Graduate Programme - Security Operations Centre (SOC) Analyst - Newport

Graduate Programme – Security Operations Centre (SOC) Analyst – Newport

About the job
Job summary
Please note: Applicants should review all aspects of this advert to ensure a thorough understanding. If reviewing via a screen reader, please note that the Job Description, Benefits and How to Apply sections have been emphasised
Overview of the Graduate Programme – Security Operations Centre (SOC) Analyst role

About this Role
This is an exciting opportunity for someone to join us as a Security Operations Centre(SOC) Analyst. We are looking for people who have graduated in either 2024 or are due to graduate in 2025 with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Bachelors or Master\’s Degree, wanting to further develop their skills.
You will be based in the Digital, Data and Technology Directorate at the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) who are responsible for Intellectual Property Rights (patents, trademarks, registered designs and copyright) within the UK. This is a 2-year Digital, Data and Technology Graduate Scheme. Dependant on business needs and performance, there may be a possibility of permanency.
During the 2 years you will develop both your technical and personal skills via an in-house training programme and on job experience acquired by working within specialist teams. The role will provide the successful candidate with opportunities to develop a range of skills from technical and analytical to communication nd collaboration.
This is an opportunity for Graduates with a strong interest in gaining hands-on experience and wishing to build a career in security. Ideally the successful candidate will be a well organised, self-starter who is able to pick things up quickly. They will be an open-minded team player, who are creative thinkers wanting to innovate and who are comfortable to challenge the status quo.
Successful appointments will start in September 2025.
For further information about the IPO\’s culture, benefits, and the Civil Service recruitment process, please visit the IPO Hub on Civil Service Careers – IPO – Hub , Civil Service Careers
Job description
Main Duties and Key Responsibilities include :
The Security Operations Centre Analyst role combines elements of two roles within the Government Security Profession career framework and is part of the IPO Secure team. The role involves monitoring security event data, improving alert rules, and investigating potential malicious activity. The Security Operations Centre will manage response procedures, contain and remediate incidents, identify process improvements, and advise product and service owners on mitigations. This role offers valuable experience in high-demand areas of security.

• Monitor events across multiple security technologies.
• Liaise with stakeholders for accurate threat identification, recommend mitigation measures, and report/escalate as needed.
• Assist in content development, analytics, and tuning SOC tooling based on threat intelligence.
• Complete SOC tasks and ensure events/incidents are appropriately progressed.
• Assist with Security, Risk, Compliance, and Service reporting.
• Collaborate with Data and Physical Security colleagues to assess and categorize events.
• Assess events, alerts, and incidents, escalating to management as appropriate.
• Contribute to SOC documentation, including playbooks, runbooks, and procedures.
• Act on calls, emails, alerts, etc., related to security events and incidents.
• Respond to incidents requiring detailed understanding of the monitored estate.
• Provide hands-on assistance during incidents to minimize the impact of security breaches.

For full details on the role, please refer to the \’Security Operations Centre Analyst Role Profile\’ attached to the bottom of the advert.
Working Style
This role will be carried out in-line with IPO Hybrid working arrangements where staff are currently expected to spend at least 20% of their time working onsite from one of our offices. This role is based in our Newport Office .
The requirement for attendance at an office location can vary by role so we would encourage candidates to discuss working arrangements with the recruiting manager to agree a reasonable balance between working from home and the office.
Person specification
To be successful in this role, individuals should encompass the following:

• Excellent communication and collaboration skills
• Critical thinking – the examination of facts to form a judgement
• An inquisitive mind
• Attention to detail
• Sense of urgency
• Knowledge and experience of a wide range of information technologies
• Cyber security knowledge including awareness of security threats and vulnerabilities

For a thorough understanding of the role and general day to day duties, please refer to the attached Role Profile.
Alternatively, if you require job-specific information, please contact Dominic Read.
E-mail:
Telephone: 01633 433189
E-mail:
Telephone: 01633814835
Qualifications
To be eligible to apply for this opportunity applicants must have graduated in either 2024 or be due to graduate in 2025 with a STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) Bachelors or Masters Degree and be authorised to work in the UK.
Behaviours
We\’ll assess you against these behaviours during the selection process:

• Communicating and Influencing
• Developing Self and Others

Technical skills
We\’ll assess you against these technical skills during the selection process:

• Proven experience in IT – formal or informal Passion/ motivation for pursuing a career in Cyber Security Future technical aspirations

Benefits
Alongside your salary of £31,783, Intellectual Property Office contributes £9,207 towards you being a member of the Civil Service Defined Benefit Pension scheme. Find out what benefits a Civil Service Pension provides.
When working at the IPO you can expect:

• A flexible working scheme with excellent development opportunities

• 25 days annual leave moving to 30 days in annual increments (1 day per year) over 5 years of reckonable service. You will also get 8 days public leave and 1 day privilege leave

• Family friendly policies that support modern working families and individuals with caring responsibilities

• A variety of support functions; Staff Counselling Service, Peer to Peer Support Group

• Eligibility for special and office-wide bonus payments

• The opportunity to form part of our many inclusive network groups, find out more by looking at Intellectual Property Office (IPO) (diversityjobsgroup.com)

• A range of wellbeing initiatives; Onsite Gym (Newport office), Eye Care Scheme, Volunteering Programme, Cycling facilities

• Free car parking is available on site at our Newport office

• On-site shop, restaurant and coffee shop at our Newport office

Additionally, within our digital space you can look forward to:

• Unlimited Pluralsight video learning access
• Access to Microsoft\’s ESI training suite

For more information about what\’s on offer at the Intellectual Property Office please review our IPO benefit pack attached to the bottom of this advert.
Please note that benefits may be subject to change.
Things you need to know
Selection process details
This vacancy is using Success Profiles (opens in a new window) , and will assess your Behaviours, Strengths, Experience and Technical skills.
Additional details on security and vetting
Successful candidates must pass a disclosure and barring security check and if successful you must also hold, or be willing to obtain, a higher Security Clearance .
For meaningful checks to be carried out individuals will need to have lived in the UK for a sufficient period of time, depending on the level of clearance, to enable appropriate checks to be carried out and produce a result which provides the required level of assurance. For this role the successful individual will need to have consistently lived in the UK for a minimum 5 years in order to meet the relevant security clearance.
Further information on the vetting process can be found at United Kingdom Security Vetting – GOV.UK ( If you have questions regarding this or are unsure if you meet the eligibility criteria, please contact
How to apply
Candidates to note:

• All communications will be electronic therefore it is vitally important that you check your Civil Service Jobs account regularly, as well as your spam/junk email folder
• When making an initial application for this role please ensure that you refer to and have read the attached role profile .

Pre-sift Testing
The following pre sift test will need to be completed and passed before your application will be seen by the panel:

• Civil Service Judgement Test

Applicants to note:
All listed behaviours will be assessed during the Civil Service Judgement Test.
There are no time limits for the completion of tests.
Please ensure you complete the test with enough time to fully complete and submit your application before the closing date.
Full instructions will be given at the start of the test.
The deadline for completing the tests is the same as the application deadline: Tuesday 11th March 2025 at 23:55
Please ensure you leave yourself enough time to fill out the application after completing the tests.
Sift
An initial sift of applications will be carried out to create a shortlist.
This will be based on the evidence provided for the following Success Profile elements:
Experience
When completing your 500 word Personal Statement, please ensure you cover the following points:

• Tell us about your technical experience and how you have developed your technical skills
• Tell us how you have used your digital, data or technical experience to solve a problem for yourself or someone else

Interviews
If invited to interview Behaviour, Technical and Strengths based questioning will be used.
Specific information regarding the Success Profile elements that will be assessed at interview will be contained within the interview invitation.
Interviews for this role will be carried out in person at our Newport Office.
IMPORTANT: CVs sent direct to the IPO will not be accepted.
The successful candidate would be expected to remain in the role for a minimum of 12 months before applying for another role.
Please note:

• There may be important information contained within the job role profile candidates may also wish to refer to. We recommend candidates download and save a copy of the role profile for reference.

Applicants to note: This post is being advertised to Internal, across Government and external candidates at the same time.
Incomplete and/or late submissions will not be accepted or considered.
Should you have any queries or require any assistance in this matter, please contact the IPO Recruitment team at prior to the closing of the post.
In line with Government guidance, successfully appointed candidates will need to provide documents for our Right to Work checks. Information on this will be sent within the invite to interview text.
If you require an adjustment at any stage of the recruitment process, then please let the recruitment team know via;
For more information on the IPO\’s terms and conditions, please review the attached IPO Modernised Terms and Conditions document attached at the bottom of this advert.
Feedback will only be provided if you attend an interview or assessment.
Security
Successful candidates must undergo a criminal record check.
Successful candidates must meet the security requirements before they can be appointed. The level of security needed is security check (opens in a new window) .
See our vetting charter (opens in a new window) .
People working with government assets must complete baseline personnel security standard (opens in new window) checks.
Nationality requirements
This job is broadly open to the following groups:

• UK nationals
• nationals of the Republic of Ireland
• nationals of Commonwealth countries who have the right to work in the UK
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities with settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS) (opens in a new window)
• nationals of the EU, Switzerland, Norway, Iceland or Liechtenstein and family members of those nationalities who have made a valid application for settled or pre-settled status under the European Union Settlement Scheme (EUSS)
• individuals with limited leave to remain or indefinite leave to remain who were eligible to apply for EUSS on or before 31 December 2020
• Turkish nationals, and certain family members of Turkish nationals, who have accrued the right to work in the Civil Service

Further information on nationality requirements (opens in a new window)
Working for the Civil Service
The Civil Service Code (opens in a new window) sets out the standards of behaviour expected of civil servants.
We recruit by merit on the basis of fair and open competition, as outlined in the Civil Service Commission\’s recruitment principles (opens in a new window) .
The Civil Service embraces diversity and promotes equal opportunities. As such, we run a Disability Confident Scheme (DCS) for candidates with disabilities who meet the minimum selection criteria.
The Civil Service also offers a Redeployment Interview Scheme to civil servants who are at risk of redundancy, and who meet the minimum requirements for the advertised vacancy.
Diversity and Inclusion
The Civil Service is committed to attract, retain and invest in talent wherever it is found. To learn more please see the Civil Service People Plan (opens in a new window) and the Civil Service Diversity and Inclusion Strategy (opens in a new window) .