Principal Security Consultant - DSS in Birmingham

This role sits within the consulting function of our MSSP SOC, delivering engaging professional services while also supporting and enhancing the security posture of existing managed service clients. It operates across multiple customer environments, balancing hands-on technical delivery with architectural guidance.

As a recognised authority within the security domain, the role provides clear, pragmatic advice to help customers design, implement and mature security capabilities aligned to modern threats and regulatory expectations. The focus is on improving security outcomes across concurrent engagements, from targeted solution delivery through to broader security transformation initiatives. The role plays a key part in developing emerging security capabilities within the MSSP, helping to evaluate new technologies, shape repeatable delivery approaches and ensure customers benefit from cutting-edge security services in a sustainable way. Working closely with SOC, engineering and pre-sales teams, the role ensures solutions are technically robust, operationally effective and aligned to the long-term evolution of the MSSP platform.

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead the design and implementation of defensive security services, with particular focus on either the Microsoft or CrowdStrike ecosystem, across a wide range of exciting customer environments.
• Act as a trusted security consultant, developing reference architectures, target operating models and design patterns spanning Microsoft-native and non-Microsoft technologies.
• Design and integrate security controls within complex enterprise, hybrid and multi-cloud architectures, ensuring interoperability and operational sustainability.
• Provide oversight across multiple security engagements, ensuring solutions align with Zero Trust principles, regulatory requirements and recognised security frameworks.
• Lead the end-to-end delivery of complex consultancy engagements across SOC/SIEM/SOAR, XDR/EDR, identity, cloud security, vulnerability management and related services, ensuring delivery to agreed scope, quality and timelines.
• Serve as a senior technical authority and escalation point for high-impact engagements, including complex designs, critical incidents and security transformation programmes.
• Produce high-quality architectural artefacts, documentation and reusable assets, including design documents, templates, scripts and automation to enable scalable and repeatable service delivery.
• Collaborate closely with sales, pre-sales, PMO and wider delivery teams to scope and estimate new engagements, contribute to statements of work, and ensure effective transition from design into delivery.
• Maintain and continuously improve standard methodologies, deployment patterns and delivery processes, driving consistency, quality and maturity across consultancy and managed services engagements.
• Build and sustain strong client and stakeholder relationships, representing the security consultancy function in governance forums, service reviews and technical assurance discussions.

Skills/Qualifications:

• Significant experience delivering complex security consultancy engagements within an MSSP or managed services environment, covering SOC design and deployment, SIEM/SOAR, XDR/EDR, identity, cloud security and vulnerability management.
• Proven capability designing and implementing enterprise security architectures across Microsoft and mixed-vendor environments, including SaaS platforms and hybrid cloud estates.
• Deep hands-on expertise across the Microsoft security and compliance ecosystem, including Microsoft Sentinel, Defender XDR, Purview, Entra ID and Defender for Cloud, from solution design through to implementation and optimisation.
• Experience designing, onboarding and maturing SOC capabilities, including SIEM and XDR integrations, log ingestion strategies, detection engineering and security posture management.
• Strong working knowledge of Zero Trust architecture and the application of recognised security frameworks such as NIST CSF, ISO 27001, PCI DSS, DORA, MITRE ATT&CK and CSA guidance.
• Demonstrable experience operating within a Partner delivery model, including customer-facing consultancy, reference architectures, repeatable deployment patterns and alignment to security best practices.
• Ability to translate complex technical risk, architectural decisions and delivery outcomes into clear, pragmatic guidance for customer and senior technical stakeholders.
• Experience defining and improving delivery processes within an MSSP context, including service standardisation, documentation and continuous improvement.
• Holder of recognised industry certifications such as CISSP, CISM, CISA or CySA+, alongside relevant Microsoft security certifications including SC-100 (Microsoft Cybersecurity Architect), SC-200 (Security Operations Analyst), AZ-500 (Azure Security Engineer) or alternates aligned to the CrowdStrike ecosystem.
• Strong commercial awareness relevant to consultancy and managed services delivery, including engagement scoping, effort estimation and delivery quality.

Key Working Relationships:

• External Clients (New and Existing)
• Internal LRQA colleagues
• VP Advisory Services
• VP Detect & Respond
• Security Engineering Manager
• Security Engineering Team Lead
• SOC Monitor Team
• SOC Consultants
• Technical Pre-Sales & Sales Team
• Other Technical and Compliance Teams

Diversity and Inclusion at LRQA:

We are on a mission to be the place where we all want to work and we are passionate about embracing different perspectives because we understand the value this brings to our business, our clients and each other. We are all about creating a safer and more sustainable future and our inclusive culture is right at the heart of our business. Together our employees make our communities better and we want you to be part of our diverse team!