SOC Operations Technical Lead in Birmingham

The purpose of this role is to lead a team of SOC analysts, who are collectively operating on a 24/7/365 basis. This hands-on position serves as the senior technical authority for SOC operations, driving excellence in threat detection, incident response, and security operations across a diverse multi-client portfolio. You will combine deep technical proficiency with strong consulting skills to mentor analysts, manage shift rotations, optimise SOC processes and tools, lead complex incident escalations, and act as a trusted advisor.

You will be accountable for the effective functioning of your team, ensuring high performance standards while continuously developing their skills as part of a high-trust, high-performing security service. You will leverage your combined experience in leadership and security operations to enable the smooth delivery of our award-winning defensive monitoring service, supporting proactive detection and response for clients across the globe.

Strong technical knowledge is essential to mentor junior analysts, develop their capabilities, and ensure the team remains at the forefront of security operations. You must proactively initiate actions and work independently to quickly mitigate threats, set an example, maintain operational continuity, make informed decisions, and ensure team efficiency under pressure.

Collaboration With Other Teams

Working closely with Threat Intelligence, Engineering and Incident Response teams to strengthen the SOC’s ability to detect, investigate, and respond to emerging threats. This collaboration ensures timely sharing of actionable intelligence, refinement of detection rules, improvement of security tools, and alignment of operational processes, ultimately enhancing overall organisational security posture.

Continual Improvement

Driving continuous improvement within the SOC by identifying gaps in processes, detection capabilities, and team performance, and implementing solutions to enhance operational efficiency. Evaluating incidents and alerts to refine triage and response workflows, ensuring lessons learned are translated into updated playbooks and best practices. Monitoring emerging threats, tuning detections, and adopting new tools and techniques to strengthen the SOC’s proactive defence posture.

Team Leadership & Operations Oversight

Lead day-to-day activities of the SOC analysts across all shifts (24/7 operations through and on call rotation). Manage team scheduling, shift handovers, and always ensure proper coverage. Act as the first point of escalation for security events and staff queries during shifts. Ensure high-quality incident triage, investigation, and response by team members, following predefined and agreed SOC processes. Coordinate with other shifts to maintain operational continuity and consistent processes.

Technical Leadership & Operations Excellence

Provide technical leadership and guidance to SOC analysts on alert triage, investigation, threat hunting, and incident response. Function as the primary technical escalation point for complex, high-severity, or novel security alerts across multiple client environments. Drive continuous improvement of SOC processes, playbooks, detection rules, and automation to enhance efficiency, reduce false positives, and accelerate response times. Evaluate, recommend, and support the implementation and optimisation of SOC technologies (SIEM, EDR/XDR, SOAR, threat intelligence platforms) across heterogeneous client stacks.

Consulting & Client Engagement

Serve as a trusted technical consultant to clients, participating in security reviews, root cause analyses, and recommendations for security posture improvements. Translate complex technical findings and recommendations into clear, actionable insights for both technical and executive client stakeholders.

Team Development & Mentorship

Mentor and coach SOC analysts, fostering technical growth, best practices, and a high-performance culture. Conduct technical training sessions, knowledge-sharing workshops, and skills assessments. Support performance management, including goal setting and feedback for direct or matrix team members.

Strategic & Operational Contributions

Identify opportunities to enhance MSSP service offerings through new capabilities, automation, or methodology improvements. Monitor industry trends, threat intelligence, and tool advancements to keep SOC operations at the cutting edge. Ensure compliance with SLAs, internal standards, and relevant regulatory requirements.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• 7+ years of experience in Security Operations, with at least 3–4 years in a senior/lead technical role within a SOC (preferably in an MSSP or multi-client environment).
• Strong hands-on expertise with industry-leading tools: SIEM platforms (Microsoft Sentinel, CrowdStrike), EDR/XDR solutions (CrowdStrike, Microsoft Defender, Carbon Black), SOAR, threat intelligence platforms, and network security tools.
• Proven experience in advanced threat hunting.
• Solid automation skills to improve SOC efficiency.
• Experience designing and tuning detection rules, use cases, and correlation logic in multi-tenant environments.
• Demonstrated consulting skills and ability to communicate effectively with clients, present findings, and provide strategic security advice.

Preferred Qualifications

• Relevant certifications: CISSP, GIAC (GCIH, GCIA, GREM), SC-200, SC-300 or equivalent.
• Experience with cloud security operations environments.
• Background in professional services, consulting, or MSSP delivery.
• Familiarity with ITIL, NIST, ISO27001 or other security frameworks in a service provider context.

Key Competencies

• Exceptional technical depth combined with the ability to explain complex concepts simply.
• Strong problem-solving, analytical thinking, and decision-making under pressure.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including client-facing presentation abilities.
• Leadership presence with a collaborative, mentoring approach.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities and thrive in a fast-paced, 24/7 MSSP environment.

Pre-Employment Checks

If you are successful in securing a role with us, we will carry out pre-employment checks in accordance with what is permitted under local law. These checks may include, where legally allowed: right to work, identification, verification of employment history, education, and criminal record checks. We will engage our third-party background screening provider, Cfirst, to conduct these checks on our behalf. Cfirst performs all processing in full compliance with applicable data protection laws and adheres to strict legal, regulatory, and ethical obligations in handling personal data. Any personal information collected for the purpose of these checks will be used solely for evaluating your suitability for employment and will be retained only for as long as necessary to fulfil these purposes and meet legal requirements. Your data will be stored securely and managed in accordance with all relevant privacy legislation.