At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the design of security infrastructure and deliver impactful engineering outcomes.
- Company: Join Tesco's innovative Detection Engineering team, protecting millions of customers.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, flexible working options, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic team culture focused on collaboration and continuous learning.
- Why this job: Make a real difference in cyber defence while mentoring the next generation of engineers.
- Qualifications: Experience in security engineering and a passion for proactive problem-solving.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
As a Senior Security Engineer in Tesco's Detection Engineering team, you will lead the technical design of security-first infrastructure and deliver high-impact engineering outcomes that protect a global retail ecosystem serving millions of customers. You will translate complex threat and risk signals into resilient, testable, and automated security capabilities across Tesco's technology landscape. This role blends deep engineering leadership with a customer-first mindset: preventing disruption, safeguarding trust, and raising the bar on engineering quality across cyber defence. You will also mentor engineers and help shape an innovation agenda that strengthens Tesco's ability to detect and withstand sophisticated cyber threats.
Responsibilities
- Design, build and deploy complex, high-reliability security capabilities that offer proactive visibility into Tesco's estate and materially reduce risk to customer services and operational continuity.
- Champion secure, test-driven engineering, including code quality, automated testing, peer review and repeatable delivery practices across the team.
- Identify opportunities and pilot AI-assisted and automation-driven approaches that improve detection lifecycle effectiveness, ensuring changes deliver measurable improvements rather than novelty.
- Coach and support junior engineers, building confidence in modern development practices, problem-solving, and pragmatic security design decisions.
- Work seamlessly with Security Operations, Threat Intelligence, platform teams and product/engineering stakeholders to deliver integrated defences, communicating clearly, influencing effectively, and fostering an inclusive, high-performing culture.
Qualifications
- Experience in delivering production-grade solutions safely (from design through build, test, deploy, operate and improve).
- Evidence of writing clean, maintainable code or scripts and applying appropriate patterns for reliability, scalability, and operational support.
- Experience developing custom detections and familiarity with working with data in an at-scale product.
- Understanding of threat-aware design, secure defaults, automated tests, and disciplined change control.
- Knowledge of how these practices raise the quality bar across a team and underpin detection and response outcomes.
- Fundamentals at scale - how to convert hypotheses about adversary behaviour into effective detections, how to reduce noise without impacting visibility, and how to sustain quality over time.
- Evidence of curiosity, continuous learning, and proactive professional development, including sharing knowledge and improving team practice.
- Proven ability to foster an environment where diverse perspectives are welcomed, engineers are supported, and collaboration is the default.
- Exposure to evaluating emerging techniques (including AI-assisted approaches) with sound judgement - balancing value, safety, and operational reality.
Desirable Qualifications
- Exposure to a core technology landscape and strong retail technology awareness, including how customer journeys and store/online operations shape risk.
- Demonstrable understanding of security evaluation and functionality testing, including validating controls and detections against expected outcomes.
- Cloud & container security knowledge, including common control patterns and engineering approaches to hardening cloud-native services.
- Applied AI for cyber defence familiarity and awareness of AI governance / responsible AI considerations.
- Strong research habits and data-informed decision making (using insights to tune detections, prioritise engineering effort, and quantify improvements).
- Experience working with delivery and operational tooling such as GitHub & Jira, and incident collaboration tooling such as Zendesk & xMatters.
- Experience with a querying language such as SPL, KQL, SQL etc. in a Security Environment.
- Communication and influencing skills across engineering, product and security stakeholders; comfort guiding decisions under ambiguity and driving change.
- Familiarity with product methodologies and security architecture concepts to help shape secure-by-design outcomes across teams.
Senior Security Engineer - Detection Engineering employer: WeAreTechWomen
At Tesco, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer, particularly for our Senior Security Engineers in Detection Engineering. Our commitment to a customer-first mindset and a culture of innovation fosters an environment where engineers can thrive, mentor others, and contribute to high-impact security solutions that protect millions of customers. With opportunities for professional growth, collaboration across diverse teams, and a focus on cutting-edge technology, Tesco is the ideal place for those looking to make a meaningful impact in the world of cyber defence.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Senior Security Engineer - Detection Engineering
✨Get Involved in the Cybersecurity Community
Diving into the cybersecurity community is key for landing that full-time gig. Join forums like Reddit's r/cybersecurity or attend local meetups to connect with industry veterans and other job seekers. Networking is everything in this field—don’t just be a passive lurker!
✨Show Off Your Skills with Capture the Flag Competitions
Participate in Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions; these are not just a fun way to boost your skills but also a chance to showcase your talent to potential employers. Many companies, including WeAreTechWomen, love seeing candidates who actively engage in these challenges.
✨Tailor Your Online Presence
Make sure your LinkedIn and any professional profiles reflect your cybersecurity expertise. Share your projects, whether they’re personal or from a previous role, to catch the eye of hiring managers. This is how they’ll find your passion and commitment to the field!
✨Apply Directly Through WeAreTechWomen
Don’t forget to head straight to our website and check out any openings for cybersecurity roles at WeAreTechWomen. Applying directly can sometimes give you an edge, especially if you can mention that you've been following our work or engaging in the community.
We think you need these skills to ace Senior Security Engineer - Detection Engineering
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show off your technical skills:In cybersecurity, it's crucial to highlight your technical prowess. Make sure your CV showcases specific skills like network security, penetration testing, or threat analysis. If you have relevant certifications (like CEH or CISSP), pop those on the front page to grab attention!
Tailor your portfolio for the role:Even for a full-time role, a portfolio can set you apart. If you've worked on any cybersecurity projects—be it CTF challenges, security assessments, or research papers—include these in your application. This demonstrates not just your skills, but also your hands-on experience!
Use real-world examples:When writing your cover letter, don’t just stick to your qualifications. Share real-world examples of how you’ve tackled security issues or vulnerabilities. This gives the hiring team at WeAreTechWomen insight into your practical problem-solving abilities and makes your application memorable.
Demonstrate your passion for cybersecurity:Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field, so show us that you’re always learning! Mention any recent courses, webinars, or industry events you’ve attended. This not only exhibits your enthusiasm but also signals to WeAreTechWomen that you’re committed to staying ahead in the game.
How to prepare for a job interview at WeAreTechWomen
✨Sharpen Your Technical Skills
For a role in cybersecurity, it’s essential to be up-to-date with the latest tools and techniques. Brush up on your knowledge of firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and vulnerability assessment tools. Be ready to discuss specific scenarios where you’ve applied these skills, as hands-on experience can really set us apart in interviews.
✨Prepare for Scenario-Based Questions
Expect the interviewers at WeAreTechWomen to throw in some hypothetical situations to see how you’d handle them. Think about common security breaches or incidents and be prepared to explain how you would respond. This not only shows your problem-solving skills but also your understanding of real-world cybersecurity challenges.
✨Highlight Your Certifications
Certifications like CompTIA Security+, CISSP, or CEH can give you a significant edge in a full-time role in cybersecurity. Make sure to mention these during your interview and be prepared to discuss what you learned through those certifications and how they relate to the position at WeAreTechWomen.
✨Show Your Passion for Cybersecurity
Since you’re going for a full-time gig, showing genuine enthusiasm for the field can make all the difference. Share any personal projects, blogs, or communities you’re part of that relate to cybersecurity. This not only showcases your passion but also your commitment to staying engaged in this ever-evolving field.
