeed in this role, you will already have a strong grounding in intelligence work and be comfortable operating where discretion and judgement are critical. In practice, that means:

• A solid background in OSINT, intelligence analysis, investigative research, or threat intelligence
• Experience delivering intelligence to private clients, corporates, family offices, or high-risk individuals
• Demonstrated ability to assess reputational, brand, asset, personal, and geopolitical risk
• Confidence briefing senior stakeholders clearly and discreetly
• Experience working with sensitive or confidential client engagements
• A good understanding of the intelligence lifecycle and source evaluation
• Comfort operating with incomplete information when decisions still need to be made

This role is about turning information into clarity. We are looking for someone who brings strong analytical tradecraft and sound judgement, including:

• Advanced OSINT collection and analysis
• Connecting people, companies, assets, and events into coherent risk narratives
• Clear, concise analytical writing and verbal briefing
• Strong prioritisation and sense of what matters now
• Calm, defensible judgement under pressure
• Client-facing confidence and professional discretion
• The ability to lead investigations and raise the standard of analysis around you

You do not need to know every tool on the market, but you should be fluent in the OSINT and investigative ecosystem and comfortable learning new capabilities. Relevant experience may include:

• OSINT and investigation platforms such as Maltego, i2, ShadowDragon, Babel Street, or similar
• Social media and digital footprint analysis tools
• Domain, IP, and infrastructure research
• Sanctions, PEP, corporate registry, and commercial risk databases
• Secure research environments and case management workflows
• Working alongside proprietary analytics and platforms

This role suits someone who is calm, sceptical, and commercially aware. You do not chase noise or novelty, and you are trusted because you take responsibility for judgement calls. You enjoy shaping how intelligence is delivered, working closely with clients, and building something credible from the ground up.

If this role is right for you, you will recognise yourself in most of the following:

• You want to do intelligence work that directly informs real decisions
• You are comfortable owning investigations from start to finish
• You enjoy working with clients who value clarity over theatre
• You want to help build and lead an intelligence capability, not sit inside a large bureaucracy
• You value discretion, quality, and impact over volume
• You are excited by the idea of shaping a fast-growing intelligence business

This role will not suit everyone. In particular, it is unlikely to be a good fit if:

• You are looking for a purely academic or research-only role
• You prefer rigid processes and tightly defined tasks
• You want public attribution or a visible personal brand
• You rely on tools to do the thinking for you
• You are uncomfortable making judgement calls with incomplete information
• You want a slow pace or low-accountability environment

DarkSkope is built for people who want to do serious intelligence work properly. We combine strong technology with human judgement, operate globally across the UK, Middle East, US, and Asia, and give our people real influence over how the capability evolves. If you want to work quietly, intelligently, and at pace, this is the place to do it.