Cyber Security Specialist (Operational) in Manchester

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is the independent organisation responsible for providing national guidance and advice on promoting high quality health, public health and social care. As an equal opportunities employer, we are committed to creating an inclusive environment and welcome everyone from all backgrounds to apply so we can continue to create a workforce which is representative of the communities we serve. If you are suitably qualified and have an interest in remote, hybrid, full time or part time working, we encourage you to get in touch as we are happy to discuss potential flexible working opportunities. We have modern offices in Manchester city centre and Stratford, London. Please take into consideration that you may be required to commute to one of our offices for business purposes if necessary.

Do you want to do meaningful work that makes a genuine difference to society? Our main purpose here at NICE is to improve health and wellbeing by putting science and evidence at the heart of health and care decision-making. As an organisation, we all collaborate to achieve this goal by empowering our workforce to do great things!

As a Cyber Security Specialist (Operational), you will play a key hands-on role in protecting NICE’s digital platforms, systems, and data from cyber threats. Working as part of a collaborative cyber security function, you will investigate security alerts, manage vulnerabilities, respond to incidents and help ensure our services remain secure, resilient and compliant. The role combines technical expertise with clear communication, supporting both operational delivery and the continual improvement of NICE’s cyber security posture.

What the candidate will be expected to do / bring:

• Act as a hands-on cyber security specialist, investigating security alerts, responding to incidents and supporting day-to-day operational cyber resilience.
• Configure, manage and maintain security tooling and infrastructure across on-premise and cloud environments, embedding secure by design principles.
• Carry out routine vulnerability assessments, threat analysis and horizon scanning to identify and mitigate emerging risks.
• Serve as a technical escalation point for complex security issues, contributing expert analysis and practical solutions.
• Support compliance with recognised security standards and frameworks (e.g. Cyber Essentials, ISO27001), maintaining clear and auditable records.
• Communicate complex technical risks and findings clearly to both technical and non-technical stakeholders.

The Infrastructure, Cyber & IT Operations team plays a critical role in ensuring NICE’s digital services are secure, resilient, and reliable. The team is responsible for safeguarding systems and information, supporting users across the organisation, and maintaining operational stability with minimal risk or disruption. As part of this team, you will help protect nationally important digital services while enabling NICE to deliver trusted guidance and information to health and care users across England. We are passionate and proud of the work we do and the impact we make.

NICE offer:

• Generous NHS Pension – Secure your future with one of the most rewarding pension schemes in the UK.
• Flexible working – Enjoy a healthy work-life balance with options like remote working, compressed hours and flexible start/finish times.
• Exclusive discounts – Save on shopping, dining and more with a Blue Light Card.
• Time to recharge – Start with 27 days’ annual leave plus bank holidays.
• Inclusive staff networks – Join supportive communities like Women in NICE, Race Equality Network, Disability Advocacy and NICE and Proud – we celebrate diversity.
• Tailored development – Grow your career with personalised learning and development opportunities.

If you feel this is the type of environment you will enjoy working in, apply today!

To be considered for this role, you should be able to particularly demonstrate the person specification criteria in the job advert in your application. However, applicants should be able to demonstrate all essential criteria through the entirety of the recruitment process to be considered for the job.

Important - Due to NICE’s use of anonymised recruitment practices, we ask all candidates not to include any personal details within their application. Please ensure you provide sufficient detail in the application form. We reserve the right to close any vacancies from further submissions when we have received sufficient applications from which to make a shortlist. Please ensure you apply without delay if you wish to be considered for this role. Candidates must ensure that all information provided in their application is factually accurate. Any examples provided must be taken from personal experience. NICE abides by honesty and integrity as part of its organisational values; if evidence of plagiarism is found, applications may be withdrawn.

By submitting an application, you agree that it may be rejected or subject to disciplinary action if evidence of plagiarism is detected. Examples of plagiarism can include presenting the ideas and experience of others, or generated by artificial intelligence, as your own. Please contact [email protected] with the subject, 'Reasonable Adjustments' if you wish to discuss any additional needs or reasonable adjustments which may support you with your application and/or at interview.